Avocado

vocados became a produce pariah when we Americans went through our fat-free phase. Can you believe that we health nuts actually thought that it was healthier to eat a fat-free cookie than to add some avocado to our salads? I hope that avocados are back on your shopping list because, as you are about to learn, they are an outstanding superfood that should no longer be considered a produce outcast.

If you worry about your cholesterol levels, avocado is an excellent addition to your diet. Like olive oil, it’s full of monounsaturated fats, which help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol, making avocados a tasty way to lower your heart disease risk! Beta-sitosterol, a phytonutrient, helps to maintain optimal cholesterol levels by lowering LDL cholesterol in your GI tract. That green flesh means a lot, too. Like spinach, avocados are high in lutein, a carotenoid that helps prevent age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in elderly adults. They’re also an excellent source of heart-healthy folate, which helps to lower homocysteine levels in the blood that could otherwise lead to atherosclerosis. Their beta carotene content is higher than several other fruits, including apples and grapefruits, and they supply 60% more potassium than bananas on a per weight basis.

Since avocados are high in fat, they do tend to be higher in calories than other fruits and vegetables, but they are on the short list of “good” fats that we need to include in our diets (along with olive oil, nuts and fatty fish). One third of a medium Hass avocado contains 90 calories, 8 grams of total fat, 5 grams monounsaturated fat, 1 1/2 grams saturated fat, 5 grams of fiber and 7% of your daily requirement for vitamin E. I’d say that’s a pretty good nutritional return for a modest investment of calories.

Avocados come in many varieties, but we at Gelson’s always carry the best: California Hass avocados. You can buy them any time of the year at any stage of ripeness. Pick them soft (it should yield to gentle pressure, but not feel like it’s filled with jelly) when you want to eat them right away, or select hard ones when you won’t eat them for a few days. Choose avocados with a purplish black skin. Avocados are one of the few fruits that don’t ripen on the tree (avocado growers actually store their inventory on the trees for up to 7 months!). They begin to ripen once they are picked. If you do buy a hard one, just leave it on the counter for a few days, until desired softness is achieved. If you’re in a rush, seal avocados in a paper bag with a tomato, apple or banana to speed ripening. Store ripe avocados in the refrigerator for up to five days.

To prepare an avocado, use a sharp knife to cut around the fruit lengthwise. Twist the two halves apart and use a spoon to scoop out the pit. Do not cut the avocado until the last possible minute because it will turn brown when left exposed to the air, though combining it with an acid (like lemon or lime juice, tomato, fresh salsa or vinegar) should help prevent it from doing so. Slice or dice the flesh while still in the skin, being careful not to cut all the way through, then press the skin in the center to flip it inside out and peel off the cut flesh. Use avocados raw in anything from salads to sandwiches, but don’t try to cook them. This month, try my recipe for Turkey and Avocado Tostada Salad.