All About Avocados

The avocado is full of nutrients and has thus been named as a superfood. There are many varieties of avocado but the Hass avocado, with it's bumpy skin seems to be the most popular. They are sometimes referred to as alligator pears because of the bumps on their skin.

Here is a list of the nutrients in a 3.5 ounce serving one can benefit from...

Vitamin K 26 % of RDA

Folate 20 % of RDA

Vitamin C 17 % of RDA

Potassium 14 % of RDA

Vitamin B5 14 % of RDA

Vitamin B6 13 % of RDA

Vitamin E 10 % of RDA

Avocados also contain small amounts of Magnesium, Manganese, Copper, Iron, Zinc, Phosphorous, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B3, (Niacin).

A 3.5 ounce portion at 160 calories contains 2 grams of protein, and 15 grams of healthy fats. Although it contains 9 grams of carbohydrate, 7 of those grams come in the form of fiber resulting in only 2 grams of net carbs per serving. This makes it a low-carb friendly food.

Avocados contain no cholesterol, or sodium and are low in saturated fat.

I personally love avocados in my salads, guacamole, and tortilla soup. I also love to fill a well with a little extra-virgin olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar....healthy and delicious.

This information was excerpted from Authority Nutrition, An Evidence-Based Approach.