Ever since I was a little girl singing and clapping to “Avocado, avocado is the name of the game” on the playground, I knew avocado ruled the world.
Alright, confession time.
When I was in elementary school clapping to that catchy tune, I had no idea what an avocado was. I didn’t even know what the color of an avocado was. I learned what “the name of the game” was during the Super Bowl of 2012. During the Super Bowl’s halftime show, my dad and I headed to the dip table for a snack. After I spotted a mysterious green dip called “guacamole”, my dad encouraged me try it. He was the “MVP” of the game for making my try this delicious avocado creation.
Madonna was on stage singing “Give Me All Your Luvin'” and I was rockin’ out with my guac out.
Ever since then, I have been hooked on avocado. But, I’m not alone. Foodie’s Facebook feeds and Instagram pages and are saturated with avocado creations.
Why avocado?
- Fiber – Avo has 2x more fiber than a banana
- Reduce blood cholesterol
- Dietary fiber slows gastric emptying – satiation lasts for longer and raise blood sugar slower
- Vitamin B6 – Great for vegans and vegetarians
- Blood cell synthesis :
- Heme synthesis of red blood cells – Hemoglobin helps carry oxygen around blood in red blood cells, deficiency in B6 can lead to anemia
- Lymphocyte synthesis – Necessary for immune function
- Protein metabolism :
- Reduce blood levels of homocysteine ( homocysteine levels in blood correlate with risk of heart disease and stroke )
- Necessary for formation of nonessential amino acids in cells
- Blood cell synthesis :
- Vitamin E – Balances blood cholesterol
- Folate
- Essential for DNA synthesis and repair
- Necessary for amino acid conversions – Converts homocysteine to methionine
- Necessary for healthy fetal development
- Vitamin C
- Protection against : immune system deficiencies, cardiovascular disease, prenatal health problems, eye disease, and even skin wrinkling
- Oleic Acid – One of the few fruits that have healthy fats!
- 77% of calories in avocados come from fat, the majority being “oleic acid”
- Have no fear of the fat – Oleic acid is a healthy monounsaturated fatty acid linked to reducing inflammation.
- Similar to coconut oil, avocado oil has a high heat tolerance because the oil resists heat induced oxidation.
- Avo oil is a safe replacement for cooking.
- Helps absorb other nutrients – I add a scoop of avocado to my smoothies to aid in nutrient absorption and thicken the texture.
Enough of me reviewing my nutritional science lectures. If you’ve only got “4 minutes” for breakfast, try this recipe:
Avocado Toast
- 2 slices of Ezekiel bread (or substitute)
- Lemon
- 1/2 Avocado
- Pinch of Salt + Pepper
- 2 eggs
- Drizzle of EVOO
Directions
- Cook the eggs with EVOO to your preference ( my favorite is easy over ). Toast the bread and smash avocado with a fork on the toast. Squeeze lemon and sprinkle salt + pepper on the avocado. Top off with cooked eggs.
I shared this recipe with my dad, who prefers hard boiled egg on his avocado toast. The MVP gives this recipe a thumbs up!
This recipe makes a killer breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The avocado’s healthy fats and egg’s protein will keep you full for hours, but don’t forget about the lemon! Lemon will keep the avocado from browning and adds an amazing flavor to the toast. When you’re preparing your avocado toast, embrace your inner child with the avocado tune!
How do you avocado?
Enjoy! xx