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Avocado Time!
by Patty Liston
Having been raised in sunny California, the avocado that delicious green fruit, became a staple in most culinary menus my family enjoyed. We had avocados and salsa with eggs for breakfast, sprinkled them on salads and layered them on sandwiches for lunch, and mixed it with mango as a condiment with fish. All of this care-free munching however came to an end when diet conscious people began to equate it with a pint of Ben and Jerry’s. Too much fat, you know.
Fortunately nutritionists has quelled the rumors by publishing recent studies as to the health benefits of what some fondly call the “alligator pear”, due to its shape and bumpy green skin.
Avocados are free of sodium and cholesterol but do contain 5 grams of fat per serving. One serving is NOT half an avocado, but 1/5 of one, containing 55 calories per slice. Sounds scary but read on. They only contain one gram of saturated fat per serving, are trans fat free, and rich in at least 25 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium and vitamins E, B and folic acid. Most experts agree that they are nutritionally better than mayonnaise or other high fat dressings and when mashed and used as a dip, much healthier due to the lower saturated fat content.
If you don’t want to eat them, why not put them on your cosmetic counter? Avocados can be mashed and spread on your hair as a deep conditioner, or your face as a moisturizing mask, and even used as a lotion for dry hands.
Considering the damage a pint of ice-cream can do to the fat and calorie conscious among us, avocados are a delicious replacement. Even if you don’t live in California.
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