Whether you’re ordering table side guac, adding it to your chicken burrito at Chipotle, or just eating a whole avocado, Americans are eating way more avocados than ten years ago. Although not a new food – in fact even the Aztecs used to eat it all the time and called it ahuaca-mullti or avocado sauce, Americans are eating more avocados than ever before. In 1999 we consumed 1.1 pounds of avocado per person which increased over 5 times to 5.8 pounds per person as of 2018. But are avocados even good for us?
Are Avocados even healthy?
The short answer is yes and in fact avocados are a lot healthier than many other things you can snack on. Scientists know that avocados are nutrient dense and contain 20 vitamins and minerals. In fact this fruit is a good source of the vitamins folate (critical for DNA synthesis and cell health) and vitamin K (important to help your body form clots properly). Avocados also contain a lot of monounsaturated fatty acid, known by many as “good fats.” The good fats help maintain healthy levels of cholesterol and make people feel full and satisfied. Additionally, avocados have fiber which also helps make you feel full and keeps your digestive tract healthy.
What is Guac exactly?
Guac, short for guacamole, is made from avocado and the healthiest way to make it is in your home. At home you decide what else goes into guac besides avocado and you can pick your favorite vegetables, beans and peppers instead of other add-ins like mayo. Store bought guac often has lots of added ingredients like sugar, artificial flavorings, food coloring, or lots of sodium – things you generally want to stay away from.
Guac can be eaten as a dip for carrots and peppers (or more commonly with tortilla chips) or it can even be used as a spread for a sandwich or in a salad as dressing.
The good thing about guac is that compared to other dips or dressings it’s generally lower in calories and its made of natural whole foods which are known for their health-promoting benefits. According to Ryan Andrews, author or A Guide to Plant-Based Eating, “Any dish that contains minimally-processed plant foods, instead of refined grains and starches, added sugars, highly-processed ingredients and trans fats, promotes better nutrition and health.” Homemade guac definitely fits this picture.
Can good fats still make you fat?
A normal serving size is one ounce or one fifth of a regular size avocado, but most people we’ve seen eat avocados either eat half or the whole thing at one sitting. We at MDLingo wondered if that’s too much good fat?
Although avocados are mostly monounsaturated fats which are the healthiest types of fat and known to lower bad cholesterol, the calories can add up. A whole avocado is somewhere between 250 and 280 calories, 22 grams of fat (15 monounsaturated) and 10 grams of fiber. Let’s talk about that fiber for a second. 10 grams of fiber from one avocado is super respectable and is 40% of your daily requirement. Given the calorie count though, if you are trying to lose weight, adding an avocado a day to your diet is actually not going to help.
Lead nutritionists agree. They say that the most you should eat in a day is half of a medium sized avocado. Some people are on the cusp and are trying to lose that last 5 to 10 pounds and are eating all the right things. They just may be eating too much of the right things.
Although guac and avocado are good fats, another problem is that often guac is eaten with chips that have their own fat and sodium not making matters any better.
What’s the bottom line?
An avocado is a super nutritious great tasting food that can be a great addition to your grocery list. It does have calories though so if you’re trying to lose weight be mindful of that!
*The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of MDLingo.com, its affiliates, or its employees.
