Avocado is an exotic fruit that contains a large amount of vitamins and microelements. This is a very useful product: with regular use, it helps to normalize the functioning of the cardiovascular and circulatory systems, as well as improve the health of the body as a whole.
We offer you 10 excellent avocado recipes that will help you diversify your daily menu.
Composition and calorie content of avocado
Avocado has a specific taste, and to be more precise, the fruit can be compared to a mixture of butter, nuts and pine needles. This is a fairly high-calorie product that saturates the body for a long time. That is why it is actively used in dietary nutrition for weight loss.
Key indicators per 100 grams:
- calorie content 200-250 kcal;
- fats – up to 20 grams;
- proteins – 2 grams;
- carbohydrates – 6 grams.
Despite such a quantity of fats, they are easily absorbed by the human body and do not remain in the fat channels at all. That is, the person does not get better.
The fruit contains many vitamins, microelements and other substances important for life:
- vitamins B and K;
- tocopherol and nicotinic acid;
- vitamin C and retinol;
- calcium and sodium;
- unsaturated fats and fatty acids;
- manganese and copper;
- phosphorus and iron;
- potassium and magnesium;
- sodium, etc.
Final tips
Despite the high calorie content of avocado, salads based on it can be eaten for dinner - there are not many carbohydrates in such salads, and you should not be afraid of healthy fats in such quantities.
Irina Polyanitsa My name is Irina, I am the owner and admin of the site, as well as the author of most of the recipes and articles. I love to cook simple and healthy delicacies. Certified gym instructor, personal trainer. She completed a course on nutrition and health at Stanford University, Stanford Introduction to Food and Health, as well as a course at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) Nutrition and Lifestyle in Pregnancy (about nutrition and lifestyle during pregnancy).
Beneficial properties of avocado for the female body
Thanks to such a rich composition, the fruit has various beneficial properties for women, both when consumed internally and used externally.
When ingested:
- saturating the body with useful substances;
- removal of cholesterol;
- improving the composition of blood fluid;
- eliminating constipation;
- normalization of memory;
- regeneration of damaged cells;
- prevention of the development of atherosclerosis;
- strengthening the myocardium;
- restoration of metabolism, water and salt balance;
- improvement of the condition of teeth and bones;
- strengthening the immune system;
- acceleration of blood circulation;
- removing free radicals and other harmful substances from the body;
- increased physical activity;
- assistance in the absorption of carotenoids;
- prevention of anemia;
- normalization of blood sugar levels;
- increased libido;
- strengthening the walls of blood vessels;
- maintaining the heart in normal condition;
- activation of red blood cell synthesis;
- antioxidant effect;
- improvement of visual acuity, restoration of damaged retina.
It is forbidden to eat fruit seeds, as they contain toxic substances that cause an allergic reaction, lead to intoxication and destruction of the structure of the gastrointestinal tract.
For external use:
- smoothing wrinkles;
- restoration of skin elasticity;
- eliminating irritation;
- hydration;
- protection from aggressive exposure to sunlight;
- elimination of dryness, flaking;
- collagen production;
- slowing down the aging of the skin;
- treatment of dermatitis;
- reducing the level of inflammatory processes in the epidermis;
- even out complexion.
Decoration and festive serving options for inspiration and appetite
Bon appetit!
Related posts:
- avocado
- sandwiches
Chief milkman
I make healthy food tasty and vice versa.
Cooking recipes with avocado
You can prepare a huge number of culinary dishes from avocados - mashed potatoes, salads, snacks, etc. The fruit goes well with fish and seafood, cheese, and mushrooms. In vegetarianism, the fruit is used instead of eggs and meat. However, it is not recommended to heat treat it, as elevated temperatures cause bitterness. To avoid the oxidation process, you can sprinkle the fruit with lemon juice.
What you can cook:
- A versatile snack. Cut the fruit into two equal parts, remove the bone, remove the peel. Mash the pulp, add salt, pepper and other spices to taste. Spread on bread.
- Baked fruit. Cut the avocado lengthwise, remove the bone and make small indentations. Pour chicken eggs into them, then place in a preheated oven. Bake at high temperature (350-400 degrees) until done (15-20 minutes). Don't forget to sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- A simple but delicious salad. Cut the fruit and tomatoes into cubes, add lettuce, sprinkle with olive oil and lemon juice, and add salt. To make the salad more nutritious, you can cut the boiled meat.
- Second course. Bake potatoes or boil rice cereal. Separately mix salt, ginger, ground pepper, curry and flour. Clean the salmon fillet, dip it in the mixture, and fry it in oil. Peel and cut the avocado into slices, add salt. Place all ingredients on a plate and garnish with herbs.
- Sauce for salads and main courses. Grind the pulp of fruit and tomatoes. Add a little lemon juice, spices, salt. Mix thoroughly.
For those in a hurry - with egg and rice
This is a delicious summer option for healthy snacks that will definitely appeal to those who adhere to a healthy diet and try to eat more fresh vegetables and fruits.
What you will need:
- 2 eggs,
- 2 slices of bread,
- 1 avocado,
- salt - to taste,
- ground black pepper - to taste,
- 1–2 radishes,
- some green onions.
You can take absolutely any radish, but it’s better, of course, to grow it yourself.
How is avocado used in cosmetology?
Avocado contains a huge amount of beneficial components for the skin, so the fruit is actively used in modern cosmetology. What you can do at home:
- Mask for rejuvenation, nutrition and hydration. Peel the fruit, separate a couple of tablespoons of pulp. Add 1 tbsp. l. homemade cream and 2 egg yolks. The mass should be homogeneous. Next, clean your face with a scrub, apply the product, leave it on for 15-20 minutes, then wash with warm water. Carry out the procedure twice a week.
- If your skin is too oily, you can do the following: peel the fruit and grind it using a blender. Pour in 2 tsp. lime juice (can be replaced with lemon). Steam your face, apply the paste for 30 minutes, during which make massaging movements. After the procedure, lubricate the skin with an ice cube made from a herbal decoction.
- In case of dryness, instead of lime, add 10-15 grams of liquid honey and the same amount of nourishing cream per 1 fruit. Keep for 15 minutes.
- Scrubbing agent. For half of the fruit crushed to a mushy state, you will need 2-3 tbsp. l. oatmeal. Pour 3 ml of avocado oil and a little of any face cream. The scrub is ready.
Avocado goes well with a variety of ingredients, so you can add strawberries, apples, potatoes, currants and other fruits.
Menu
Eating fruit for weight loss will be especially effective if you combine it with training. It is important to remember that you should not physically tax the body immediately before eating - this doubles your appetite.
You need to eat the same way all three days, with some variations. For example, on the second day, beef can be replaced with fish.
- Breakfast: half a peeled fruit and low-fat cottage cheese, after half an hour - green tea or water.
- Lunch: salad of cucumber, avocado, green onions and hard-boiled egg. You can drink vegetable broth after 30 minutes. Unsweetened green tea is suitable as a drink.
- Dinner: boiled beef, half a fruit with cottage cheese and a boiled egg. Low-fat kefir and mint tea are allowed.
You need to drink a lot of water, at least 2 liters a day!
© VadimVasenin — depositphotos.com
Recipes for healthy eating
Quinoa with tomatoes
- 1.75 g Protein
- 1.61 g Fat
- 8.25 g Carbohydrates
- 52 kcal
60-70 min.
- #vegetarian dish
- #second course
- #dietary
- #breakfast
- #baking
- #quinoa
- #low calorie
- #dinner
- #olive oil
- #tomato
- #cheese
- #dinner
- #spinach
Other recipes
How to take care of hair using avocado?
Avocado is also good for hair. The fruit strengthens the hair follicles, restores natural shine, facilitates combing, and saturates the follicles with useful substances.
The fruit can be used to make a conditioning balm-mask. Peel half an avocado, remove the pit, and grind the pulp in a blender. Add neutral yogurt until you get a creamy mass. Apply the product to the roots and along the entire length of the hair with massaging movements. Keep it for 30-40 minutes, then rinse with water and shampoo.
To achieve maximum effect, learn how to choose the right avocado based on the purpose of use. Thus, a fruit with a light green skin is recommended to be used for food, and a fruit with a dark green skin is recommended for cosmetic procedures.
Pasta for sandwiches with sprats
The recipe for avocado paste for sandwiches with sprats will be slightly different. In this case, the bland taste of these fruits is an advantage, since it will not contrast with the strong fishy taste and smell. In addition, high-calorie foods (cheese, eggs) are not added to this pasta, since fish itself is a complete dish.
For 1 can of sprat and 1 large avocado you will need 4 slices of bread, juice of 1 lemon, 1 tomato and 1 clove of garlic (optional):
- The sprats are taken out of the jar, the oil is drained, and the fish is sprinkled with finely chopped herbs.
- Avocado is grated or mashed with a fork until it becomes a paste. Chopped garlic is also added there. Next, the mixture is stirred and seasoned with lemon juice. The most convenient way is to use a blender.
- The toast is spread with paste, and a slice of fresh tomato and a few sprats are placed on top. You can pre-fry the bread on both sides until golden brown, but this will make the snack more nutritious.
Sandwiches with avocado and sprats are just one example of combining pasta with other products. Instead of sprat, you can take red fish or shrimp, pieces of omelette and any other ingredients.
If you put a fresh tomato on your avocado toast, the snack will be lighter and won't leave you feeling heavy in your stomach.
Avocado in medicine
Thanks to its unique compounds, avocados are actively used for medicinal purposes. Indications:
- infection of the body - the fruit is a natural antibiotic, therefore it destroys fungi, bacteria and even microorganisms during tropical yellow fever;
- oncological formations – cancer cells are suppressed;
- intoxication of the body (harmful substances and toxins are eliminated);
- fight against diarrhea, dysentery;
- atherosclerosis (bad cholesterol is broken down);
- liver diseases – has a hepatoprotective effect;
- diabetes mellitus – glucose levels stabilize;
- joint pathologies - arthritis, arthrosis (in this case, the fruit should be used together with soy);
- gastritis (especially in the form of secretory insufficiency);
- biliary dyskinesia;
- anemia;
- hypertension;
- strokes and myocardial infarctions;
- neurosis;
- chronic fatigue syndrome;
- depressive state.
What does avocado taste like?
The taste of avocado is original, delicate and soft, reminiscent of either a tart pear or pumpkin. If the fruit is unripe, then its taste will be most similar to an unripe pear. When an avocado ripens, its flesh becomes tender and fatty, like butter with the addition of pureed greens. There may be a nutty taste similar to what remains in the mouth after eating pine nuts.
Thanks to such an unusual taste, avocado is widely used in cooking. It is added to salads, cold appetizers, and sandwiches. To prevent the appearance of the fruit and its taste from deteriorating due to oxidation in the air, the avocado is sprinkled with lemon or lime juice.
The most famous dish with the addition of avocado is guacamole, a snack traditional in Mexico.
Is avocado a fruit or a vegetable?
Many people often ask, is avocado a fruit or a vegetable? We answer: avocado is a fruit, although it is not sweet.
Avocado for weight loss
The fruit is very high in calories, but nevertheless, it promotes weight loss. Why is this happening? Thanks to L-carnitine, which is found in avocados quite a lot, fat synthesis is activated, which takes an active part in the metabolism of lipids responsible for energy. In simple terms, the substance is a kind of conductor - fatty acids move through it.
Then they penetrate the mitochondria. All this leads to burning fat and converting it into energy reserves. It is this amino acid, which is part of L-carnitine, that promotes weight loss.
Quite often, obesity develops due to the presence of bad cholesterol. Avocado destroys it. The same goes for slow metabolism - fruit speeds it up. In addition, natural insulin is produced, which determines the metabolic rate.
Basic diet rules
The avocado diet lasts exactly 3 days, during which time the diet includes the fruit itself, boiled chicken eggs, lean beef or fish, fresh cucumbers and low-fat cottage cheese. You need to completely eliminate sugar, salt (here is more information on how to give up salt), and spices. You can drink water, green tea, black coffee.
There is a variation in which ginger is included in the diet along with avocado. It improves blood circulation and removes fats. Plus - normalization of metabolism, which protects the body from rapid weight gain when switching back to everyday foods.
This three-day diet should not be repeated more than 3 times a month.
Benefits of avocados during pregnancy
Taking avocados during pregnancy deserves special attention. The fact is that it is enough to eat a small portion of fruit every day, and a woman will provide her body with all the necessary vitamins and microelements.
Why you should eat avocado during pregnancy:
- Folic acid prevents defects in fetal development.
- Thanks to monounsaturated fats, the future baby’s brain, as well as the visual apparatus and placenta, are properly formed.
- Potassium supports the functionality of the heart of mother and baby.
- Carotenoids do not reduce visual acuity.
You can eat the fruit while breastfeeding, but it is introduced into the diet of the mother and child after 2 months of the newborn’s life. The introduction is carried out gradually. The mother needs to monitor the reaction of the baby’s body.
Crispy toast with raw smoked bacon, yellow tomatoes and spinach
What you need to take:
- baguette – 0.5 pcs.;
- avocado – 1 pc.;
- bacon - 2-3 strips;
- tomato – 1 pc.;
- spinach – 6-8 leaves;
- spices, a little oil.
Step by step recipe:
- Fry the bacon in a dry frying pan until crispy, chop finely.
- Fry the sliced baguette in the rendered fat. If there is not enough fat, add oil.
- Remove the pulp from the avocado and puree it with a blender until it becomes creamy. Season the resulting cream and add salt to taste, you can add lemon juice - this way it will not change color.
- Cut the tomato into slices.
- Apply cream to the baguette, put a tomato on top, and a spinach leaf on it. Sprinkle with bacon.
The appetizer is ready, you can start tasting. Delicious!
Is it possible for the woman to be harmed?
Modern scientists have been studying the effect of avocado on the female body for a long time and have come to the unequivocal conclusion that the fruit can cause harm, but only slightly. Accordingly, in the event that there are contraindications. The main adverse reaction is an allergy, which is why the following conditions occur:
- itching;
- skin rashes;
- burning;
- irritation;
- skin redness;
- swelling and Quincke's edema, leading to suffocation.
The benefits of avocados outweigh the harmful effects. But to avoid allergies, you should not overuse the fruit. Remember that it is better to stick to the golden mean than to then deal with the treatment of adverse reactions. Is it worth talking about consuming a seed that contains toxic compounds?
The most nutritious sandwiches in thin lavash with fresh cucumber and avocado slices
Required:
- canned pink salmon (can be replaced with tuna) – 250 g;
- thin Armenian lavash – 1 pc. (big);
- mayonnaise – 2 tbsp. l.;
- avocado – 1 pc.;
- cucumber (long) – 1 pc.;
- lettuce leaves - a bunch.
How to make a sandwich roll:
- Drain the liquid from the canned food and mash it with a fork. Add mayonnaise, mix.
- Cut the avocado and cucumbers into strips.
- Distribute the fish mass along one edge of the pita bread.
- Then - avocado-cucumber straws, lettuce leaves.
- Roll the pita bread so that the fish is in the middle of the roll. Let the finished snack soak in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.
Alligator pear also goes well with crab sticks. Wrap this “delicious couple” in pita bread for an excellent snack roll.