I haven’t always loved avocados. In fact, I’m not even sure when was the first time I ever tried one. I definitely didn’t grow up eating them. Must have been sometime in my adult life. But what I know is this: once I started eating them, I wondered why I hadn’t been eating them my entire life!
Avocados, also known as alligator pears, originate from Mexico and are actually classified as a single-seeded berry. In the past, they have gotten a bit of a bad rap from calorie counting diets, as the average avocado has over 300 calories and close to 30 grams of fat! More recently, avo’s (as we like to call them in our home) have become somewhat “famous” in the health food world for all the good things they are now known to do. It’s actually all the monounsaturated fats that are in them, about 20 grams per berry, that has people classifying them as the new “apple a day, keeps the doctor away!” These healthy and “good” fats that are found in avocados are known to help improve brain function as well as decrease your chances of heart disease and improve your overall cardiovascular health.
The avocado is known as an anti-inflammatory fruit as it’s loaded with potassium (more so than in one banana!) Also loaded with antioxidants, it has been shown to be help prevent cancer. They are rich in vitamins K, C, B5 & B6, just to name a few of the 20 vitamins and minerals they are packed with!
Avo’s are also known to be a hunger quencher. It has been shown that people who eat half an avocado with lunch stay fuller for longer. It is also known to help shrink your waistline and helps stabilize your blood sugar. With all these nutrients and good fats, avo’s give your body a clean energy boost that keeps your metabolism going!
Bottomline, avocado’s are now being considered the gateway drug to a healthier and leaner lifestyle! Sign me up!!
So with all of that said, it’s no wonder why we love them so much in our family! Even more than just guacamole, we put avocado’s on our sandwiches, in our salads and two of my kids just eat them like slices of apples!
When I first started playing around with making guacamole, we found this pre-made tomato based sauce that was specifically made to be added to mashed avocado’s for a quick guacamole treat. It was pretty good. But the more I kept making it, the more I found myself wanting to experiment with my own ingredients and make it from scratch. The end result was fantastic! There’s really nothing that different from a traditional guacamole recipe, but it’s just so tasty and easy to make therefore I wanted to share it with you all! I often have this out when friends come over and it’s always a crowd pleaser! And now that we know about all the added health benefits, why not grab a bag of avo’s today at the grocery store and whip up a bowl of this yummy, heart-healthy, guacamole!
Two quick tips before we get to the recipe: keep your avo’s on the counter top in the sun, to ripen. Many times, they are green and quite hard when you purchase them at the grocery store. They will take anywhere from 2-4 days to ripen. Once they turn dark brown/black-ish and are softer to the touch, you know they are ready. My second tip, which my dear friend Kathy taught me, is that once they are ripe, store them in the refrigerator. In her words, this “pauses” the avocados ripening process. I’ve had avo’s last up to a week in the fridge, once ripe!
Enjoy!
- 5 ripe avocados
- 1 roma tomato
- 4 cloves of garlic
- Juice of one lime (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 tsp of sea salt (adjust to taste)
- Peel and mash avocados.
- Dice tomatoes and add to avocado mash.
- Juice lime and add a little bit at a time, until you are satisfied with the tartness.
- Crush garlic and add in.
- Add in sea salt. Mix well and serve!
- You can adjust the garlic, lime juice and salt to your own tastes. We prefer it quick garlicky, but you might not. After you add in each ingredient, taste test!
Love & Blessings,
