"avocado nutrition"

As with all fruits and vegetables, wash avocados before cutting. Check out our tips for how to choose and use California Avocados

Is your menu in need of a makeover? Do you find breakfast boring? Literally loathe packing your lunch? Or is your weeknight dinner routine stuck in a rut? If so, check out the transforming power of California Avocados!

With 50 calories in one-fifth of a medium avocado (1 oz.), California Avocados boast nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and beneficial nutrients (more on avocado nutrients). From breakfast to bedtime, California Avocados are a versatile and good-for-you addition to any meal or snack.

Here are five innovative ways you can use California Avocados to provide a delicious and nutritious boost to your meals and snacks.

Puree Avocado

Pureeing avocado is a simple way to meld flavors and smooth out sauces, while at the same time adding nutrients to your meal. Avocados are a naturally sugar-free and sodium-free super fruit, meaning you can add deliciousness to your plate without added sugars and salt. Try pureed California Avocado in main dishes such as a savory sauce over pasta, chicken or fish. Pureed avocados work well to make creamy salad dressings, or even desserts as a mousse or pudding. Here are a few of my favorite California Avocado recipes that perfect the pureed avocado:

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Grilled Chicken with Avocado-Citrus Sauce

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Chicken and Avocado Crepes with Avocado Sauce

Mash Avocado

It’s no secret that avocado toast is taking the country by storm! From spicy to savory creations, mashed avocado is a terrific topper for toast. Boost your breakfast potential and help fuel up with energy for the morning with good fats found in California Avocados. Beyond breakfast, mashed avocado stands out in amazing appetizers as a spread and of course who could forget always appetizing guacamole. Try these great California Avocado recipes that make the grade with mashed avocado:

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California Avocado Toast Three Ways

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Power Breakfast Parfait

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California Avocado Blue Cheese Spread

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Zesty California Guacamole

Blend Avocado

Blenders are a time-saver’s best friend! You can add California Avocados to your smoothies, shakes and creamy desserts for a natural “nutrient booster.” The good fats in avocados enable your body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha- and beta-carotene, and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit. Take your blender game to the next level with these unbeatable California Avocado recipes:

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Avocado and Melon Breakfast Smoothie

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California Summer Avocado Pie

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California Avocado & Banana Frosty

Cook with Avocado

Incorporating California Avocados in your cooked meals is easier than you think. Throw them on the grill, toss into a stir-fry, create hearty soups or add to casseroles. In avocados, the greatest concentration of beneficial carotenoids is in the dark green fruit of the avocado closest to the peel (more on how to access these nutrients). To get the most out of your next meal, get cooking with these California Avocado dishes:

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Orange Peel Chicken Stir-Fry with California Avocados

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Grilled California Avocado with Fresh Salsa

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California Avocado Soup

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California Avocado Breakfast Casserole with Spinach and Sweet Potatoes

Bake with Avocado

You can substitute California Avocado for many traditional baking ingredients like butter or shortening to help cut calories and add nutrients. Replace the fat ingredient with an equal amount of California Avocado in muffin, quick bread, or even some brownie and cookie recipes. Substituting avocados in baked goods helps provide good fats, as 75 percent of the fat in avocado is unsaturated. Get your bake on with these tasty California Avocado delectables:

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Avocanana Bread

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California Avocado Green Machine Zucchini Muffins

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California Avocado Chocolate Chip Cookies

As you can see, the delicious and nutritious possibilities with my favorite fruit, California Avocados, are endless. More avocado recipe ideas.

Do you have a favorite way to enjoy California Avocados?

Katie Ferraro

Katie Ferraro, MPH, RDN, CDE is a Registered Dietitian and diabetes educator specializing in child and family nutrition. She is a media spokesperson and an assistant clinical professor of nutrition at the University of San Diego and the University of California, San Francisco. Katie is the author of a number of nutrition books, the mom of seven small children, and a firm believer that good food fuels strong families!

Katie is a registered dietitian nutritionist for the California Avocado Commission. Their content on the California Avocado Commission website and/or blog are part of their partnership with our organization..

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