I don’t know about you, but I’m obsessed with avocados! I eat them all the time! Especially for lunch, I eat a whole avocado as a meal. Lately, I’ve been noticing a craze, an avocado health phenomenon. Even fast food places are offering avocados as a  healthier condiment option, but just how good are they?

I looked them up on WebMD. According to the site, a serving size of an avocado is one half and it has 160 calories and 15 grams of unsaturated fat (which is heart healthy!). Avocados are also high in a lot of vitamins such as vitamins C and K (if you eat a whole avocado it has 1/3 of your daily intake), and are high in fiber and potassium.

Avocados have a lot of beta-carotene, which strengthens your hair and nail growth. This is why a lot of hair restoration shampoos and homemade remedies have avocado in them. Avocados are also recommended to alleviate arthritis pain and help prevent certain cancers. The seed is also edible and a source of Vitamin E and unsaturated fat.  The easiest way to eat the seed is to pulverize it in a food processor, and then added to a smoothie. However, I would NEVER eat the seed because that grosses me out.

Florida is the second largest avocado producer (California being the first). That is why here in the grocery stores, many of the avocados are under-ripe. I like to buy them, then set them aside (outside of the fridge) for two days, and then they are perfect! You can tell because they are squishy but don’t leave a finger imprint.

So what are some ways to eat an avocado? I’ve seen it eaten just cut in half and then eaten with a spoon. I like it cut up into squares with a little bit of balsamic vinaigrette on it. Arguably, the most famous dish is guacamole. I love guacamole, and I have recently tried mango guacamole, which is basically just guacamole with cut up mango, and I am now obsessed! I literally crave it all the time! It is also healthy because it is all fruits and oils and is paleo (if you’re into that). You can also find the recipe to the guacamole at the end of this story.

Fun facts about the avocado:

-they are a fruit
-often referred to as the alligator pear
-many countries use it instead of butter
-more then 80 types
-the mother tree of the Hass avocado is still alive in California

Ingredients

• 3 AVOCADOS
• 1 MANGO
• 1/3 cup CHOPPED FRESH CILANTRO
• 3 Tablespoons SLICED GREEN ONION
• 2 Tablespoons CHO
• PPED JARRED JALAPENOS
• 1 Tablespoon FRESH LIME JUICE
• SALT

Instructions

1. Peel, pit, dice, and mash the avocados. then peel, pit and dice the mango. Place into a mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients, except salt, and to combine.
2. Season to taste with salt and serve.