Avocados: World's Healthiest Foods

Avocados are all the rage nowadays. Avocado this, and avocado that. But why? Why is this green, rough looking vegetable known as one of the world's healthiest foods?



Well first, let's start with some background:
The avocado, also known as the alligator pear in regards to its shape and leather-like appearance of skin, is derived from the Aztec word "ahuacatl." Avocados are the fruit of the Persea americana, a tall evergreen tree that can grow up to 65 feet in height. Depending upon the variety, avocados can weigh anything from 8 ounces to 3 pounds. The rich and creamy Hass variety is the most popular in the United States, and 95% of all avocados grown in the U.S. are from California. Avocados are available year-round, but are most abundant in the spring and summer months, August for California and October for Florida. Although avocados are technically fruits, we have categorized them as vegetables from a culinary perspective.

Health Benefits:

• Promotes heart health
• Wide ranging anti-inflammatory benefits
• Optimized absorption of carotenoids
• Supports cardiovascular health
• Promotes blood sugar regulation
• Anti-cancer benefits

How to select & store:
A ripe, ready-to-eat avocado is slightly soft, but should have no dark sunken spots or cracks. If the avocado has a slight neck, rather than being rounded on top, it was probably tree ripened and will have better flavor. A firmer, less mature fruit can be ripened at home and will be less likely to have bruises. The average California Hass avocado weighs between 165-170 grams (about 6 ounces) and has a pebbled dark green or black skin, while the Fuerte avocado has smoother, brighter green skin. Florida avocados, which can be as large as 3 pounds, have less fat and calories, but their taste is not as rich as California varieties.
A firm avocado will ripen in a paper bag or in a fruit basket at room temperature within a few days. As the fruit ripens, the skin will turn darker. Avocados should not be refrigerated until they are ripe. Once ripe, they can be kept refrigerated for up to a week. If you are refrigerating a whole avocado, it is best to keep it whole and not slice it in order to avoid browning that occurs when the flesh is exposed to air. 

Tips for preparing:
Use a stainless steel knife to cut the avocado in half lengthwise. Gently twist the two halves in opposite direction if you find the flesh clinging to the pit. Remove the pit, either with a spoon or by spearing with the tip of a knife. Next, take each of the avocado halves and slice lengthwise to produce four avocado quarters. The use the California Avocado Commission's "nick and peel" method to peel the avocado. Just take your thumb and index finger to grip an edge of the avocado skin and peel it away from the flesh, in exactly the same way that you would peel a banana. The final result will be a peeled avocado that contains most of that dark green outermost flesh that is richest in carotenoid antioxidants.
You can prevent the natural darkening of the avocado flesh that occurs with exposure to air by sprinkling with a little lemon juice or vinegar.

The healthiest way to cook:
Many avocado recipes that you'll find in cookbooks and on the Internet include avocado as an ingredient in its raw, unheated form. In the World's Healthiest Foods recipes, we also favor this approach. We simply cannot think of a better way to preserve the health benefits made possible by avocado's unique and delicate fats. If you do plan to use avocado in a recipe that calls for heat, we recommend that you use the lowest possible temperature and least amount of cooking time that will still work with your particular recipe. Our purpose in making this recommendation is to help you minimize damage to avocado's unique fats. We've seen one research study showing that approximately 40 seconds of microwave heating on medium heat is a heating method that doesn't significantly change the fatty acid profile of avocados. Sometimes we like to add avocado to a dish that has been cooked. This is a similar approach to some traditional Mexican recipes. For example, in Mexico they add sliced avocado to chicken soup after it is cooked. The avocado warms and mingles well with the soup but retains its nutritional concentration since it is not cooked. 

So, folks, load up on these deliciously smooth green fruits! Your body will thank you.