ORGANIC AVOCADO
 Superbowl Sunday is the third biggest food day for supermarkets (after Christmas & Thanksgiving), and the day that avocado sales peak. It seems that slathering chips with the avocado dip, guacamole, is a way TV viewers participate in this national ritual. Although technically a fruit and chemically more like a nut, the avocado is commonly used as a vegetable--a creamy, sensory vegetable.
Health Benefits: Eighty-eight percent of an avocado's calories come from fat--primarily monounsaturated fat--which makes avocados an excellent food for people wishing to put on weight and for the nourishment and building of blood and yin. They are also an excellent fat source for people who have difficulty assimilating other fatty foods. The fat accounts for their buttery texture, but also suggests discretionary use for those wishing to reduce their fat consumption. Organic avocados are a good source of protein, potassium, and vitamin E.
Use: A versatile food, organic avocados are used raw in a variety of dishes--dips, gazpacho and other cold soups, fruit salads, desserts, and even ice cream. Organic avocados are a healthful substitute for sour cream or cream cheese in dressings, dips, and spreads. Store at room temperature until ripened, then refrigerate.
 Their skin stays bright green even when they ripen. The fat content is lower, so expect a lower-calorie, creamy sweet and flavorful treat. The large size and relatively small stone allows excellent yields. Halved and pitted, these avocadoes beg to be stuffed with salad.
from Rebecca Wood's The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia |
