Avocados are a healthy indulgence that contains a great deal of nutrition yet has a creamy and satisfying texture. You can eat some every day to take advantage of lots of fiber plus vitamins and minerals such as vitamins B, C, E, and K, as well as potassium and copper. Each avocado is made up of roughly 73% water, 15% fat, 8.5% carbohydrates (mostly fibers), and 2% protein.
Despite their relatively high fat content, eating avocados is actually linked with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. They may also help with weight loss, because eating avocado keeps you feeling full and satisfied after meals.
Yes, avocados are delicious and nutritious, but you can still get bored eating them every day. We’ve got you covered there with 10 ways you never knew you could eat them.
These methods of preparing avocado are all super creative and tasty. Get ready to shake up everything you thought you knew about the potential of avocado, especially for suggestions 3, 5, and 10!
1. Substitute for Fat in Baking
We all love a good baking substitute that no one can tell was used. As it turns out, avocado may be substituted 1-for-1 with oil or butter in baked goods! Make sure you mash it well in order to get the measurements right.
The result is a lovely texture and rich flavor that will have people dying to know how you pulled it off.
2. In Salad Dressing
Avocado is an excellent addition to salads because the fat helps your body absorb all those great vitamins and minerals from the veggies. But you don’t always have to dump avocado chunks on there – it also makes a delicious salad dressing.
Avocado dressing is easy to make, too. Just put some chopped avocado, olive oil, and water in a blender along with seasonings of your choice. Include some acid like lemon juice or vinegar to prevent browning. Other tasty additions include garlic, cilantro, ranch seasoning, or Greek yogurt. The flavor profile is totally up to you.
3. Substitute for Cream in Mousse or Puddings
Avocado can double for cream in pudding recipes as well as fat in baking. You’ll get the same smooth and luxurious texture with a fraction of the saturated fat found in regular creamy desserts.
If you’re worried about the taste, rest assured that no one will be able to tell that their pudding contains avocado.
4. As a Boat
Try halving an avocado, removing the pit, and stuffing whatever delicious toppings you like in the depression that’s left. You can then eat your avocado boat cold, or bake it to soften the avocado and melt any cheese. Some people even cook eggs inside avocado!
There is no end to the varieties you could make. Depending on your stuffing ingredients, you may want to remove a bit more avocado and mash it into your stuffing.
5. Alternative to Frosting
That’s right. You can use avocado in frosting as well. If you are shaking your head right now, think about the recent trend of bacon cupcakes – it is no weirder than that! Avocado frosting has a satisfying texture and can be flavored most any way, including vanilla, chocolate, and buttercream.
Of course, unless you add cocoa powder, the resulting frosting will be green, so make sure that fits with your color scheme. Avocado frosting also requires a bit of citrus juice to prevent browning, which will also add a flavor element.
6. Fruit Leather
It can be a struggle to provide healthy snacks for the kids, not to mention the grown-ups who are always in a hurry. Fruit leather, otherwise known as fruit roll-ups, are a popular grab-and-go treat but they can be full of sugar. Moderate that a bit by adding avocado and a bit of lemon juice to fruit puree.
After blending the ingredients until smooth, spread the mixture on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake it in a 175 degree oven for 3-5 hours. You’ll know it’s done when the leather is firm and evenly dried.
7. Smoothie
Avocado is a great addition to smoothies because it creates a thick and creamy texture that keeps your drink from separating. But even better, the fiber and fat in avocado helps your body absorb nutrients and prevents a sugar crash later on.
You can add as much avocado as you want to virtually any kind of fruit or vegetable smoothie. A blueberry banana avocado concoction has the added bonus of being great for your skin!
8. As a Spread
Mashed avocado or guacamole is great spread on whole grain bread, dipped with crackers, or topped on tacos. But if you go a bit further, avocado can also make a really tasty mayonnaise substitute. The principle is the same as avocado dressing, except you don’t thin the mayo as much as you would the dressing.
Ideal seasonings include garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper. Use white or cider vinegar and lemon juice for the acid component.
9. Fried
When you want a little indulgence but don’t want to go entirely off the deep end, try breading and frying slices of avocado. You can flavor your breading any way you like, but cumin makes an especially nice complement to avocado.
Pan fry your breaded slices for about 3 minutes on each side, salt, drain, and cool before dipping into homemade ranch dressing or layering on top of your salad or stir fry.
10. Gelato
Yep, you can freeze avocado too. Blended into a homemade ice cream or gelato recipe, avocado can help provide a soft texture often missing from homemade frozen goodies. Unless eaten right away, homemade ice cream can sometimes freeze solid because it lacks the chemical emulsifiers of commercial products.
Avocado imparts a lovely green color and a mild flavor. You can enjoy it plain or add the additional flavorings of your choice.
Conclusion
So which of these 10 unusual preparations of avocado will you try first? Are you bold enough to jump straight to avocado frosting? If you love avocado, we know you’ll enjoy all of these recipes. But don’t stop there.
Avocado is also excellent as a beauty product for both hair and skin. It truly is a wonder fruit, and totally worth the effort it takes to catch it at its short peak of freshness. Enjoy!
