Avocado - A Superfood

The avocado is regarded a superfood and has grown enormously in popularity over recent years. In 2016 and 2017 the avocado saw the highest increase in sales in the UK of any fresh fruit or vegetable.

This delicious fruit is quick and easy to prepare and, what’s more, it’s considered a healthy superfood.

Avocados are packed with a wide range of benefits, including unsaturated fatty acids, valuable minerals, potassium, vital B vitamins, vitamin A, carotene, biotin and vitamin E. Avocados have the highest fibre content of any fruit and contain 4 grams of protein, making them the most protein rich fruit. The only downside is that 100 grams of avocado is packed with 217 calories.

The avocado originates from Mexico where the trees grow over 20 metres high. Today there are more than 400 varieties cultivated, in sub-tropical regions, around the world. The high demand for avocados is not without problems as some tropical forests are being cleared for its cultivation and the water consumption is very high. When purchasing the fruit due regard should be paid to the source and sustainability.

So how do you know when an avocado is ripe? If ripe the fruit will give a little under pressure. To speed up the ripening place the fruit in a brown paper bag with a banana.  If you want to slow down the ripening you should put the avocado in the fridge. Here’s another tip for checking for ripe avocados from Good Housekeeping.

Not only is avocado packed with health giving properties it’s also extremely quick and easy to prepare and even quicker with one of our avocado tools. The Avocado Knife is a great tool for splitting, coring, peeling and slicing avocado. While the Avocado 5-in-1 will cut, pit, scoop, slice and mash the fruit in an instant. These avocado tools will certainly help you avoid ‘avocado hand’.

This superfood is super versatile too! Avocado is typically eaten raw, but they can be baked and you could try brushing slices with a little oil and grilling them in a pan or on the BBQ. Use avocado in a variety of ways, eat it on its own, with a little vinaigrette and seasoning, sliced on toast, added to salads, mashed up for guacamole or in a smoothie, it can even be used for making ice cream. 

Avocados are perhaps most often used to make that popular dip, guacamole, here’s our recipe for guacamole using the Swiss Chop Chop.

You’ll find a selection of recipes here from BBC Good Food including ‘chocolate, peanut butter and avocado pudding’!

Avocados are indeed delicious, nutritious and versatile – a real superfood!