The Avocado is a fruit. More specifically, it is a large berry with a single seed. Although it’s not nearly as sweet as many other fruits, it falls under the definition of fruit, which is “the sweet and fleshy product of a tree or other plant that contains seed and can be eaten as food.”
Avocados grow on trees in warmer climates but are native to Mexico. They have a creamy and smooth texture and are covered by a bumpy, thick, dark green or blackish skin. A third of a medium avocado (50 grams or just under 2 ounces) is considered one serving. It contains 80 calories and is packed with healthy fats, vitamins. minerals and phytonutrients.
The question of whether an avocado is a fruit or vegetable is not an uncommon one. Both fruits and vegetables come from plants, and it can be hard to distinguish between them. In fact, there is no formal way to do so. However, the main botanical difference is from which part of the plant they originate. While fruits develop from a plant’s flower and often contain seeds, vegetables usually consist of the stalks, flower buds, roots or leaves. Although these guidelines are not set in stone, they should be sufficient to distinguish between fruits and vegetables most of the time.
Avocados grow on trees in warmer climates but are native to Mexico. They have a creamy and smooth texture and are covered by a bumpy, thick, dark green or blackish skin. A third of a medium avocado (50 grams or just under 2 ounces) is considered one serving. It contains 80 calories and is packed with healthy fats, vitamins. minerals and phytonutrients.
The question of whether an avocado is a fruit or vegetable is not an uncommon one. Both fruits and vegetables come from plants, and it can be hard to distinguish between them. In fact, there is no formal way to do so. However, the main botanical difference is from which part of the plant they originate. While fruits develop from a plant’s flower and often contain seeds, vegetables usually consist of the stalks, flower buds, roots or leaves. Although these guidelines are not set in stone, they should be sufficient to distinguish between fruits and vegetables most of the time.
Avocados are not the only fruit you might think is a vegetable. While the difference is often clear, many fruits are commonly mistaken for vegetables.
These include:
These include:
Tomatoes |
Cucumbers |
Zucchinis |
Pumpkins |
Peppers |
Squash (Butternut, etc.) |
Olives |
Eggplants |
String Beans |
Arguably the most versatile fruit, fresh avocados contain a variety of benefits and can fit into many different eating plans and diets. One of the most common uses of avocados is in the making of guacamole, a personal favorite of mine – I can eat it on nearly anything from toast to salad to grilled chicken and burgers!
Making delicious guacamole (or just “guac” as we call it at my house) is done by simply mashing the avocado with lemon juice and adding other optional ingredients such as onion, cilantro, chili, tomato, and/or sour cream.
Making delicious guacamole (or just “guac” as we call it at my house) is done by simply mashing the avocado with lemon juice and adding other optional ingredients such as onion, cilantro, chili, tomato, and/or sour cream.
Avocados can also be eaten raw. With a little bit of salt and pepper, they are absolutely delicious. I love them raw, sliced on some toasted rye or pumpernickel bread! Super delicious! Just check out my lunch below!
They also make a great topping for any salad. Because of their high fat content, they help you absorb vitamins from other vegetables in the meal. Furthermore, their smooth and creamy texture makes them a great choice for puddings or smoothies. Lastly, avocados can be used as a replacement for butter either as a spread or in baking. I have used it as a butter substitute in both cakes and cookies with great success.
They also make a great topping for any salad. Because of their high fat content, they help you absorb vitamins from other vegetables in the meal. Furthermore, their smooth and creamy texture makes them a great choice for puddings or smoothies. Lastly, avocados can be used as a replacement for butter either as a spread or in baking. I have used it as a butter substitute in both cakes and cookies with great success.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed new guidance for the use of the nutrient content claim “healthy” on food labeling, and fresh avocados meet the criteria. The new proposed guidance from FDA gives consideration to the breakdown between the types of fats in light of new scientific evidence and dietary recommendations in the recently published 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans stating that the type of fat, rather than the total amount, is most important for good health. Avocados contain 8g of fat per 50g serving, over 75% of which are naturally good fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats).
An interesting note is that the method you use to peel an avocado might make a difference to your health. Research on avocado shows that the greatest phytonutrient concentrations occur in portions of the food that we do not typically eat, namely, the peel and the seed (or "pit.") The pulp of the avocado is actually much lower in phytonutrients than these other portions of the food. However, while lower in their overall phytonutrient richness, all portions of the pulp are not identical in their phytonutrient concentrations and the areas of the pulp that are closest to the peel are higher in certain phytonutrients than more interior portions of the pulp. For this reason, you don't want to slice into that outermost, dark green portion of the pulp any more than necessary when you are peeling an avocado. Accordingly, the best method is what the California Avocado Commission has called the "nick and peel" method. In this method, you actually end up peeling the avocado with your hands in the same way that you would peel a banana. The first step in the nick-and-peel method is to cut into the avocado lengthwise, producing two long avocado halves that are still connected in the middle by the seed. Next you take hold of both halves and twist them in opposite directions until they naturally separate. At this point, remove the seed and cut each of the halves lengthwise to produce long quartered sections of the avocado. You can use your thumb and index finger to grip the edge of the skin on each quarter and peel it off, just as you would do with a banana skin. The final result is a peeled avocado that contains most of that dark green outermost flesh, which provides you with the best possible phytonutrient richness from the pulp portion of the avocado.
As with so many other fruits and vegetables, not all varieties of avocado are created equally. Don’t get me wrong here, all avocados are all very healthy, but one variety is the most nutritionally dense of all. The Haas avocado offers as much as 4 times more phytonutrients than other varieties of avacado.
An interesting note is that the method you use to peel an avocado might make a difference to your health. Research on avocado shows that the greatest phytonutrient concentrations occur in portions of the food that we do not typically eat, namely, the peel and the seed (or "pit.") The pulp of the avocado is actually much lower in phytonutrients than these other portions of the food. However, while lower in their overall phytonutrient richness, all portions of the pulp are not identical in their phytonutrient concentrations and the areas of the pulp that are closest to the peel are higher in certain phytonutrients than more interior portions of the pulp. For this reason, you don't want to slice into that outermost, dark green portion of the pulp any more than necessary when you are peeling an avocado. Accordingly, the best method is what the California Avocado Commission has called the "nick and peel" method. In this method, you actually end up peeling the avocado with your hands in the same way that you would peel a banana. The first step in the nick-and-peel method is to cut into the avocado lengthwise, producing two long avocado halves that are still connected in the middle by the seed. Next you take hold of both halves and twist them in opposite directions until they naturally separate. At this point, remove the seed and cut each of the halves lengthwise to produce long quartered sections of the avocado. You can use your thumb and index finger to grip the edge of the skin on each quarter and peel it off, just as you would do with a banana skin. The final result is a peeled avocado that contains most of that dark green outermost flesh, which provides you with the best possible phytonutrient richness from the pulp portion of the avocado.
As with so many other fruits and vegetables, not all varieties of avocado are created equally. Don’t get me wrong here, all avocados are all very healthy, but one variety is the most nutritionally dense of all. The Haas avocado offers as much as 4 times more phytonutrients than other varieties of avacado.
Hass avocados are a phytonutrient-dense fruit. Why is nutrient density important? According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, nutrient-dense foods are those foods that provide vitamins, minerals, and other substances that have positive health effects, with relatively few calories. They are lean or low in solid fats, and minimize or exclude added solid fats, added sugars, and added refined starches, as these add calories but few essential nutrients or dietary fiber. Nutrient-dense foods also minimize or exclude added salt or other compounds high in sodium. Ideally, they are in forms that retain naturally occurring components such as dietary fiber. With nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients per 1-oz. serving, avocados are a good nutrient choice.
Why increasing absorption of these nutrients matters: Alpha- and beta-carotene can form Vitamin A in the body, which is important for proper growth and reproduction as well as good eyesight. Vitamin A is involved in immune functions, vision and cellular function. Vitamin A also supports cellular growth and differentiation, playing a critical role in the normal formation and maintenance of the heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs.
Why increasing absorption of these nutrients matters: Alpha- and beta-carotene can form Vitamin A in the body, which is important for proper growth and reproduction as well as good eyesight. Vitamin A is involved in immune functions, vision and cellular function. Vitamin A also supports cellular growth and differentiation, playing a critical role in the normal formation and maintenance of the heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs.
Let me shock you here…
When it comes to vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, it doesn’t matter how much we eat. It really doesn’t!
What matters is how much we absorb.
When it comes to vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, it doesn’t matter how much we eat. It really doesn’t!
What matters is how much we absorb.
Some nutrients are fat soluble, meaning they need to be combined with fat in order for our bodies to assimilate them. Examples of fat-soluble nutrients include Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Vitamin K, along with certain antioxidants.
Adding just half of an avocado to a salad of spinach, lettuce and carrots saw participants absorb the antioxidants alpha-carotene 8.3 times, beta-carotene 13.6 times and lutein 4.3 times better than those who ate the salad without avocado.
Some food sources of vitamin A include:
Avocados contribute nearly 20 vitamins, lots of minerals and tons of phytonutrients, including 4% of the recommended Daily Value (DV) for vitamin E, 4% vitamin C, 6% folate, 8% fiber, 2% iron, 4% potassium, with 81 micrograms of lutein and 19 micrograms of beta-carotene.
What kind of nutrition does the avocado offer?
How about...
Dietary Fiber - Dietary fiber is the non-digestible form of carbohydrates and lignin. Dietary fiber naturally occurs in plants, helps provide a feeling of fullness, and is important in promoting healthy laxation. Dietary fiber that occurs naturally in foods may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Children and adults should consume foods naturally high in dietary fiber in order to increase nutrient density, promote healthy lipid profiles and glucose tolerance, and ensure normal gastrointestinal function.
Folic Acid - Folate helps produce and maintain new cells. This is especially important during periods of rapid cell division and growth such as infancy and pregnancy. Folate is needed to make DNA and RNA, the building blocks of cells. Both adults and children need folate to make normal red blood cells and prevent anemia. Folate is also essential for the metabolism of homocysteine, and helps maintain normal levels of this amino acid.
Iron – Iron carries oxygen throughout your body so cells can produce energy. When levels of iron are low, fatigue, weakness and poor tolerance to temperature extremes often result.
Magnesium – Magnesium in the body serves several important functions: contraction and relaxation of muscles, function of certain enzymes in the body, production and transport of energy, production of protein.
Potassium - Dietary potassium can lower blood pressure by blunting the adverse effects of sodium on blood pressure. Other possible benefits of an eating pattern rich in potassium include a reduced risk of developing kidney stones and decreased bone loss.
Niacin (Vitamin B3) - Niacin, is a B-vitamin, it helps the digestive system, skin, and nerves to function. It is also important for converting food to energy.
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) - Riboflavin (vitamin B2) works with the other B vitamins. It is important for body growth and red blood cell production and helps in releasing energy from carbohydrates.
Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) - Pantothenic acid, is a B-vitamin and is essential for growth. Along with biotin, it helps the body break down and use food. Pantothenic acid also plays a role in the production of hormones and cholesterol.
Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) - Pyridoxine (vitamin B6), also a B-vitamin, helps the body to: make antibodies (antibodies are needed to fight many diseases), maintain normal nerve function, make hemoglobin (hemoglobin carries oxygen in the red blood cells to the tissues), break down proteins and keep blood sugar (glucose) in normal ranges.
Thiamin (Vitamin B1) - Thiamin (vitamin B1), also one of the B-vitamins, helps the body's cells convert carbohydrates into energy. It is also essential for the functioning of the heart, muscles, and nervous system.
Vitamin E - The body also needs vitamin E to boost its immune system so that it can fight off invading bacteria and viruses. It helps to widen blood vessels and keep blood from clotting within them. In addition, cells use vitamin E to interact with each other and to carry out many important functions.
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) - Vitamin C is important for your skin, bones, and connective tissue. It promotes healing and helps the body absorb iron.
Vitamin K - Vitamin K helps your body by making proteins for healthy bones and tissues. It also makes proteins for blood clotting. If you don't have enough vitamin K, you may bleed too much.
Adding just half of an avocado to a salad of spinach, lettuce and carrots saw participants absorb the antioxidants alpha-carotene 8.3 times, beta-carotene 13.6 times and lutein 4.3 times better than those who ate the salad without avocado.
Some food sources of vitamin A include:
- sweet potatoes – baked sweet potato “fries” go great with avocado dip
- spinach – try in in a whole-wheat pita and avocado sandwich
- carrots – try combining with your favorite guacamole
- mango – add to a flavorful fruit salsa or add some to guacamole instead of some tomatoes
Avocados contribute nearly 20 vitamins, lots of minerals and tons of phytonutrients, including 4% of the recommended Daily Value (DV) for vitamin E, 4% vitamin C, 6% folate, 8% fiber, 2% iron, 4% potassium, with 81 micrograms of lutein and 19 micrograms of beta-carotene.
What kind of nutrition does the avocado offer?
How about...
Dietary Fiber - Dietary fiber is the non-digestible form of carbohydrates and lignin. Dietary fiber naturally occurs in plants, helps provide a feeling of fullness, and is important in promoting healthy laxation. Dietary fiber that occurs naturally in foods may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Children and adults should consume foods naturally high in dietary fiber in order to increase nutrient density, promote healthy lipid profiles and glucose tolerance, and ensure normal gastrointestinal function.
Folic Acid - Folate helps produce and maintain new cells. This is especially important during periods of rapid cell division and growth such as infancy and pregnancy. Folate is needed to make DNA and RNA, the building blocks of cells. Both adults and children need folate to make normal red blood cells and prevent anemia. Folate is also essential for the metabolism of homocysteine, and helps maintain normal levels of this amino acid.
Iron – Iron carries oxygen throughout your body so cells can produce energy. When levels of iron are low, fatigue, weakness and poor tolerance to temperature extremes often result.
Magnesium – Magnesium in the body serves several important functions: contraction and relaxation of muscles, function of certain enzymes in the body, production and transport of energy, production of protein.
Potassium - Dietary potassium can lower blood pressure by blunting the adverse effects of sodium on blood pressure. Other possible benefits of an eating pattern rich in potassium include a reduced risk of developing kidney stones and decreased bone loss.
Niacin (Vitamin B3) - Niacin, is a B-vitamin, it helps the digestive system, skin, and nerves to function. It is also important for converting food to energy.
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) - Riboflavin (vitamin B2) works with the other B vitamins. It is important for body growth and red blood cell production and helps in releasing energy from carbohydrates.
Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) - Pantothenic acid, is a B-vitamin and is essential for growth. Along with biotin, it helps the body break down and use food. Pantothenic acid also plays a role in the production of hormones and cholesterol.
Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) - Pyridoxine (vitamin B6), also a B-vitamin, helps the body to: make antibodies (antibodies are needed to fight many diseases), maintain normal nerve function, make hemoglobin (hemoglobin carries oxygen in the red blood cells to the tissues), break down proteins and keep blood sugar (glucose) in normal ranges.
Thiamin (Vitamin B1) - Thiamin (vitamin B1), also one of the B-vitamins, helps the body's cells convert carbohydrates into energy. It is also essential for the functioning of the heart, muscles, and nervous system.
Vitamin E - The body also needs vitamin E to boost its immune system so that it can fight off invading bacteria and viruses. It helps to widen blood vessels and keep blood from clotting within them. In addition, cells use vitamin E to interact with each other and to carry out many important functions.
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) - Vitamin C is important for your skin, bones, and connective tissue. It promotes healing and helps the body absorb iron.
Vitamin K - Vitamin K helps your body by making proteins for healthy bones and tissues. It also makes proteins for blood clotting. If you don't have enough vitamin K, you may bleed too much.
Avocados are the darling of the produce section. They’re the go-to ingredient for guacamole dips at parties. And they're also turning up in everything from salads and wraps to smoothies and even brownies. There’s no denying that Americans love avocados. During Superbowl festivities alone, 79 million pounds of avocados are eaten. That’s roughly 158 million avocados!
This fat-filled fruit tastes so delicious that it seems like it can’t be good for you! Luckily, that couldn’t be further from the truth – avocados are bursting with nutrients and offer a myriad of health benefits.
In fact, research shows that people who eat avocados tend to be generally healthier, with a much higher nutrient intake and lower Body Mass Index than those who don’t.
So, don’t just limit your avocado consumption to Superbowl season…you’ll be missing out on tons of great health benefits if you do!
Happy Gardening!!
This fat-filled fruit tastes so delicious that it seems like it can’t be good for you! Luckily, that couldn’t be further from the truth – avocados are bursting with nutrients and offer a myriad of health benefits.
In fact, research shows that people who eat avocados tend to be generally healthier, with a much higher nutrient intake and lower Body Mass Index than those who don’t.
So, don’t just limit your avocado consumption to Superbowl season…you’ll be missing out on tons of great health benefits if you do!
Happy Gardening!!
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