10 Ways to Use Avocados for Health

Avocado season in the United States is short-lived, but when the warm season of the year is here, you know you can rely on fresh, green avocados.  Other than its taste, what is so healthy about an avocado?  Many tend to stray from an avocado due to the high fat calories it contains and an entire avocado in one sitting can tack up the calories.  Doesn’t this make the avocado unhealthy?

Just like almonds, walnuts, and cashews, an avocado contains an abundant amount of healthy monounsaturated fats.  These healthy fats are conducive for proper cholesterol levels, which benefits the heart.  In addition, avocados are loaded with plentiful vitamins and minerals, with the most prominent being potassium, lutein, folate, B-vitamins, and vitamins C and E [1].  Given the health benefits in the avocado, what all can you do with an avocado?  Listed below are some ideas to help introduce more avocados into your diet.

10 Ways to Use an Avocado 

1. Mexican salad with avocado. One of the best ways to introduce avocados into your diet is to add it in small servings.  A salad is a perfect way to get this and introducing it in a Mexican salad will complement the flavors of the salad.  Follow along with this easy recipe for your next dinner salad and feel free to use shrimp with a little lime drizzled on as dressing.
2. Eat it as a snack. During that midday lull, consider eating a raw, whole avocado to add needed nutrients for a quick pick-me-up.  An avocado is loaded with healthy fats, but the great thing is that eating a whole avocado will not weigh you down nor will it have you feeling sluggish.
3. Healthy avocado soup. Summer time is great for eating colder foods.  Indulging in a cold soup for lunch is a perfect way to chill and nourish the body.  A chilled cucumber and avocado soup is a great way to add this nourishment and it adds quite a hefty punch, especially at lunch time.   Give this soup a try on a hot day this next week and have it with a side of lean protein for a complete meal.
4. Goat cheese and avocado toast. Starting the day out with a healthy breakfast is exactly what you need for the day ahead.  Try out the goat cheese and avocado toast recipe here and be on out the door for work or the gym within 5-10 minutes.
5. Apply it as a facial mask. Avocados taste great and can help fight the aging process, but a mashed avocado applied to your face as a facial treatment could help prevent wrinkles, primarily due to the abundance of vitamin C and beneficial nutrients [5].
6. Drink avocado juice daily. Drinking avocado juice on a regular basis will not only be tasty, but it will help with your skin complexion.  To make your juice, add one avocado with milk into a blender.  Add ice if you desire a thicker juice and blend it until your desired consistency has been met.
7. Fight away dandruff. Using the seeds of the avocado and grinding them into a powder can be your treatment to dry scalp, or dandruff.  After you eat your next avocado, save the seed (s) and grind it into a powder for a natural protection against dandruff.
8. Moisturize your skin. Take a whole avocado and apply a fine layer across your skin (spread it like how you would butter on bread, evenly apply it all around).  Leave the avocado on your skin for about 10-15 minutes and wash it off when you are finished [6].
9. Make a smoothie. An avocado is ideal for smoothies.  They add plentiful flavor and help increase the thickness in the smoothie.  A banana and avocado smoothie is a great post-workout smoothie or a midday pick-me-up refresher that packs plentiful potassium and nutrients.  Follow along with a banana and avocado smoothie recipe here.
10. Replace mayo for avocado. Mayo is a common spread for sandwiches, but mayo tends to have an abundance of saturated fat.  A healthier option would be to swap your mayo for some avocado.  Add a little smoked turkey, lettuce, and a tasty tomato to accompany your sandwich for a complete lunch time meal.

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