Avocados

Avocados are a fruit, not a vegetable, belonging to the genus Persea in the Lauraceae family. This nutritious fruit comes in a number of varieties such as Hass, Fuerte and Reed.

Avo Nutrition Info

One-fifth of a medium avocado or about one ounce is 55 calories, but contributes beneficial nutrients such as fiber, potassium, Vitamin E and lutein to the diet.

Avocados act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha- and beta-carotene as well as lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit. Avocados provide more than 25 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins, and folic acid.

One-fifth of a medium avocado has 55 calories and provides beneficial phytochemicals such as glutathione, beta-sitosterol, and lutein. Phytonutrients are thought to help prevent many chronic diseases.

The avocado is virtually the only fruit that has monounsaturated fat. Avocados help assist consumers in meeting a major dietary goal of reducing saturated fat in the diet, when they are consumed in place of saturated-fat containing foods.

Avocados are a good source of fiber and fiber may help maintain heart health. When used instead of other fats, avocados contain over 25 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients and can be part of a calorie-reduced diet.

Avo Interesting Facts

The avocado (Persea americana) originated in south-central Mexico, sometime between 7,000 and 5,000 B.C. But it was several millennia before this wild variety was cultivated. Archaeologists in Peru have found domesticated avocado seeds buried with Incan mummies dating back to 750 B.C. and there is evidence that avocados were cultivated in Mexico as early as 500 B.C!

Some other avo trivia...

• Brazilians add avocados to ice cream Filipinos puree avocados with sugar and milk for a dessert drink.
• Latin Americans wrap avocados up and give them as wedding gifts.
• The avocado is also called an Alligator Pear because of its pear-like shape and green skin.
• Avocado is a corruption of the Spanish word aguacate, which is in turn a corruption of the Aztec word ahuacatl

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