Avocado is so healthy

The avocado – also called avocado pear – is a green fruit that grows on the avocado tree. The fruit does not ripen on the tree, but only after it has been picked. So it is officially not a vegetable, but a fruit. Half an avocado weighs about 100 grams: half of your daily portion fruit (or vegetable).

Fat

A ripe avocado is as soft as butter. With a fat content of sometimes as much as 30 percent, the pulp is very fat. The skin is hard and varies from dark green to black. You will find a large pit in the avocado; you cannot eat these. The flesh has a slightly nutty taste.

Many people think that the avocado is fattening: after all, it is a fatty fruit. It is true that the avocado contains quite a few kilocalories: about 170 to 180 per half (100 grams), but the fats in the avocado are mainly healthy. It concerns oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that is beneficial for the cholesterol. In addition, thanks to the avocado, you also get a lot fiber inside, about 10 grams per fruit.

vitamin bomb

In addition to healthy fats and fiber, the avocado is also full of vitamins and minerals. It is a good source of potassium and magnesium and vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C, E and folic acid (B11). In particular, the mineral content is very high: almost three times as much as in most other fruits.

Thanks to fast carbohydrates, proteins and minerals, the avocado ensures a quick recovery after exercise. You can also often find the fruit in skin care products: it is very good for the skin. With a little yogurt, honey and avocado you can easily make a face mask yourself.

To buy

You can use avocados all year round to buy. During the year they are imported from different areas: from May to December from Africa and South America and from September to May from Israel. A ripe avocado will feel soft around the stem base if you lightly press it with a finger. The flesh is then creamy yellow/green.

You can store an avocado in a cool place for one to six days. Do not store them in the refrigerator, this disrupts the ripening of the fruit. Do you want the avocado to ripen faster? Then put the fruit in a plastic bag with a ripe apple or pear.

If you want to eat an avocado, it is best to cut it in half lengthwise. You can then work around the pit with a sharp knife and twist the two halves apart in this way. You then pop the pit right out. As soon as you remove the skin from an avocado, the flesh quickly turns brown. Keeping the pit near the pulp or adding a little lemon juice will prevent this.