avocado gives you a good dose of
vitamins C, E, K, B6, folic acid and
pantothenic acid (from the B group).
We need these for a healthy immune
system, skin, wound healing, blood
clotting, bone health, converting energy
from foods and more.
When it comes to important minerals,
avocados are great for potassium –
important for balancing fluids in your
body, nerve signal transmission and
kidney health; and copper – essential
for healthy blood, skin, bones and nerve
function. Last but not least, avocados
are an excellent source of fibre.
AVOCADO OIL
The oil extracted from avocados has an
exceptionally high smoke point which
means it doesn’t degrade easily when
heated. This is an issue with many plant
oils but you can cook with avocado oil
at high temperatures without it spoiling.
Of course, it’s also excellent in cold food
preparation, especially for salads, dips
and dressings, or drizzled on bread. The
only downside is its higher price.
TO COOK OR NOT TO COOK?
Avocados are at their best when raw.
Not only are they the most nutritious in
their natural state but also the tastiest.
When you cook an avocado, it can turn
bitter or change taste to the point when
it becomes unpalatable. It depends
on the avocado variety and the length
of cooking so unfortunately there’s
no secret formula to recommend.
Tossing it on the grill for a minute or
two is probably the only type of quick
cooking that may not change its taste
but there are no guarantees!
There are almost endless possibilities
for culinary uses of raw avocado and
thanks to its creamy texture and mild
taste it fits well with both savoury and
sweet dishes. Apart from the more
familiar uses in dishes like guacamole,
sushi, salads and sandwiches, it works
wonders in desserts such as chocolate
mousse, ice cream and cakes, and makes
a delicious base for sweet creamy
fillings, smoothies or savoury creamy
sauces. You can also add it to meals after
cooking – think soups, pasta, rice dishes- or use as a topping.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
When choosing an avocado in a shop,
it should be slightly soft but with no
dark or sunken spots. If you pull back
the stem, the colour you want to see
underneath is light green or yellow-
green. If it’s brown, the avocado is
overripe or has been stored for too long
and likely to have brown spots inside. If
the stem doesn’t come off and the fruit
feels very firm to touch, it’s unripe but
you can easily ripen it at home.
Placing avocado in a fruit basket
or paper bag at room temperature
will speed up the ripening process.
Refrigeration stops the process so a
stone-hard avocado will never ripen
in the fridge but a ripe one will keep
for about a week when stored at low
temperatures.NEVER GIVE IT TO ANIMALS
Avocado is a great food for us but toxic
for many animals. It may cause mild
symptoms such as vomiting
and diarrhoea, but can
also cause organ failure,
difficulty breathing and
sudden death so never feed
it to dogs, cats, rabbits,
rats, guinea pigs, horses,
cows, goats or birds.
It’s mostly the
skin, leaves and
pit causing the
toxicity but it’s
best to stay on the
safe side!- Viva! Health
is a part of the
charity Viva!. We
monitor scientific
research linking
diet to health and
provide accurate
information on
which you can
make informed choices
about the food you eat.
(vivahealth.org.uk)