avocado 🥑

origin:

avocados possibly originated in the tehuacan valley in mexico thousands of years ago and were an important part of ancient peoples’ diet. it took many many years for avocados to become as popular as they are today. certainly the movement of the western countries towards a healthier diet plays a big role in that. the avocado comes in different varieties, for example californian avocados are smaller, have a thick skin and become dark when they are ripe, whilst australian avocados have a thinner skin and mexican avocados stay green even when they are ripe and have a larger pit. did you know that even red avocados exist?

avocados grow on trees that take a long time to grow the fruit. yes, you read that right: while we consider avocados a vegetable for its savory taste, it is actually a fruit. an avocado tree will typically take between 3 to 4 years to grow fruits but some can even take up to 15 years. 

properties:

avocados are an important source of healthy, plantbased fats which are essential for vitamin absorption. one avocado contains about 320 calories, 29 grams of fat, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of protein and 13 grams of fibre. they further contain Vitamin C, E, K and B6 as well as folate, magnesium, potassium and more.

benefits:

avocados have many unsaturated fats which help maintain healthy cholesterol levels and protect heart health. they also support good vision and prevent against osteoporosis and cancer. the healthy fats also promote good digestion and with that the natural detoxification of the body. the high amount of folate is crucial for healthy pregnancies and has also been linked to a lower risk of depression.

use:

avocados are often used as a tastemaker in salads but they are much more versatile than that! as their neutral taste makes them compatible with both savory as well as sweet foods you can use them instead of butter on your bread, put them in smoothies to up your vitamin absorption or even bake with them for more moisture or use them for ice cream.