Avocadoes

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Avocadoes are thought by some people to be a vegetable, but they are a fruit. They work well in combination with tomatoes (which are also a fruit). Avocadoes can be eaten with many varieties of food. One of my favorites ways of eating avocado is an avocado sandwich. Smash up some avocados, add some garlic salt or salt, and spread it over some toast. Avocadoes can be eaten in salads, and added to many other things.

The Environmental Working Group lists avocadoes as among the 12 most popular fruits and vegetables consistantly containing the least amount of pesticides and chemicals. However, if you are interested in buying organic, that is definitely an option. Check out their list of fruits and vegetables containing the least and highest amounts of pesticides.

Avocado facts

"Although the most common variety of avocado is the Hass, there are scores of other varieties (such as Fuerte, Bacon, and Gwen) displaying differences in taste and texture. Avocados are a surprisingly high-fiber food, and the fat they contain is monounsaturated --- the good kind." localharvest.org

"Avocados contain more potassium than 26 other popular fruits and juices (including raisins, bananas, peaches, cantaloupe and orange juice) and 19 popular vegetables, including broccoli, carrots, corn and green beans. Potassium has been shown to lower the risk of stroke by as much as 40%. It helps the body maintain normal water balance and is necessary for the normal functioning of nerves and muscles. Avocados also provide good quantities of beta carotene, vitamins B6, A, C, folic acid and copper, and contain almost 10% of an adult’s daily requirement of iron." organicavos.com

"According to the director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, avocados include a cholesterol-lowering phytosterol called beta-sitosterol, and glutathione, a combination of three amino acids that act as an antioxidant." Ibid.

Additional organic avocado resources:

http://www.organicavos.com/nutrition.htm

http://www.localharvest.org/avocados.jsp