6 Things You May Not Know About Avocados

Content by: 180 Nutrition

Avocado Facts

Hands up who loves avocados, as we certainly do! If you’ve been following us for a while, you’d know that we’re big fans of getting all the healthy fats and nutritional benefits that avocados have to offer. We eat at least one whole avocado a day and they are the first ingredient to go into our 180 Breakfast Smoothie, giving it the thick creaminess one should never deprive themselves of when hitting their breakfast fix 🙂

But there’s so much more to our delicious friend than meets the eye… Here are 5 things you may not know about avocados.

1. They are loaded with potassium (way more than bananas)

If you think bananas have cornered the market on potassium, you’d be sadly mistaken. The 487 milligrams provided by a large banana pales in comparison to the output of the avocado. Just one avo delivers a full 975 milligrams of this essential micronutrient. So if you are keen on lowering your sugar intake, but are worried about the potassium, avocados are the way forward!

Why should you care about potassium? There are many reasons, potassium will help maintain your body’s:

  • Acid-base and electrolyte balance
  • Heart conductivity
  • Hydration
  • Mental acuity
  • Muscle tissue development

2. Unripe? keep them in tight with apples and bananas

If you want to ripen your avocados in a hurry, give them a little company. These friendly fruits come to life in the presence of apples and bananas, two favourites whose production of ethylene gas quickens the avocado’s ripening process. Just stuff all three into a bag together and watch that avocado spring to edible life.

3. They’re little protein & fat factories

Every avocado will provide you with 4g of protein containing 18 of the most important amino acids. How many fruits of your acquaintance can make that claim? There’s also 30g of fat in the average avocado, which outnumbers the carbohydrate content, being 24g on average. The perfect fat snack for weight loss keeping our energy levels nice and stable. (Weight Loss Tip: Never fear natural fats when trying to lose weight).

4. They make a great cosmetic

That’s right. To reap an avocado’s many benefits, you don’t necessarily have to eat them. An abundance of essential oils and antioxidants join their generous amino acid component making them a valuable beauty aid.  You can use cold pressed avocado oil for:

  • Treating sunburn
  • Moisturising skin
  • Minimising wrinkles
  • Repairing damaged hair

5. It’s not actually a vegetable and is originally from Mexico

Although they get along famously when thrown together in a smoothie, avocados and vegetables have nothing at all in common. The avocado is actually a very large fleshy fruit also to be know as the avocado pear. Its tough outer rind, fleshy middle layer and large central pit qualify the avocado as a single-seeded berry. Name one vegetable that can make that claim!

The oldest evidence of avocado use was found in a cave located in Coxcatlán, Puebla, Mexico, that dates to around 10,000 BC.

6. They make an AMAZING addition to the humble smoothie

They really are fast food at it’s best! You haven’t fully enjoyed an avocado until you’ve blended it in a smoothie for breakfast, or a snack or meal on the run. Here are a few of the many recipes to try:

Banana-Avocado Smoothie:

  • 1/2 an avocado
  • 1/2 a banana
  • 1 serve of Superfood Protein Blend (coconut flavour)
  • 200ml of coconut milk
  • 100ml of water
  • Handful of ice

The Green Hulk Smoothie:

  • 1/2 an avocado
  • 1 serve of Superfood Protein Blend (coconut flavour)
  • 1/2 a cup of spinach
  • 1/2 a small cucumber
  • Handful of strawberries & berries
  • 200ml of coconut milk
  • 100ml of water
  • Handful of ice

The Champion Breakfast Smoothie

  • 1 serve of Superfood Protein Blend (chocolate flavour)
  • 200ml water
  • 100ml of coconut cream
  • handful of ice cubes
  • 1 handful of spinach
  • 1/2 ripe avocado
  • 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
  • Handful of berries

Discover More Smoothie Recipes Here

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180 Nutrition

This article was curated by 180 Nutrition who were founded in March 2010 with the goal to offer the very best in natural health supplements and resources. The passionate team are aligned with leading health and wellness professionals including nutritionists, naturopaths, functional medicine and exercise specialists. They regularly connect with... Read More
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2 Replies to “6 Things You May Not Know About Avocados”
Chris Davis says:

I love my Avo’s. Recently I made up some rice with a nice mix of steamed vegies, and realised I had an avo that was getting a bit on the ripe side…so I decided to “mush” it up and mix it into the bed of rice and then put the vegies on…..needless to say….something so simple, turned what was already a great meal, into heaven on a plate….so creamy, just thought I would share 😛

Guy Lawrence says:

Nice Chris, that will also help slow down blood sugar spike with the avo’ fat & the rice combined 😉

Comments are closed.