Eating on the Wild Side by Jo Robinson

Author:Jo Robinson [ROBINSON, JO]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
ISBN: 9780316227957
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Published: 2013-06-03T16:00:00+00:00

PRESENT-DAY AVOCADOS

Our modern varieties still have very large seeds for their size, but the seeds are now enveloped in a reasonable amount of succulent flesh. California supplies most of the avocados in this country. The trees are pruned to keep the fruit at a convenient height for picking—no eighty-foot behemoths. Even though our modern varieties are more palatable than their wild ancestors, they have retained most of their nutrients. One serving gives you more antioxidants than a serving of broccoli raab, grapes, red bell peppers, or red cabbage. Avocados are also a good source of vitamin E, folate, potassium, and magnesium.

I was surprised to learn that avocados are an excellent source of fiber as well. How can something so smooth and creamy have any fiber at all? The explanation is that avocados, like most fruits, contain soluble fiber, a type of fiber that has a gel-like consistency. Half a medium-size avocado gives you six grams of soluble fiber—more than is in a bowl of oatmeal.

What about all that fat? The fat in avocados is in the form of monounsaturated oils, the same “good” fat that abounds in olive oil. In one study, women with diabetes who consumed one large avocado every day lowered their triglyceride levels but had no increase in weight. The fat in avocados also aids in the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients. Adding sliced avocados to a salad can increase the amount of beta-carotene and lutein you absorb from the greens by as much as 1,500 percent.

Half a medium-size avocado has 160 calories. You can make a fabulous 250-calorie salad by cutting an avocado in half, removing the seed, and heaping the cavity with fresh crab or shrimp topped off with tomato salsa and a drizzle of lemon or lime juice.

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