How to eat avocado

The exotic fruit that came to us from Central America is not like any other plants. It is customary for us to consider sweet fruits as fruits, mainly those growing on trees, and vegetables as annual plants grown on beds. Avocados are harvested from trees, but its fruits are completely unique: they have an oily flesh that is somewhat similar to nuts, almost do not smell and have no pronounced taste. However, they are rich in useful substances necessary for our body, and in combination with other products make dishes very satisfying and interesting.

How to choose a good avocado to the table

Avocado is a rather whimsical fruit; it is very difficult to find it in perfectly ripe condition. Usually avocados are still collected in green, after which they are ripened for storage. The immature oily flesh is hard, has a grassy flavor, sometimes bitter, while the ripe inside has a pleasant soft consistency, easily peels off the bone and from the crust and may have a nutty flavor. Fresh ripe avocado does not stay long. Within a few days, the flesh becomes loose or mucous; under poor storage conditions it can begin to rot.

To determine how ripe the avocado is, in the store you need to pay attention to several nuances:

1. Peel. The crust of an avocado is usually smooth and shiny, saturated with juice. However, such fruits are still “green”. Over time, the peel begins to dry out, it may wrinkle a little. You should choose fruits of medium humidity without damage and cuts on the surface.
2. Density. The pulp of an avocado should be sufficiently elastic and soft when squeezed. If the fruit is very hard - it is still unripe, if the flesh under the fingers is supple and dents remain on it - most likely the fruit has already run out and it is better not to take such an avocado.
3. Color. The hue of the avocado peel is more dependent on the variety of the plant and may not always help in choosing the right fruit, but there is a general trend: light fruits may turn out to be immature, and darkened, brownish and black ones may be spoiled.

If you come across a greenish avocado, it can walk a bit by lying down. However, incised fruits quickly darken and fade even in the refrigerator. To extend the shelf life of the fruit, it is enough to sprinkle it with lemon juice - so it will not only not oxidize in the air longer, but also acquire a piquant aroma.

Why avocados are good for the body

Avocado vegetable oils saturate the body with valuable fatty acids, preventing aging, fighting free radicals and supporting the functioning of internal organs and systems. Avocado also has such useful properties:

• accelerates cell regeneration processes;
• makes hair, nails and skin elastic;
• supports healthy bones and muscles;
• protects the skin from the sun, the formation of age spots;
• cleanses blood of cholesterol;
• supports the proper functioning of the heart and blood vessels;
• removes excess salts from the body;
• promotes healing of the digestive tract and improves metabolism;
• positively affects the liver;
• supports active brain function.

The constant use of avocados will help normalize digestion, stabilize blood sugar levels, which is important for diabetes and intense mental work. Also, the fetus will help cleanse the intestines of toxins and normalize stool.

How to process avocados

Next, the core is taken out, and the pulp is removed from the peel with a spoon. You need to carefully enter the tool along the edge where the color difference of the pulp and the skin is noticeable, and draw a spoon along the contour, exfoliating the inside. After disconnecting a large piece, the residues can be scraped off more thoroughly.

After this, the flesh is cut into slices, cubes, straws or grind in mashed potatoes. You can cut avocados into slices or cubes immediately, even in a "shell" - then it will be easier to disconnect the pieces, but their integrity may be violated.

Prepared avocados are eaten raw, fried, baked and added to dishes of any cooking method.

What do avocados eat?

Avocado is combined with many products, making dishes more nutritious and pleasant in consistency:

1. Slices of avocado can be used for serving appetizers, on sandwiches and canapes with vegetables and cheese, and fry them with seasonings.
2. Diced avocados are added to vegetable salads, stews and casseroles.
3. Avocado pasta is used in mashed soups, as a filling for baking, in sauces and appetizers that season salads and spread on bread.
4. Avocados, as a rule, are not combined with sweets. Rarely offer avocados with meat, and if so - then choose lean beef or tender poultry.

Avocado is best combined with such products:

1. With citrus fruits - lemon, grapefruit, lime, tangerine and orange - both in fruit salads and in savory snacks.
2. With garlic. Mint, oregano, basil, leeks, curry and paprika, jalapenos, bay leaves are also combined with avocados.
3. With nuts and oils. Pistachios and cashews are ideal for avocados, you can also take Brazilian, walnuts. In some recipes sneakers and hazelnuts will sound good. Of the oils, olive, corn and other cereal extracts are suitable.
4. With spicy vegetables - bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, celery, carrots and parsnips.
5. With cereals and beans. The perfect combination is obtained with rice and corn, with asparagus beans and soy products.
6. With sweet potatoes (yams), broccoli or cauliflower, cucumbers.
7. With fish and seafood. Trout or salmon, shrimp, crab and squid, as well as oysters are best suited.
8. With dairy products - white cow, sheep and goat cheeses, parmesan, mozzarella, kefir and yogurt. You can also use soy tofu or cereal cheese.

It must be remembered that avocados significantly increase the calorie content of food, and eat it in moderation. 100 grams of avocado pulp contains 240 kcal, which roughly corresponds to the fat content of cottage cheese or lean meat.

Useful fact: when choosing combinations of products, consider the geography of their growth. Southern and northern plants are usually not very combined. Also, do not mix different cuisines in one lunch.

Avocados on diets

For vegetarians, avocados are good for their fat content. It will increase the nutritional and energy value of dishes, as well as saturate the body with vitamins and miners, replenishing valuable reserves.

Vegetable proteins and fats perfectly support the body at the post, in the cold season, after illness. Therefore, do not spare money to at least occasionally pamper yourself with a useful component and diversify the diet.

Using avocados on a carbohydrate-free diet will help maintain the strength and strength of the musculoskeletal system, maintain immunity and active brain function, avoid mood swings and fatigue, control hunger and restore skin health.

Contraindications

Oddly enough, but this exotic fruit practically does not cause allergies and is completely safe to use. Caution should be taken by children, as well as people prone to allergies. In addition, you should not abuse a fatty product: eat avocados in small portions so that the body can cope with the digestion of natural oils.

Delicious Avocado Recipes

Fish rolls
Slices of avocado salt, add herbs and wrap in fish slices. More often choose red fish. Rolls are watered with lemon juice and, if desired, with vegetable oil. For 1 fruit, you need about 200 g of fish fillet and juice of 1/4 lemon.

Often avocados are used as a component for sushi and rolls, combining it with corn, cucumber and other favorite vegetables.

Fragrant Paste
To prepare an avocado dressing, it is mashed with a blender or manually, lime juice, squeezed garlic are added to the mass and salted to taste. If you like spicy, you can add a little hot pepper to this dressing. For lovers of light fruit sauces, an addition of grapefruit pulp is suitable. You can make the paste more satisfying with the help of cashews or walnuts. You can also add cream cheese or low-fat unsweetened yogurt to the paste. Avocado pasta is seasoned with oregano, basil and other herbs. They serve such a dish with bread - toast, cracker. You can season the pasta salad with tomatoes and peppers, as well as add to steak or potatoes.

For 150 g of avocado take 1 small clove of garlic, 75 g of cheese or yogurt, 5 nuts, 3-4 grapefruit slices.

Hearty Sea Salad
You need boiled shrimp and eggs. The products are finely chopped and mixed with avocado cubes. Additionally, you can take a cucumber. Salad, add greens and season with lemon juice and a little olive oil.

For 1 medium avocado you need to take 3 eggs, 150 grams of seafood, 1 cucumber.

Video: how to eat avocados