San Diegans love our avocados. They are a part of everyday life, and a lot of us never have our kitchen without them. Mild, easy to work with, and a bonafide superfood, we can’t get enough. This week, let’s get away from the guacamole and salads, and use our avocados in ways that are new, even for Southern California avocado experts. But first, a bit about our favorite fruit that eats like a vegetable.
Avocados are classified as a fruit, actually a berry, because they have a seed inside and the fleshy pulp can be eaten. The superfood buzz comes from the fact that the avocado is loaded with nutrients and healthy fats. Healthy fats are fats that help lower other kinds of unwanted fats, and you get monounsaturated fats, which help lower cholesterol when you eat avocados in moderation. The term “nutrient dense” means you get lots of vitamins and minerals with not so many calories, so avocados having 19 vitamins and minerals to it’s 80 calories definitely makes it qualify! First, you have your energy-boosting and good-for-your-blood B vitamins. There’s 4 B vitamins in avocados, with B5 or pantothentic acid being the most present. That’s the one that helps convert protein, carbohydrates, and fat into energy. Other B vitamins in avocados are B2 (or Riboflavin) and B3 (Niacin). Sounds like a great food to start your day with, right? Good thing we have so much to do with avocados in the morning! For a complete list of the nutrients in avocados visit californiaavocado.com.
Now for the fun stuff. Are there really things you haven’t done with avocados yet? Check out these new-fashioned ways to use avocados.
Side dishes & appetizers. Make avocado fries, by slicing & baking them, and do away with starchy fried sides altogether. We know crab, shrimp, and tuna salads are awesome in avocados, but there’s tons more you can do. You can have stuffed avocados in so many ways, like Cheezy Tempeh Stuffed Avocados or Baked Seafood Stuffed Avocados. 
Looking for a spicy meatless game day snack. How about this recipe for avocado buffalo “wings” from One Green Planet? Baked, not fried and way easier than you’d think.
2 ways to make use of your avocados in sauces is Avocado Crema or in a cream sauce. Time to go beyond guac. 
If you don’t already add avocados to your smoothies, you’re really missing out. Nothing makes a drink so smooth and creamy while giving those healthy fats that boost energy as much as an avocado. Here’s some of our faves.
As we wrap up our homage to our favorite healthy fat fruit, we invite you to head on over to the Recipes page and do a search for avocados. We hope you’re as inspired as we’ve been.
