Avocado - Good or Bad???


Eating a Veggie Delight at Subway is part of my staple diet, and most of the times I get tempted to add some avocado onto it, but I hold myself back thinking its a very high-calorie food....Anyways, I've heard so many positives and negatives about this interesting fruit that its hard to catgorise it as Good or Bad. I set out to explore that thin grey line and this is what I found. Though high in calories, avocado has a lot of health benefits to offer. Plus, it is way more healthier than the mayonnaise or ranch that you put on your sandwiches or use as salad dressings. So ake a quick look at the good and bad facts of an avocado.

One medium-sized avocado contains a little more than 300 calories, most of them coming from Fats (77% Fat, 19% Carbs, 4% Proteins) This definitely sets you to say NO to frequent helpings, but there's more to this fruit than what meets the eye. Here's a detailed pros-cons list to help you decide better.

The Goods:

Low in Cholesterol
Low in Sodium
High in Vitamins C, E and K
High in dietery Fiber and Folates
Most of the fat is mono or poly-saturated improving ration of good vs bad HDL
Good source of potassium, phosphorous
Acts as an anti-oxidant
Great taste and texture

The Bads:

High caloric value
High in saturated fats omega-3 and omega-6

I have to thank a lot of people and their inputs in compiling this list, but its a good estimate of the general consensus for this fruit. So it looks like the Good outweighs the Bad by far, yet there was a time when the Bad, which are major points for people who aim to remain fit and agile, prevented a lot of individuals from picking up this pear-shaped fruit from the rack. But majority of nutritionists agree that "Avocados add great variety to a well balanced, low-fat diet, but you have to eat them in moderation." Overall, avocado is considered a complete food, with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, calories and fiber with no cholesterol and no sodium.

Its a recommended substitute for the mayonnaise that goes on my subway, so I'm all for spreading a quarter of an avocado (about 55 cal) on my sub 2 days a week. That sounds like a balanced intake, right? What do you have to say???


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8 comments :

Anonymous said...

Mansi,
I don't know about avocados. I've heard they are great but they look WEIRD :) I can't bring myself to eat one. Great post. Keep up the good work.

-Hannah

david mcmahon said...

Hi Mansi and Hannah,

Hannah - they are sensational and very versatile. Try one. On my recommendation!

Mansi, I'm so glad you enjoyed the ``longest legs'' picture on my blog. As you commented, I'm sure your husband would have appreciated the picture - but would he had done what I did and done a 180-degree turn across six lanes of peak-hour traffic to take the picture!

Do keep in touch.

Your first commenter, David!!

bee said...

thanks for dropping by, mansi. will add you to the blogroll.

Srivalli said...

You have a nice blog here....good work...

Srivalli
www.cooking4allseasons.blogspot.com

Dave said...

So sorry to tell you that I don't care good or bad. anything can put in my mouth I'm sure swallow it.

ht://davedeli.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Mansi,
Nice Blog! About avocados, I eat them daily. Often I add a schmear to my family's sandwiches. At other times I prepare guacamole with tortilla chips or make avocado salad. In the Middle East, avocado is part of a potato salad.
Thanks for visiting Basil & Spice!

Deborah Dowd said...

The fats in avocados are the best kind, and for me the richness of flavor added is well worth the calories (I can cut them somewhere else!)!

Johnny Summerfield said...

I eat them constantly, fat or not. They make me feel good and keep me full. I make a salad with chunks of avocado, diced tomatoes, chopped onion, pureed garlic, white pepper, sea salt from Trapani, Sicily, and extra virgin olive oil. I eat it on Cool Ranch Doritos. It is a staple for me as I teach classes throughout the day. It used to be candy bars and coffee.