Since it’s February, the month of Valentine’s Day, I decided to write about one of my favorite loves – the avocado. I love a lot of other foods too, but, as far as I’m concerned, none can hold a candle to the avocado. For me, there is no greater comfort than having healthy, tasty food in the house, and there are not many healthier or more appealing foods than the avocado.

Ways to Incorporate Avocado into your Diet

I eat an avocado daily as one of my healthy snacks/meals. Although I’m a huge fan of guacamole and a number of other avocado-based recipes, I usually just cut it lengthwise, give it a twist, pop out the pit and eat it right out of its bumpy, green skin with a spoon. 

For about $1, you get a scrumptious, nutrient-dense fruit that is packed full of phyto-nutrients, amino acids, healthy fats, essential oils, potassium, fiber, Vitamins B and E and folic acid. It’s also a complete protein and one of the most energy-rich foods in the world. Many also believe it to be incredibly healthy for the female reproductive system. The bonus is that it’s delicious!

Avocado’s Health Benefits

While I concur that variety is often the spice of life (especially as it applies to food), I can testify that it is truly possible to sustain yourself on a diet comprised solely of avocados, mangos and water. How do I know? Well, let’s just say it was a combination of my love for those two fruits coupled with an extremely tight budget in the past that yielded a quasi-voluntary experiment in eating that lasted for several months. The result was reaching a stable, ideal body weight and achieving an electrifying glow of blemish-free skin and shinier than normal hair.

Whenever I eat the last avocado in the house, I make it a point to head back to the store ASAP to replenish my supply. When shopping for avocados, depending on the variety available at the store, I try to buy them in varying degrees of ripeness so that I have some ready to eat right away, and some for later in the week as well. 

How to Ripen Avocado

To ripen an avocado faster, place it in a small, brown paper bag with a banana and fold the top to seal it up. If you want to slow down the ripening process, place the uncut avocado in the fridge once the skin has turned from green to almost all black. To check to see if an avocado is ripe enough to eat, give it a gentle squeeze. If it gives a little under slight pressure from your fingers, it’s probably good to go. Otherwise, you can pop the little “cork” or remaining plug of stem on top – if it pops off easy, it’s probably ripe enough to eat as well. 

Once you cut an avocado, and you want to save some for later, place the leftover in an air-tight container and squirt a small amount of fresh lime juice on it to help preserve it before putting it in the fridge. Storing the remainder of the avocado in the same container as its pit will also help to keep it fresh for a day or so. 

I hope you’ll embrace the avocado and fall in love with its custardy deliciousness, just like me.