How 2-4 teaspoons of avocados can supercharge your low calorie, high vitamin & fibre-rich diet

Most dietary guidelines suggest one-third to one-half of an avocado per day as a reasonable target for healthy adults. This equals approximately two ounces or between two and four tablespoons of avocado. This amount provides around 160-200 calories, primarily from the healthy monounsaturated fats avocados are prized for. An avocado has 20 to 25 grams of fat, 15 grams of which are monounsaturated. The rest is still fat. Avocados aren’t low-calorie with a whole one generally having between 200 and 300 calories, depending on size. So, overeating means you are piling up calories that you may not be able to burn off, leading to weight gain.

Besides, when your calorie intake mostly comes from fat, you’re probably neglecting other key nutrients. The fat may replace other nutrients in the meal because you are too full, leading to an unbalanced diet.

At the recommended level of consumption, avocados can be an excellent addition to a balanced diet. The fats and fibre help promote feelings of fullness and satiety. The potassium helps in maintaining healthy blood pressure levels. And the array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants provide anti-inflammatory benefits.

Too Much of a Good Thing

While avocados are undoubtedly nutritious, they are also calorie-dense. Eating multiple whole avocados per day can result in excess calorie intake for most people. And considering you think eating them is healthy, you may forget to cut other calorie-yielding foods from your diet and have avocados like a relish.

Consuming extreme amounts of fats from any source, including avocados, may increase inflammation, digestive discomfort and other gastrointestinal issues for some individuals.

What time of day to have avocado?

For most people, avocados can be a tasty addition to one or two meals or snacks per day within those general serving size recommendations. Some great options include:

– Mashed on whole grain toast at breakfast

– Added to a lunchtime salad or sandwich

– Blended into a smoothie

– As a component of guacamole with vegetables as an afternoon snack

– Sliced on top of dinner entrees like chicken, fish or whole grains

Avocados pair exceptionally well with other nutrient-dense foods like eggs, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains. This makes it easy to incorporate them into balanced meals throughout the day. Spread those portions throughout well-balanced meals and snacks for good health.