What's the big deal with avocado?

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Showmm
Showmm Posts: 406 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Sure, it's full of "good fats" but it's still full of fat and calories. Not sure why it's always touted as a healthy food.
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  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
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    Dietary fat =/= body fat. You NEED dietary fats. The best sources of omega 3's are fish oil and flax. You don't need to eat carbs or sugar, you don't need meat, you don't need dairy, but the two absolutely essential things to have in your diet are omega 3's and protein. You can have those other things of course, but they're not necessary to life.
  • kellyscomeback
    kellyscomeback Posts: 1,369 Member
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    Not all fats are created equal. Read up on the different types of fats and why you do and don't need them.
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
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    Besides...they taste good and are versatile.
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    How do you define healthy?

    Is your definition of "healthy" strictly based on caloric content?

    If so, then celery would be a better choice. There's also taste to consider, personally I enjoy avacdo more than celery.
  • Showmm
    Showmm Posts: 406 Member
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    Personally, I'd rather have a big cup of blueberries for a snack than half an avocado, for half the calories and none of the fat.

    I understand it's better than eating straight lard, I just don't see the great value in it when added up against other foods.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    Dietary fat =/= body fat. You NEED dietary fats. The best sources of omega 3's are fish oil and flax. You don't need to eat carbs or sugar, you don't need meat, you don't need dairy, but the two absolutely essential things to have in your diet are omega 3's and protein. You can have those other things of course, but they're not necessary to life.

    Yes. People have a hard time getting beyond the 1980s-1990s mindset that fat free = good. Fats can be healthy (avocados, nuts, salmon) and fats can be unhealthy (trans fats from packaged foods). Do a little reading on it, as it is information worth knowing.

    Also, avocados are freaking delicious.
  • courtneybrooke27
    courtneybrooke27 Posts: 97 Member
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    Dietary fat =/= body fat. You NEED dietary fats. The best sources of omega 3's are fish oil and flax. You don't need to eat carbs or sugar, you don't need meat, you don't need dairy, but the two absolutely essential things to have in your diet are omega 3's and protein. You can have those other things of course, but they're not necessary to life.

    Yes. People have a hard time getting beyond the 1980s-1990s mindset that fat free = good. Fats can be healthy (avocados, nuts, salmon) and fats can be unhealthy (trans fats from packaged foods). Do a little reading on it, as it is information worth knowing.

    Also, avocados are freaking delicious.

    Well said! My trainer told me that it's very important to get 3 servings of the "good" fats in each day.. half an avacado, approx 20 almonds, EVOO... I followed his advice and he helped me lose my first 20lbs before joining MFP. You can eat delicious and very healthy things that are nutritional in other ways than just having low-calorie and low-fat content :) My favourite recipe with half an avacado is spreading it over a Sundried Tomato Basil rice cake just before I hit the gym... DELICIOUS!
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,020 Member
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    Personally, I'd rather have a big cup of blueberries for a snack than half an avocado, for half the calories and none of the fat.

    I understand it's better than eating straight lard, I just don't see the great value in it when added up against other foods.
    If you believe calories are a bad thing then yes blueberries are better. Nutrition unfortunately doesn't work that way and a person can have bluberries and avocado and lose weight, crazy but true. j/k :smile:
  • stephdeeable
    stephdeeable Posts: 1,407 Member
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    It's also delicious.
  • runningfataway
    runningfataway Posts: 262
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    I don't know what the deal is but all I know is that I'm an avocado addict. If I can choose 1 food to eat for the rest of my life, it would be avocado hands down. So so delicious, especially with sirachi sauce drizzled over it.
  • Feisty_Red
    Feisty_Red Posts: 982 Member
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    eat all the guacamole!
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
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    Just started to eat some half avocados...very nice flavor.

    Not to hijack thread but store the uneaten portions in a container of diced onions and they won't spoil for many days.
  • trishmce
    trishmce Posts: 59
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    The fats are necessary, they help keep the nerve endings firing as the fats are conductors. Your skin needs fat your organs do too. The fat is also slower to digest so you are satisfied longer. Holy guacamole!!
  • myukniewicz
    myukniewicz Posts: 906 Member
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    Dietary fat =/= body fat. You NEED dietary fats. The best sources of omega 3's are fish oil and flax. You don't need to eat carbs or sugar, you don't need meat, you don't need dairy, but the two absolutely essential things to have in your diet are omega 3's and protein. You can have those other things of course, but they're not necessary to life.

    Yes. People have a hard time getting beyond the 1980s-1990s mindset that fat free = good. Fats can be healthy (avocados, nuts, salmon) and fats can be unhealthy (trans fats from packaged foods). Do a little reading on it, as it is information worth knowing.

    Also, avocados are freaking delicious.

    Agree 100%
  • Showmm
    Showmm Posts: 406 Member
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    I don't believe calories are a bad thing, but I do believe I need to limit them by a certain amount if I want to lose weight.

    And you know why they are so delicious? Because they are full of fat. Seriously.

    Hey, I think they are ok too, when I can decent ones. There's just so much I would choose before avocado to make up my daily food allowance.
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
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    Sure, it's full of "good fats" but it's still full of fat and calories. Not sure why it's always touted as a healthy food.

    You stay fuller longer with the more fat you eat, which equates into eating less and getting the most bang for your buck with nutrient dense food.

    I try to eat upwards of 70% fat per day, and the rest is protein and then carbs (from fruits and vegetables) fill in the remainder.

    I have started eating a lot of avocados and coconut. YUM to both.
  • nikkohli
    nikkohli Posts: 311 Member
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    Just started to eat some half avocados...very nice flavor.

    Not to hijack thread but store the uneaten portions in a container of diced onions and they won't spoil for many days.

    Does it add onion taste? I wouldn't mind that necessarily....just curious. My "avocado saver" doesn't work and neither does storing it with the pit and some lemon. I just suffer through eating a whole avocado in a day :wink:
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    The fats are necessary, they help keep the nerve endings firing as the fats are conductors. Your skin needs fat your organs do too. The fat is also slower to digest so you are satisfied longer. Holy guacamole!!

    this should be on the "what do fats do" or "why are fats necessary" thread I saw earlier today and posted some uninformed nonsensical gibberish on. someone find it and put this smart stuff there.
    My "avocado saver" doesn't work and neither does storing it with the pit and some lemon. I just suffer through eating a whole avocado in a day
    not my definition of suffering...at all! Here are some ideas. put half on a sandwich and the other half on a salad later as a snack or meal. make guacamole with it and you will have no problem finding someone to share the other half with you.
    eat half out of the skin with a spoon with salt and pepper and the other half mush it with some mayonnaise and save it for when you can afford that many calories later or tomorrow. OR what I would do, eat it all at once and just adjust the rest of my meal's calories down. My friend and I survived college on avocados from her parent's tree and flour tortillas we'd pitch in for at the market. it was lunch most days just that with salt and pepper and we were both thin and healthy cause we also scoped out any food providing events for dinner from racial to radical meetings to sorority recruitings to academic club invites to really just about anything as long as there was food. it sucks, i know but at least neither of us had to swing around a pole to "pay my way through college". Breakfast was usually starbucks with a muffin top for her and the muffin bottom for me with butter. College was hard.
  • kbeech06
    kbeech06 Posts: 328 Member
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    Damn, now I want guacamole! :tongue:
  • thedescentofhope
    thedescentofhope Posts: 118 Member
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    Just started to eat some half avocados...very nice flavor.

    Not to hijack thread but store the uneaten portions in a container of diced onions and they won't spoil for many days.

    You should never ever under ANY circumstances pre chop onions!! EVER!

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