avocado confusion!

anna9102
anna9102 Posts: 56
in Food and Nutrition
recently i've been eating lots of avocado. I like to have them on ricecakes. I normally eat a whole avocado for lunch, and i've just started registering everything in my diary again and have been shocked that there's 8gs saturated fat in them!!!?!!? I've always thought that avocados were good for you, especially as theyre a vegetable.. but having 2/3 of my daily allowance of saturated fat... WHAT?!?!
someone please help!

Replies

  • heddy90
    heddy90 Posts: 144 Member
    They are good for you, they're a healthy source of fat. But they should be eaten in moderation. Like everything else, it is a balancing act, so if you get a lot of saturated fat from other sources as well, it could become a problem. But then I would try to cut down on the other fat sources, and not the avocado ;) Unless they're from good sources as well, like salmon or nuts for example. Also high in fat, but healthy.
  • anna9102
    anna9102 Posts: 56
    Would avocados hinder my weight loss then? seeing as theyre high in saturated fats?
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    They are a fatty fruit. Some high fat diet promoters recommend eating a lot of avocados in a day, but personally i limit myself to one avocado/day. Some people limit themselves to a half of an avocado per day. Avocados are great for you, and fat is necessary, as long as you get the proper amount, but just don't overdo it.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    Would avocados hinder my weight loss then? seeing as theyre high in saturated fats?
    Only if you have too many.
  • sweetiebelle
    sweetiebelle Posts: 332 Member
    Agree!
  • heddy90
    heddy90 Posts: 144 Member
    Would avocados hinder my weight loss then? seeing as theyre high in saturated fats?
    One thing alone can not hinder your weight loss, unless that's the only thing you eat ;) Do they make you go over your calorie goal by a lot? If so yes. But if you stay within your calorie goal, it shouldn't be a problem.

    Does it make you go over your sat. fat limit? If so, like I suggested earlier, I'd recommend you cut back on some of it, or the other sat. fat food you eat, but you don't have to cut it out completely. That's more of a health issue than a weight issue though.
  • Car0lynnM
    Car0lynnM Posts: 332 Member
    Avocados pack an awesome nutritional punch in spite of their high fat content. They have more potassium than a banana. :) I use them sparingly (usually only half at a time on a sandwich), and of course can't do without the guac at a Mexican restaurant.
  • anna9102
    anna9102 Posts: 56
    so regards to fat content etc, should they be deemed the same as chocolate bars in the fact i should only eat within my limit, and not over exceeding any fat content etc?
  • cthon98
    cthon98 Posts: 19
    Avocados are a treasure trove for someone doing keto or another low carb diet. They're a good source of vitamins and whatnot, they're a great source of fat, and also a pretty solid source of fibre. Plus they're delicious. It's like eating the vegetable kingdom's equivalent of butter. If you're low carbing it (which has been super effective for me) I recommend one or two of these tasty devils a day.

    Some circles even consider avocado to be a superfood, along the lines of acai or pomegranate.
  • chanson104
    chanson104 Posts: 859
    I agree with previous posters who said that they are good for you. Just try to stay under your calories.

    I allow myself one snack pack of Wholly Guacamole daily. It's only ingredients are avocados, jalapeno puree, dehydrated onion, salt, and garlic. One pouch has 100 calories and 1.5 g of saturated fat.
  • heddy90
    heddy90 Posts: 144 Member
    so regards to fat content etc, should they be deemed the same as chocolate bars in the fact i should only eat within my limit, and not over exceeding any fat content etc?
    Most days yes, but I wouldn't worry if you go slightly over one or two days during the week.
  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
    so regards to fat content etc, should they be deemed the same as chocolate bars in the fact i should only eat within my limit, and not over exceeding any fat content etc?

    Fats are essential for hormone production and cell repair. Saturated fats have been linked to heart issues/disease. As long as you keep saturated fats no more than 10% of your daily caloric intake (1200 diet 12g; 2000 diet 20g) then you should be fine. Get the rest of your fat grams from polyunsaturated or monounsaturated foods (omega 3, 6, 9 foods).
  • dovek11
    dovek11 Posts: 94 Member
    See my ticker... it explains you can lose weight and eat avocados, EVERY DAY. I have eaten a whole one every day for 6 months, and the scales continue to go down.
  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
    See my ticker... it explains you can lose weight and eat avocados, EVERY DAY. I have eaten a whole one every day for 6 months, and the scales continue to go down.

    ^THIS

    I just put peanut butter (Ingredient: Peanuts.... Nothing else) in my daily diet and I've lost 2.6 lbs within the last week. It's not the fat foods that make you gain weight; it's the TYPES of fatty foods you eat that makes the difference.
  • spngebobmyhero
    spngebobmyhero Posts: 823 Member
    saturated fat is not the demon it has been made out to be, especially from an all natural source like an avocado! Eat your avocado and enjoy. It won't hinder your weight loss
  • McBully4
    McBully4 Posts: 1,270 Member
    I eat them close to every day.
  • jodi41086
    jodi41086 Posts: 240
    Avocados are a treasure trove for someone doing keto or another low carb diet. They're a good source of vitamins and whatnot, they're a great source of fat, and also a pretty solid source of fibre. Plus they're delicious. It's like eating the vegetable kingdom's equivalent of butter. If you're low carbing it (which has been super effective for me) I recommend one or two of these tasty devils a day.

    Some circles even consider avocado to be a superfood, along the lines of acai or pomegranate.

    agree!! Avocado is like the vegetable kingdoms butter.. its amazeballs!
  • skinnyitaliannn
    skinnyitaliannn Posts: 187
    I have a small hass avocado almost daily (yes, an entire one!) and it hasn't made me gain. It's completely natural and not to mention tastes so good. I have a lot of fat a day .. Fat isn't the enemy. You know, neither are carbs or protein. Everything in moderation.
  • StormyLlewellyn
    StormyLlewellyn Posts: 96
    Avocado's are great for your skin, heart and nervouse system..
    Not all fats are bad for you.. But use in moderation..
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
    so regards to fat content etc, should they be deemed the same as chocolate bars in the fact i should only eat within my limit, and not over exceeding any fat content etc?

    No no no! They are nothing at all like chocolate. You are letting the fat content outweigh all the other nutritional benefits they provide.
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
    You also might want to question the calculator you are using. If you go to the avocado commissions site they say .5 grams of saturated fat in 1 oz of avocado. So if you eat a whole or 5 oz avocado that is only 2.5 grams of saturated fat, not 8.

    http://www.avocado.org/nutrition/
  • LuxHappens
    LuxHappens Posts: 72 Member
    i usually do 1/4 to 1/2 an avocado a day.

    Same here. I love avocados!

    But -- if you didn't know they were so fatty, maybe you should do a little more research next time you start getting hooked on any one type of food. (Not being condescending, sorry it kind of reads that way.)

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