avocados

barbs2fat
barbs2fat Posts: 8
edited September 26 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all

Please could someone assist with some information on avos. I know they are a good food sauce
but they have so many calories - 1 cup which i assume is one half avo has 240 calories. some
food suggest you use avos instead of margarine on your sandwich but i think this works out to
much more calories. Please help as i include in my every day menue.

Replies

  • curleesam
    curleesam Posts: 462 Member
    I also love Avos! I have given them up due to the calories though :(

    I imagine you can use low calorie guacamole though which will have a very similar flavour?? I have just given myself a little idea there! Why didnt I think of that one before??
  • xMissy6x
    xMissy6x Posts: 347 Member
    While they are high calorie they are all the good fats we need. So i still have them, just not a whole one!! lol. i weigh it before eating it to make sure i have enough cals left over :)
  • TaushasJourney
    TaushasJourney Posts: 143
    http://www.avocado.org/nutrition/ On the left side of this webpage is a nutritional comparison of avocados to butter. Avocados are full of vitamins and monounsaturated fats (the health kinds), which makes them high calorie. So yes, they are high in calories, but they are still good for you. All things in moderation. :)
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    I log them as 145 for half an avo, and eat them all the time when that are in season (ie. cheap!)
    We usually have them alongside dinner with homemade chilli relish (about 10 cals).
    Other ways I like to eat them:
    - mix with tuna for a yummy dip/spread. You can add reduced fat natural yoghurt if you want it creamier.
    - spread on rye bread with a poached egg on top
    - put some tomato passata on grilled chicken, top with avo slices and a little bit of grated cheese. Grill until the cheese melts.
    - layered dip: mash avo and mix with plain yoghurt and lemon juice, on top of bean layer (kidney beans mashed and mixed with spicy salsa). Serve with vege crudités to dip.

    I could live on avos, don't be scared ofvthem, I just plan them into my calories for the day :)
  • xomakaxo
    xomakaxo Posts: 86 Member
    I don't think 1/2 an avo is a whole cup... seems more like 1/2 a cup to me. I would use a 1/4 of the whole as a serving though, in thin slices. Then it spreads pretty easily (if you want it on a bagel or sandwich). They are high in fat, but it's good fat, and you need to eat some fat to feed your brain and keep your metabolism up. Just use less, and you can still have their flavor in your food. :D

    Edit: I just looked up-- 1/4 of a Hass Avo is 59 cals. Much less than cream cheese spread and most butters, and you get to add more. Love it!
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    I also love Avos! I have given them up due to the calories though :(

    I imagine you can use low calorie guacamole though which will have a very similar flavour?? I have just given myself a little idea there! Why didnt I think of that one before??

    Well, you could, but you wouldn't get all the goodness of the avo. Good idea if you're craving the guacamole flavour though.
  • bunnysone
    bunnysone Posts: 486 Member
    Hi all

    Please could someone assist with some information on avos. I know they are a good food sauce
    but they have so many calories - 1 cup which i assume is one half avo has 240 calories. some
    food suggest you use avos instead of margarine on your sandwich but i think this works out to
    much more calories. Please help as i include in my every day menue.

    Think about food sources not just as "amounts of calories" but what benefits they have over margarine. Margarine is a man-made substance designed for taste but not nutrients. Avocadoes are filled with the fats your body SHOULD be eating, are a high source of potassium and a much better option. This is the case with many foods. Unfortunately on this site many people just look at the calories and not the overall picture. Any food which is naturally occuring and not man made, in my opinion, is far superior to a processed or other product. You can have less than an avocado, I usually only use 1/4 of the fruit per sandwich, keep the rest in an airtight container in the fridge. If you are concerned about it going brown, cut a lemon and wipe the cut side on the cut side of the avocado, this will prevent the oxidisation and browning of the fruit
  • barbs2fat
    barbs2fat Posts: 8
    Hi


    Thanks to everyone for your input. I think i will make some adjustments like maybe eating
    a smaller portion. Happy to know i dont have to give them up completely. Thanks again
  • joaniegray
    joaniegray Posts: 88 Member
    I eat 1/4 avocado at a time = they are really good for us and I just love the taste. Lots of good ideas here for avocados. I like to eat a couple of walnuts too for good fats as well. But have to limit size. I'd say a whole avocado is about 1/2 cup but these are small avocados I guess. Good luck to all of us today.
  • DebbieMc3
    DebbieMc3 Posts: 289 Member
    1 cup is much more then one avocado. I weigh mine and a 1/4 of an avocado is about 1 oz. That is plenty to add to a sandwich or salad. If you type "avocado 1 oz" into your diary you will find it. You can't really measure avocados by volume you should measure by weight.
  • Improvised
    Improvised Posts: 925 Member
    How do you store avacados? I LOVE them, but I feel like I have to eat the whole thing (don't worry, I share, lol), otherwise it gets all brown and nasty.
  • a_stronger_steph
    a_stronger_steph Posts: 434 Member
    How do you store avacados? I LOVE them, but I feel like I have to eat the whole thing (don't worry, I share, lol), otherwise it gets all brown and nasty.

    If I only eat half, I wrap the other half in cling wrap, making sure to press the wrap right onto the flesh of the avocado. I believe you can brush a bit of lemon juice over them which may help with the browning, but I've never tried it. Lemon juice works with things like apples and bananas, though, so I imagine the principle is the same.

    Also, usually only the very outside of the flesh gets brown - so if you wrap in cling wrap and there are still brown spots, you can just shave them off with a knife! :)
  • Improvised
    Improvised Posts: 925 Member
    Thanks! I never thought to use cling wrap, but that totally makes sense. I'll do that. :)
  • a_stronger_steph
    a_stronger_steph Posts: 434 Member
    Thanks! I never thought to use cling wrap, but that totally makes sense. I'll do that. :)

    Good luck with it! I forgot to add that I keep it in the fridge after that, even though prior to eating I usually keep my avocados on the counter. :)
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    I love avocados..I put 1/2 one in my salad every night (instead of cheese and olive oil). I keep them on the counter until they're soft, then in the fridge. And I do the same thing with the cling wrap on the other half :)
  • gingerfoxxx
    gingerfoxxx Posts: 267 Member
    Eat half of the avocado, and use the other half for an all natural face mask! They do wonders for skin :D Half of an average size avocado is more like 1/2 cup, unless you are eating gargantuan avocados. Its the same stats as a handful of nuts basically.
  • Bviera
    Bviera Posts: 106 Member
    I make tilapia ceviche and add avocado to it. It's very simple to make and super tasty. Just slice a tilapia filet into cubes, squeeze some lime juice (for 1 filet, you'll need about 5 limes or so) and let it marinade for about an hour. No need to cook it, the acid in the lime juice "cooks" the fish. The fish turns a white color, that's when you know it's done. Then you drain the juice and squeeze the pieces of fish to get rid of the excess lime. After that, I usually sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper to it, I chop up a few slices of red onion, half a tomato, and an avocado into it and mix it all up. You can have it with a bit of brown rice or salad. Peruvians eat it with a type of corn that's common in that region (I forget what it's called, but it's super good!).

    In my opinion, though, the avocado totally makes this recipe. I've made without the avocado before and it's just missing something.
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    I don't think 1/2 an avo is a whole cup... seems more like 1/2 a cup to me. I would use a 1/4 of the whole as a serving though, in thin slices. Then it spreads pretty easily (if you want it on a bagel or sandwich). They are high in fat, but it's good fat, and you need to eat some fat to feed your brain and keep your metabolism up. Just use less, and you can still have their flavor in your food. :D

    Edit: I just looked up-- 1/4 of a Hass Avo is 59 cals. Much less than cream cheese spread and most butters, and you get to add more. Love it!
    I agree! But I think 1/2 an avacado is only about a 1/4 cup?
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