In praise of the avocado

Avocados are high on the menu in so many eateries – and rightly so. Here’s why…
Enjoy some more unusual ways to get this one of your 5-a-day portions of fruit/veg – and find out what the word avocado actually means

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The name avocado comes from the Nahuatl (indigenous people of Mexico and El Salvador) word ahuacatl, which was apparently inspired by the fruit’s pear-like shape and irregular surface. It actually means ‘testicle’!

Avocado is packed with nutrition.

• Just half an avocado is one of your 5-a-day.
• It’s high in the vitamins C, E and K and B6.
• Plus a good source of riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid and magnesium.
• And provides lutein, beta-carotene and omega-3 fatty acids.
• It contains more potassium than bananas.
• And is loaded with mono-unsaturated fatty acids – the ‘right’ kind of fat, which is good for the heart and to maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
• Half an avocado provides approximately 25% of our daily recommended intake of vitamin K, a nutrient that’s often overlooked but essential for bone health.
• Despite their creamy texture avocados are actually high in fibre, with approximately 6-7g per half – a fifth of the amount of fibre we’re advised to eat every day in one hit.

Our prize for the most fun avocado menu goes to: avocado and lime ice lollies! Did you know you can bake avocados? Here’s a quick savoury avocado bake from Olive Magazine, one of The Hub’s go-to favourites for online recipes ideas. And here’s how to replace your butter with avocado to make chocolate brownies – we’ve tried them and they’re not half bad!

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