Avocados typically grow in warmer areas such as Southern California, Florida and Mexico. They are usually picked before they are ripe so they can be shipped to colder areas without damage. Avocados continue to ripen off the tree, so they can be purchased before you're ready to eat them. An avocado is ripe when it gives slightly to pressure.
Calories and Fat
One cup of pureed avocado contains 368 calories, and 82 percent of these calories come from fat. One cup contains 33.7 grams of fat, including less than 5 grams of saturated fat. More than half the fat in one cup of avocado -- 22.5 grams -- is monounsaturated, which is the same kind of fat in nuts and olive oil. According to the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the addition of monounsaturated fats to a low-cholesterol diet may increase your good cholesterol without raising bad cholesterol.
Carbohydrates and Protein
An additional 21 percent of the calories in one cup of avocado come from 19.6 grams of carbohydrates. The majority of the carbohydrates in one cup of avocado, 15.4 grams, are from fiber. This is 55 percent of the recommended amount of fiber per day for most adults (28 grams). The remaining 7 percent of the calories in one cup of avocado come from 4.6 grams of protein.
Minerals
Avocados contain both potassium and copper. One cup provides 56 percent of the recommended daily amount of potassium and 49 percent of the recommended amount of copper. Potassium is one of the minerals that is classified as an electrolyte, along with calcium, sodium, magnesium, chloride and phosphorus. These minerals all carry an electric charge and must be kept in balance, because they affect fluid balance, muscle contraction and heart rhythm.
Vitamins
Avocados contain many water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins. One cup of avocado provides 26 percent of the recommended amount of vitamin C, 23 percent of the recommended amount of riboflavin and 25 percent of the recommended amount of niacin, all of which are water-soluble. One cup also provides more than 30 percent of the recommended amount of the fat-soluble vitamins E and K. Fat-soluble vitamins are those that can be stored in the body; water-soluble vitamins can not be stored and must be constantly replaced through food.
Guacamole
Although all recipes differ, guacamole is typically made by adding onion, tomato, lime juice, salt, jalapeno and tomato to pureed avocado. One cup of typical guacamole contains approximately 300 calories, 25 grams of fat, 4 grams of protein and 16 grams of carbohydrates. Because the main ingredient is avocado, guacamole is still high in the same vitamins and minerals as plain avocados. One cup provides approximately 48 percent of the recommended amount of potassium, 36 percent of the recommended amount of copper, 39 percent of the recommended amount of vitamin C, 24 percent of the recommended amount of vitamin E, 30 percent of the recommended amount of vitamin K and more than 15 percent of the recommended amount of riboflavin and niacin.
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