It's hard to argue with the nutritional benefits avocados add to your diet. This pale green, buttery-tasting fruit is power-packed with essential nutrients such as vitamins B-6, C and E, potassium, magnesium, folate, fiber and heart-healthy fat. However, there are risks to eating too much avocado. The calories in this fruit are derived mostly from fat, making it one of your more high-calorie choices.
Avocado
Avocados were first cultivated in South America and made their way to the United States in the early nineteenth century via Mexico. Most avocados sold in the United States come from California, the country's largest producer. The Center for Disease Control indicates that there are more than 80 different types of avocados; however the most popular avocado in the U.S. is the Haas variety, which is sold in markets year round. This fruit has a rough, black skin and buttery, pale green flesh. Avocados add a smooth texture and nutty flavor to salads, salsas, soups and dips such as guacamole.
Nutrition
Avocados provide many essential vitamins and minerals. Based on a 2,000-calorie diet, one cup of cubed avocado gives you 20 percent of your daily value for vitamin C and 4 percent of your daily value for iron. Avocados are also a source of dietary fiber; one cup gives you 2 grams of fiber, or 8 percent of your daily value. The Centers for Disease Control points out that avocados contain more of the mineral potassium than bananas. Avocados are low in saturated fat, an unhealthy dietary fat linked to high blood cholesterol. However, they're very rich in monounsaturated fat, a healthy dietary fat that decreases LDL cholesterol levels. MayoClinic.com states that monounsaturated fats, also known as MUFAs, can help regulate your insulin levels and keep your blood sugar under control, which may be particularly beneficial to people with type 2 diabetes.
Calories
The risk associated with making avocados the centerpiece of your salad may be weight gain, especially if you eat them in excess. Avocados are considerably higher in calories than other fruits and vegetables. One peeled avocado gives you between 310 and 340 calories; up to 250 calories can come from dietary fat. If you're trying to lose weight, fat is a nutrient you might wish to limit in your diet. Three nutrients give you calories: carbohydrates, proteins and fats. However, while carbohydrates and proteins give you only 4 calories per gram, fat gives you more than twice that amount, weighing in at 9 calories per gram. Other salad fixings have far fewer calories and provide very little or no fat. A medium-sized, peeled cucumber has only 25 calories, as does a medium-sized raw carrot. A 1/2 cup of cubed fresh tomato has 20 calories, and a wedge of iceberg lettuce gives you only 18.
Other Information
Excess calories contribute to weight gain, no matter what food they come from. If you eat a 2,000-calorie diet and consume one avocado a day, this accounts for more than 15 percent of your daily calorie allotment. It's also wise to limit the calories you get from total fat each day, including heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. MayoClinic.com recommends getting no more than 20 to 35 percent of your calories from dietary fat, or between 44 to 78 grams of fat per day.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Avocado
- MayoClinic.com: Counting Calories: Get Back to Weight-loss Basics; December 2009
- MayoClinic.com: Dietary Fats: Know Which Ones to Choose; February 2011
- NutrientFacts.com: Avocado, Cucumber, Lettuce, Carrot
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Tomato
- GourmetSleuth.com: Learn All About Guacamole
Member Comments