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Avocados can be morphed into a delicious chocolate pudding.
Article by Shalene White
Recipe by Jedi Chef Stryker
There has been an age-old debate on the avocado fruit. Nine times out of ten, the person either loves it or hates it; there does not seem to be a middle road. However, with the millennials making up the largest percent of the American population, there seems to be a shift in the love/hate debate.
A poll performed by yougov.com found that millennials find avocados simply “meh.” They don’t love them or hate them; they could live without them.
Whether an avocado is a must have addition to somebody’s meal, or the thought makes them gag – even if they are somewhere in the middle – nobody can argue the health benefits of the fleshy fruit.
The good fats. Believe it or not, there is such a thing as good fats. They are crucial to a balanced diet. Avocados have monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These are linked to lower levels of LDL, also known as bad cholesterol. Research suggests that eating an avocado a day can keep bad cholesterol levels low for overweight individuals.
One thing many people do not think about on a daily basis is fiber. High fiber diets assist in lowering blood sugar, cutting cholesterol and potentially preventing colon cancer. Health officials recommend that women take in 25 grams of fiber and men take in 35 grams of fiber daily. Avocados help when individuals fall short on their fiber intake goals with each fruit packing approximately 10 grams.
An avocado can also assist with satiety; the ability to feel full longer. A study found that some overweight people who added a half of an avocado to their lunch did not feel the all-too-familiar early hunger pangs.
Avocados are also known to be a source of nutrients needed for the body, such as:
- Folate
- Magnesium
- Potassium
- Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
- Niacin (Vitamin B3)
- Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5)
- Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K
These nutrients cannot do the work alone, your body needs to be able to absorb them to allow them to do their jobs. That is another neat trick done by the avocado. They act as a direct delivery system, carrying the nutrients to the needed sectors of the body. Avocados also help absorb fat-soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D, E and K.
Another neat maneuver that the avocado has up its proverbial sleeve is it can be turned into a fabulous dessert. No, that is not a typo, avocados can be used for healthier dessert options. Here is an amazing recipe for Sugar Free Avocado Chocolate Pudding.
Sugar Free Avocado Chocolate Pudding
Ingredients
2 large Avocados, raw, all commercial varieties
½ cup Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened
½ cup Truvia artificial sweetener
⅓ cup coconut milk, canned (liquid expressed from grated meat and water)
2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
1 pinch cinnamon, ground
Instructions
Blend avocados, cocoa powder, Truvia, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon in a blender until smooth. Refrigerate pudding until chilled, about 30 minutes.