Avocados are a healthy choice

by Joanne Henning Tedesco —

The avocado is a nutrient-dense fruit that offers vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant compounds to help maximize the nutrient quality of your diet.

These nutrients include:

• Mono-unsaturated fats that lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and maintain HDL (good cholesterol) when substituted for saturated fat
• Folate, one of the B vitamins that promotes healthy cell and tissue development
• Potassium, which balances the body’s electrolytes
• Vitamin E, the antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals
• Lutein, a carotenoid linked with heart, prostate and eye health
• Beta-sitosterol, a plant compound shown to help maintain healthy cholesterol levels

Try this unusual and slightly sweet chilled avocado soup for a healthful way to add these nutrients to your diet.

Chilled Avocado-Grapefruit Soup 

Ingredients:

• 3 small- to medium-size ripe avocados
• 2 cups grapefruit juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1-1/4 cups water
• 1/4 cup apple juice or apple-apricot juice
• Maple syrup or other sweetener, to taste

Instructions:

In a blender or food processor, purée the avocado pulp with the grapefruit juice until very smooth. Pour the purée into a bowl and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Chill for several hours. Serve cold in small bowls as an accompaniment to dinner or as an after-dinner snack. Serves 6.

Joanne Henning Tedesco is editor of AzNetNews.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 32, Number 5, October/November 2013.