How Many Calories in an Avocado?

Did you resolve to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables this year? How about including avocados in that plan?

The avocado contains more fat than most fruits, but it's mostly the heart-healthy monounsaturated kind of fat. It also contains vitamins A and E, B vitamins, potassium and protein. And recently, avocados have even been shown to fight oral cancer cells. Many people are afraid to add avocados to their diet, even after hearing about all the health benefits. It's such a rich, creamy fruit that it feels like you may be loading up on calories each time you eat one. You may be surprised at how many calories an avocado actually contains!

How many calories are in one average-sized avocado?

1. 70 calories
2. 100 calories
3. 150 calories
4. 300 calories

The correct answer is 150 calories. Yes, its higher than most fresh fruits (for example, and average orange has 75 calories and and average banana, 100 calories), but there's even more good avocado news: they digest relatively slowly, so you'll feel fuller, longer after eating an avocado than many other fruits.

Delicious and Healthy Winter Salad of Avocado and Citrus

Prepare a salad that features fresh winter citrus fruits and healthy avocado.

Here is an easy salad that family and friends will be delighted to see on your table. Its healthy ingredients are bright and delicious. The citrus fruit is low in calories and provides the health benefit of Vitamin C. Avocado, which is also a fruit, is high in potassium and contains the healthy mononsaturated fat. The lettuce and onion add fiber.

Prepare the ingredients early in the day by washing the lettuce, peeling and slicing the fruit and onion, and making the dressing. Then when you are ready to serve, all you have to do is layer the fruit and vegetables and pour on the dressing. The avocado should be added just before serving to prevent discoloration.

This healthy salad serves four. To serve more people, just increase the numbers of lettuce leaves, grapefruit, oranges, and avocados.

Ingredients:

• 8 butter lettuce leaves, rinsed and dried
• 1 large pink grapefruit
• 2 oranges
• 1/2 medium red onion
• 2 avocados
• Vinaigrette Dressing (see below)

Preparation:

1. Rinse the lettuce leaves under cool water. Shake gently and wrap in paper towels or a tea cloth to remove all water from the leaves.
2. Peel the grapefruit. Remove all of the pith and break the fruit into sections.
3. Remove the membrane around each section by inserting a sharp knife along the seam of the membrane. Fold back the skin and pull it off the inner fruit. Take care to leave the fruit section intact.
4. Peel the oranges and remove the pith that clings to the fruit.
5. Slice the oranges into 1/2 inch rounds.
6. Peel the red onion and cut thin slices. Separate the slices into rings.
7. Prepare the vinaigrette dressing.
8. Place four salad plates in the fridge to chill.
9. Just before serving, remove the plates from the fridge.
10. Line the salad plates with two lettuce leaves per plate.
11. Distribute the peeled grapefruit sections, on top of the lettuce leaves, evenly among the plates.
12. Add three orange slices to each of the plates, overlapping the grapefruit sections.
13. Peel and slice the avocados. Fan the avocado slices and arrange the slices of 1/2 avocado over the lettuce leaves on each of the four plates.
14. Spread 4 or 5 onion rings over the fruit and avocado.
15. Drizzle the dressing over all and serve.

Vinaigrette Dressing:

• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 dried mint
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine all of the ingredients and blend well.
2. Store in a jar with a tight lid in the refrigerator.
3. Save any leftover dressing for future salads. It will keep in the fridge for two to three days.
4. If they are available, fresh mint leaves are the perfect garnish for this healthy salad.