How Many Calories in Guacamole and Chips?

When it comes to dips and dressings, we pretty much know which ones are the bad guys: Things that are cream-based, made with cheese, high in fat or all of the above. So when snacking, we healthy eaters tend to lean towards nutritious things with nutrients and fiber. Vegetable-based snacks like salsa and guacamole fit the bill, right?

Salsa, yes. But guacamole? Is it healthy? What do you think?

How Many Calories in a serving of Guacamole and Chips?

1. 252 cal
2. 666 cal
3. 728 cal
4. 833 cal

The answer is 833 calories and 50 g of fat. Ay Carumba! Granted, that's for a platter sized to share, and the chips account for a bunch of those calories -- it's not all in the guacamole.

But, truth be told, guacamole is high in fat. It's good fat, yes, but it's fat nonetheless. And fat -- whether good or bad --is always high in calories.

That doesn't mean guacamole isn't good for you -- it just means that if you're watching your weight, you need to be careful around it. Limit yourself to one or two scoops. If you're not counting calories? Eat up! Guacamole is heart-healthy and tasty. I love spreading it on sandwiches -- what about you?

Favourite Guacamole Recipe

There is simply no excuse for store-bought guacamole! Case in point, many store brands don't even use avocado as the main ingredient, which is insane. And in lieu of real ingredients, a tub of store-bought "guacamole" will often contain a heaping of hydrogenated oils, preservatives and salt. And it goes without saying that "guac" is one of the easiest recipes on the planet, the biggest obstacle being finding ripe avocados, but this can be remedied with a little planning. Why in the world wouldn't you make it from scratch?

Think of guacamole as an avocado health delivery system. Not only is this fruit great for your skin due to its hormone-balancing monounsaturated fatty acids, just like olive oil, but the good fat in avocados is libido-boosting (good fat is hormonally balancing, therefore it is good for the sex drive). And you need not worry about this fat gathering on your waistline, as avocados are a source of lipase, which is a fat-digesting enzyme. Don't you just love it when nature provides such a balanced food for us?

As I mentioned, guacamole is so simple to make and requires few ingredients, and yet there are still many different variations and everyone has their favourite recipe. This one comes from a friend of mine who loves "real" food and it's my new favourite. Pair it with organic blue corn chips and you've got one great, nutritionist-approved snack.

Ingredients:

2-3 ripe avocados (They should not be mushy, if so, they are over-ripened and may be rancid)
1-2 cloves of garlic – minced
1 tomato – chopped
1 small bunch of cilantro – chopped (simply omit if you don't like cilantro)
1 tsp hot chili pepper flakes
Juice of one lime
Pinch of sea salt

Method:
Slice avocados in half, remove pit and scoop the insides into a bowl. Add chopped tomato, garlic, cilantro, chili flakes and squeeze lime juice over top. Sprinkle with sea salt. Use a potato masher or fork until all ingredients are combined. Be careful not to over mash it. You should be left with a chunky dip/spread.