Today, September 16, is National Guacamole Day! It’s also Mexican Independence Day. Who knew?
This doesn’t mean that you should go crazy with the chips transporting said guacamole into your mouth. But guacamole is an amazing source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. Avocados contain the same type of fat found in olive oil and almonds. Avocados are one the best choices in fruit for magnesium, vitamin E and folic acid. They have 60% more potassium than bananas. If that’s not enough reason to make avocados a part of your daily diet, they are also free of sodium, cholesterol and trans fats.
In one study, volunteers who ate avocados every day for a week experienced an average 17% drop in total blood cholesterol (Archives of Medical Research, Winter 1996). Try guacamole on a grilled chicken breast, as a spread for a whole grain turkey sandwich, or dip your carrots into it for an out of this world snack.
Grab and peel an avocado, stir up a dish of guacamole today and feel good that you’ve done something good for your diet!
For dipping, try veggie sticks, blue corn tortilla chips, or a dollop on a salad.
Try some of these amazingly delicious and healthy guacamole recipes: