Avocados are an amazing product. It is very similar to a vegetable, but still it is attributed to fruit. The fruit boasts a wonderful composition. Avocados contain numerous vitamin and mineral complexes, which makes the fruit useful for the human body.
The nutritional value of an avocado is impossible to compare with anything. It is for this that the fruit was listed in the Guinness Book of Records.
Fruit is involved in many diets, and in any diet of a person who adheres to the rules of a healthy diet.
The article will discuss the calorie content, nutritional value and chemical composition of avocados.
Fruit Overview
An avocado is a tall tree whose leaves remain green all year round. The tree gives the fruit of the same name.
The fruits of this tree in their shape resemble the well-known pear. The length of the avocado can be from 5 to 20 centimeters. The maximum weight of the fetus is about 20 kilograms. The length and weight of the fetus depends on its variety, and there are more than 400 of them.
The fruit is covered with thick dark green or black skin. The pulp of the fetus has a yellowish tint.
The taste of the avocado is very unusual, it vaguely resembles butter and nuts.
Avocados are known to people as a food product from the third millennium BC. The native edges of the fruit are South America and Mexico.
How to choose an avocado
When buying an avocado, you should pay attention to the degree of maturity of the fetus. When purchasing fruit, pay attention:
- on the hardness of an avocado. The unripe fruit is hard, and its peel is not sagging. Also, do not take too soft fruit, which can be easily squeezed - this fruit is overripe;
- on the appearance of the fetus. Examine the fruit in detail - it should not have cracks or dark spots. These factors suggest that the avocado has already begun to deteriorate.
If you did not find the perfect avocado on the shelves in the store, then the best option would be to purchase unripe fruit. For the fruit to ripen, it just needs to be allowed to lie down for three days at room temperature.
How to eat avocado
Before you have an avocado, you must definitely clean it. How to do it:
- Make an incision along the entire fetus.
- Turn the resulting halves in different directions. The fetus should easily share in half.
- Remove the bone from the fetus.
- Scrape the flesh of the avocado from the peel with a spoon.
You must eat the fruit as soon as you peel it so that the flesh of the avocado does not lose its nutritional properties and does not begin to darken. If you use avocado for salad or serve it on a holiday table, moisten the fruit pulp with a little lemon juice - this will slow down the process of darkening the fruit.
Avocado Composition and Calories
Calorie content of avocados is energy that is concentrated in such food components: fats, proteins and carbohydrates. It is the combination of these three components called the nutritional value of the product. The avocado has the following:
- fats - 15 grams;
- carbohydrates - 2 grams;
- proteins - 2.5 grams.
100 grams of this fruit contains 160 calories.
As you can see, an exotic fruit contains a large amount of fat and a small amount of carbohydrates and proteins. Be sure to consider this point when drawing up your menu.
How to plan your diet, knowing the nutritional value of avocados
When using an exotic fruit, consider the following points:
- Avocado is a very high-calorie fruit. For comparison, an apple has only 60 calories. Therefore, eat the fruit in moderation, especially if you plan to reduce weight.
- Avocado contains a large amount of fat, which allows this fruit to be used to prepare hearty vegetarian dishes. A variety of sauces can be made from avocados that can completely replace mayonnaise.
- It is contraindicated for some people to eat food that contains animal fats (milk, meat, fish). They can easily replace all fatty foods with a nutritious and healthy fruit like avocado.
- Avocado provides satiety for a long time. A regular salad from this fruit can replace a full meal, and toast with this fruit will serve as a nutritious snack.
- When preparing dishes from avocado, keep in mind that when heated, the product loses all its nutritional properties. The unique taste and nutritional value of the fruit is present only in raw fruit.
Structure
Chem. the composition of the avocado, which is given below, is based on 100 grams of fruit pulp.
Vitamin content:
- folic acid or vitamin B9 - 79 mcg;
- Vitamin C - 9 mg;
- beta-carotene - 0.07 mg;
- vitamin A - 7 mcg;
- thiamine or vitamin B1 - 0.065 mg;
- riboflavin or vitamin B2 - 0.13 mg;
- pantothenic acid or vitamin B5 - 1.38 mg;
- pyridoxine or vitamin B6 - 0.256 mg;
- choline - 14.3 mg.
- PP - 1.76 mg;
- Vitamin K - 19 mcg.
The content of trace elements:
- potassium - 471 mg;
- phosphorus - 52 mg.
- sodium - 5.59 mg;
- magnesium - 29.9 mg;
- calcium - 13 mg.
The content of other elements:
- ash - 1.49 g;
- saturated fatty acids - 2.12 g;
- dietary fiber - 6.7 g;
- water - 72.89 g;
- mono- and disaccharides - 0.67 g;
- starch - 0.09 g.
You may notice that the chemical composition of avocados is very rich. All the above elements give the product a unique taste. This nutritional value of the product makes the fruit incredibly healthy and nutritious.
What benefits does the avocado bring to the body?
Due to its chemical composition, avocados have an extremely positive effect on humans:
- Magnesium and potassium contribute to the proper functioning of the human cardiovascular system.
- Phosphorus and calcium are good for the brain.
- Vitamins C and A help strengthen the nervous system and immunity.
- The proper functioning of the digestive system is provided by dietary fiber.
- Folic acid is useful for pregnant women - it reduces the risk of pathologies in the baby.
- B vitamins help a woman maintain her beauty - these elements are good for skin and hair.
Calorie content and chemical composition of avocado oil
From the ripe pulp of an exotic fruit, oil is pressed by cold pressing, which has a green tint. The color of the avocado oil can change to black if it is exposed to direct sunlight. The product has a mild herbal aroma.
The calorie content of the product is quite high - 884 calories per 100 grams of avocado oil. The product contains no proteins and carbohydrates. Oil is 100% fat.
Such a large number of calories is offset by a high content of vitamins and minerals:
- potassium;
- phosphorus;
- iron;
- chlorine;
- copper;
- magnesium;
- silver;
- zinc;
- chromium;
- manganese;
- cobalt;
- molybdenum;
- iodine;
- squalene;
- fluorine;
- sodium;
- lecithin;
- sulfur;
- selenium;
- calcium;
- vitamins: C, B1, B2, B6, B5, B9, A, E, PP, K.
Useful properties of avocado oil
The product has many medicinal properties:
- Restorative property. Avocado oil promotes the rapid healing of dermatitis (especially in infants), small wounds and sunburn. Oil not only helps the body quickly tighten wounds, but also maintains the integrity of the skin. The product prevents the formation of scars and scars.
- Anti-inflammatory property. Chilled avocado oil is used orally for high cholesterol, liver diseases, constipation, and infectious and genitourinary diseases.
- Antisclerotic properties. Avocado oil is able to prevent various cardiovascular diseases.
Where is avocado oil used?
The product has found wide application in traditional medicine, cooking and cosmetology.
- Use in cooking. If you are looking for natural, environmentally friendly oil, then purchase avocado oil. It has a high combustion temperature and can be successfully used for preparing various deep-fried dishes. The use of this oil will help avoid carcinogens in the finished product. Avocado oil can be seasoned with vegetable salads.
- Application in traditional medicine. Many people use avocado oil as a remedy for heartburn, insomnia, and nervous system disorders.
- Application in cosmetology. Avocado oil perfectly eliminates peeling of the skin. The product successfully fights premature skin aging, restores its elasticity and firmness.
Finally
Avocados are the perfect product. Do not neglect this fruit - it can provide the body with useful vitamins and minerals. It is difficult to assess the benefits of this exotic fruit, because the chemical composition of the avocado is rich and not comparable to any other fruit.