A celebration of the trendy and healthy avo
Over the years, foodies and consumers have been ‘adding an avo’ to their meals. This year avos tick many of the boxes on the Everyday Health Top 10 Healthy Food Trends list for 2023 as well! One of the listed trends, ‘plants in more places’, encourages new ways to eat fruits and veg. It cites an ‘upswing in the creative use of vegetables and fruits as people strive to hit that five-a-day recommendation. For example – using avocado in the place of butter.
Other trends in the report, where the avo is right at home, include: ‘more plant-based options’, ‘Mood-boosting foods’ and ‘food for your gut’. ‘More plant-based options’ speaks to the growing trend of people consciously choosing to eat less meat. As a result,
interest in meat alternatives and interesting fruit and vegetable options is increasing across the globe. This is where avos come into their own as an incredibly versatile fruit.
The ‘mood-boosting foods’ trend refers to feel-good foods that help ward against depression and support brain health. Foods higher in good fats may lower the risk of depression and anxiety and considering one avocado contains 13g of healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, there’s definitely a spot for them in that category!
New research has also shown that eating avos may benefit healthy gut flora. This puts avos on the list as one of the good guys when it comes to the ‘food for your gut’ trend as well. As you can see, there are plenty reasons to ‘add an avo’ to your meals this year!
Avocado Halves, White Bean and Sundried Tomato Salad
Serves 4, preparation time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
2 large ripe avocados, 30 ml (2 tbsp) avocado or olive oil, 125 ml (½ cup) spring onions (chopped), 30 ml (2 tbsp) salted capers (rinsed), Fresh basil leaves, to taste, 120 g / 250 ml (1 cup) pitted green olives (finely chopped), 2 cloves garlic (grated), 60 ml (¼ cup) red wine vinegar, 1 chilli diced (optional), 410 g can white beans (drained), 120 g / 250 ml (1 cup) marinated sundried tomato (chopped), 200 g cherry tomatoes (rinsed), microgreens to garnish
Method:
- Cut the avocados in half and remove the stones.
- Place the oil, spring onions, capers, basil, olives, garlic, vinegar and chilli into a bowl and mix to combine.
- Mix the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl, and spoon into the avocado halves, drizzle with the olive mixture.
- Serve with crusty bread.
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