Avocados Healthy Food Guide

Opening a perfectly ripe avocado is one of the small joys in life. Avocados, the savory berries of evergreen trees in the Laurel family, likely originated in MesoAmerica. Centuries of domestication produced dozens of varieties prized for their rich, buttery texture, their size or their oil content.

Simultaneously a culinary staple and a forbidden fruit, avocados have long been surrounded by an aphrodisiacal aura, for which there is no scientific evidence. The Aztecs, who named the avocado ahuacatl (which means testicle), spread avocados on corn tortillas and touted them as sexual stimulants. By the time the Spaniards got hold of this fruit in the 16th century, the avocado was off limits to all confessing Catholics because of its purported arousing qualities.

Avocados are high in fiber and folate and a good source of vitamins C and E and potassium, with some vitamin B3 and magnesium. Although half a medium avocado has 160 calories and 15 grams of fat, two-thirds of the fat is monounsaturated-a plus for most diets. High in healthy monounsaturated fat, avocado oil can be drizzled over salads and cooked vegetables. The oil has the highest smoke point of any vegetable oil and can be used for high-heat frying.