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How to Be
a Superfood Trend-Setter

How to Be a Superfood Trend-Setter
Article written

Article written by Barbara Ruhs, MS, RDN

An avid avocado-eater and guacamole-lover, Barb is the Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist for Avocados From Mexico and former sports nutritionist for Harvard University. Her philosophy on food is simple: Enjoy what you eat, prepare food with love, and add avocados to everything!

April 13, 2022

You may have heard this phrase before: “It’s what’s inside that counts.” As a nutritionist, I like to say, “It’s what’s inside your food that counts.” Which is why nutrient-rich superfoods (like avocados) are so critical to a healthy diet. They pack a nutritional punch. Avocados alone contain more than 20 vitamins and minerals and vital healthy fats — and when you mix them together with other superfoods in a delicious recipe your nutritional punch is more like … a nutritional roundhouse kick!

Good fat has gotten more and more good press in the last decade or so — and for good reason! Ranked as the No. 1 eating style for the fifth year in a row by U.S. News & World Report, the Mediterranean diet welcomes good fats from foods like olive oil, nuts, fish, and avocados. The good fat in avocados helps your body absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K. In fact, those vitamins are fat soluble, meaning they can only be absorbed by the body with the help of fats. No wonder nutrition nerds like myself countdown to National Healthy Fats Day every year — because good fats are good stuff!

 

 

Including any superfoods on your plate is a smart way to please your palate and do the body good.  If you’re an eating over-achiever (or a dietitian, like me), go ahead and combine avocado with your other favorite superfoods. I dare you!

According to more than 1,100 Registered Dietitian Nutritionists that were surveyed for this year’s 10th annual “What’s Trending in Nutrition” survey, these are the top 10 of the best superfoods. We challenge you to combine each with the delicious nutritiousness of avocados!

Superfood #1: Fermented Foods

A good day starts with a good gut biome. Build yourself a Greek Yogurt Parfait With Avocado for breakfast to give both probiotics and healthy fat a place in your morning routine. Sprinkle strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries on top for a little vitamin C and sweetness. On the go? Whip together an Avocado, Banana, Orange, and Yogurt Smoothie in a cinch.

If you have a dinner party on the books, impress your friends and family with a globally inspired Kimchi Guacamole, made with pickled cabbage. You can find jars of kimchi in the international section of your grocery store.

Superfood #2: Blueberries

Antioxidants, like the kind found in blueberries, are nature’s healers. They prevent or delay cell damage. Beyond being some of the best superfoods, avocados and blueberries share more in common than you’d expect. First of all, both blueberries and avocados are berries. And you’ll be “berry” happy when you put them together in a salad. Take this Mixed Greens Salad With Avo Poppyseed Dressing, for example. (Plus it’s made with spinach — yet another superfood!)

Avocados and blueberries blend well together into delicious smoothies. They also make a great pair on top of whole grain, nutty, or seedy toast. Speaking of which…

Superfood #3: Seeds

Today, humans everywhere love seeds for their abundance of good fat. One of the trendiest seeds at the moment is hemp hearts. Their sprinkleability makes them an excellent topper on avocado toast, and their hearty, rustic taste pairs well with fall harvest veggies, like Brussels sprouts and butternut squash. Is your mouth watering? Then you should give this Hemp & Harvest Guac Toast a try.

Next time you’re craving a bowl of guacamole, scan the pantry for some seeds. Pumpkin, pine nuts, pistachios, sesame … seeds of all kinds taste great in guacamole and bring a delightful little crunch to the mix.

Seeds of Wisdom

Fun fact: The pit of an avocado is a seed. One that giant prehistoric sloths spread across the Americas 66 million years ago. Without them, guacamole wouldn’t be possible today. Thanks, sloths.

Superfood #4: Exotic Fruits

Avocados are popular all around the world. Whatever continent you’re living on, there’s an exotic fruit just waiting to meet the avocado of its dreams inside a bowl, smoothie, or fruit salad.

If you want to wake up feeling like a winner, this Avocado Superfood Smoothie Bowl, made with avocado, acai, almonds, bananas, and dark chocolate is for you. The best part is that you can use frozen blueberries and strawberries year-round.

Or go with an Avo-licious Mango Smoothie Bowl, which blends avocados, yogurt, dragon fruit, and chia seeds. Between the avocado and chia, this bowl is full of digestive-system lovin’ fiber.

Superfood #5: Avocados!

You know what’s always good with avocado? More avocado. Or just avocado — it’s always good, even all on its own! Here are a few of our favorite ways to prep it:

Superfood #6: Green Tea

Green tea has been used for medicinal purposes in the East for thousands of years. Today, it’s a fantastic addition to your morning smoothie.

Here’s how to do it: Brew and steep green tea for a long time (30 minutes or so) and then the chill in the fridge. Blend avocado and your concentrated green tea into your smoothie mix for a superfood power up!

In the summer months, cool off with a green tea-infused avocado popsicle. It sounds fancy, but all you need is some Greek yogurt, avocado, green tea, and honey. Freeze overnight in a popsicle mold and you’re good to go.

Superfood #7: Nuts

Like avocados and seeds, nuts are a popular source of good fats — so you double up on your goodness when you put them together!

Avocado has a mild, nutty flavor, which naturally plays well with different types of nuts. Pistachios, walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, and peanuts are all great additions to guacamole — especially if you drizzle a little hot sauce on top. But beyond the mortar and pestle, nuts are an excellent protein to sprinkle into Avocado Bistro-Style Bowls, and nut butters fold terrifically into avocado breakfast smoothies.

Superfood #8: Ancient Grains

Think superfoods are just a passing trend? No way. Mankind has been eating avocados for almost 10,000 years! And ancient grains go back to … well, ancient times. People have loved avocados and ancient grains forever. And you’ll love power bowls like this sweet and savory Avocado Ancient Grains Bowl. It also contains hemp hearts — three times the superfood power!

When choosing an ancient grain to fold into your diet, look for grains that are packing protein. For example, you could add chunks of avocado to overnight oats or millet for breakfast.

Superfood #9: Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are low-calorie and high in nutrients like vitamin A, C or K, as well as calcium and iron. The good fat in avocados helps you absorb some of those nutrients. A genuine win-win!

So it’s a good thing there are infinite ways to bring avocado and leafy greens together: Chopped together in a salad. Stuffed inside baked chicken breasts. Blended together in smoothies. Mashed together into guacamole. On top of toast, sandwiches, protein bowls … the possibilities here are endless!

Overwhelmed by all the choices? A good place to start is the Salad Builder on Avocado From Mexico’s Salad Station. It will help you curate the perfect mix of flavor and texture to fit your tastes.

Superfood #10: Kale

OK, so technically kale is a leafy green, but it’s so popular that it earned its own spot on this list. Kale is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet, including vitamins A, K, C, and B6, among others. And its signature sturdiness gives it a substantial texture and versatility in the kitchen. You can use it as the base of an avocado salad or use its large leaves for an avocado “burrito” wrap. You can even bake kale chips in the oven and crumble them over top of guacamole. But my favorite is the Kale and Avocado Buddha Bowl, which boasts plenty of fiber to keep you feeling fuller, longer.

 

Good Fats Will Never Go Out of Style

When it comes to making healthy choices, superfoods are a no-brainer, and in the case of avocado, possibly the most delicious part of your day! Keep eating foods that contain good fats and a multitude of essential nutrients to treat yourself and your body right.

For more ways to add good fat to your diet, dive into our enormous library of avocado recipes.

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