With Cinco de Mayo around the corner, it is time for me to start planning the festivities. Although we are not of Mexican heritage, I always make a point of celebrating different cultural holidays. I think it's a great way of teaching my kids about other cultures and their heritage. It is also a great way to experience a variety of foods from around the world.
Although my kids are quite the picky eaters, a Mexican rice is always a great way to get them to eat legumes. I will be sharing this recipe with you tomorrow, but today, I decided to let you in on a little secret of mine...I am addicted to guacamole. There, I said it! I could literally eat it by the spoonful! And judging by this tidbit of information in Warren Belasco and Phillip Scranton's Food Nations, I am not alone. Did you know that guacamole has pushed avocado sales to 30 million pounds on two days a year, Super Bowl Sunday and Cinco de Mayo. I, alone, can account for one tenth of these sales ;-) I use avocados daily in my cooking and no Sunday afternoon is complete without guacamole and corn chips. That's just how it is! Football season or not, when 4 o'clock comes around, my husband and I stop what we are doing and relax with the kids.
A lot of people worry that they will gain weight or raise their cholesterol levels by consuming avocados, but it is just the opposite. According to Best Health magazine, avocados make you feel full longer, because it contains soluble fibers which slows the breakdown of carbs in your body. It also contains oleic acid - a fat that signals the part of your brain that controls satiety.
What about cholesterol, then? Well, in one study, people that had a diet rich in avocado were found to have "a significant decrease in total cholesterol levels, including a decrease in LDL cholesterol. Their levels of HDL cholesterol (the healthy type) increased by 11%."
A lot of people worry that they will gain weight or raise their cholesterol levels by consuming avocados, but it is just the opposite. According to Best Health magazine, avocados make you feel full longer, because it contains soluble fibers which slows the breakdown of carbs in your body. It also contains oleic acid - a fat that signals the part of your brain that controls satiety.
What about cholesterol, then? Well, in one study, people that had a diet rich in avocado were found to have "a significant decrease in total cholesterol levels, including a decrease in LDL cholesterol. Their levels of HDL cholesterol (the healthy type) increased by 11%."
When eating a whole foods plant-based diet, it is essential to make a point of eating foods rich in fatty acids as they provide structure to cell membranes, help transport various compounds throughout our body, and are a carrier for life-sustaining vitamins. Eating avocados helps, but I also take 2 tbsp. of an oil called 3-6-9 blend (for omega 3, 6 and 9). This helps ensure that I get sufficient fatty acids, especially omega 3 and 6 which our body does not produce and therefore we have to consume. (To read more of the subject, go here)
So here is my recipe...best enjoyed poolside!
Guacamole
Ingredients
2 ripe avocados (Haas are best)
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
Method
Cut avocados in half and scoop with a spoon. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mash with a mortar (a manual potato masher also works).
This can be good on Mexican rice, as a dip with vegetables or simply with corn chips.
Enjoy!
Amelie
So here is my recipe...best enjoyed poolside!
Guacamole
2 ripe avocados (Haas are best)
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
Method
Cut avocados in half and scoop with a spoon. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mash with a mortar (a manual potato masher also works).
This can be good on Mexican rice, as a dip with vegetables or simply with corn chips.
Enjoy!
Amelie
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