Even though they’re green and mushy, do not be afraid to give them a try. People forgot about this fruit for a while (yes, it is actually a fruit—a berry, to be exact), but now the avocado is one of the trendiest foods in the world. You see them everywhere—Pinterest boasts tons of recipes, Instagram foodies post flawless images of mouth-watering dishes featuring avocados.

Let’s face it: Avocado toast has become the food of the millennium. We are always willing to pay extra for our guac at Chipotle and other Mexican chains because, why not? Here are some more reasons why you should also love the avocado if you don’t already.

 

1. It’s Nutritional

They have four grams of protein, making them the fruit with the highest concentration of protein. They also have more potassium than bananas (975 milligrams, to be exact) and they’ve got fiber, folic acid, and vitamins E and B.

 

2. It’s a Great Substitute

Avocados can be used to replace butter in most recipes because they have so many healthy fats and have that semi-savory, velvety texture

 

3. You Can Do More Than Just Eat It

Because they are high in amino acids, antioxidants, and essential oils, can act as moisturizing agents to enrich the hair and skin. They’ve been known to also minimize wrinkles and heal sunburns

 

4. It Has Variety

So many types! There are hundreds of different kinds of avocados and according to California Avocados, seven are grown in California commercially. These include hass (95% of all of the avocados grown each year), bacon, fuerte, gwen, lamb hass, pinkerton, reed, and zutano. They all look pretty similar, but some are larger than others with slightly different seed shapes. Shepard avocados are from Australia, and choquettes are a major variety in Florida. The choquettes can weigh up to two pounds. All of these avocados are also in season at different times of the year, meaning we can basically get avocados in season year round.

5. You Can Consume the Whole Thing

That’s right, you can eat the pit! The National Library of Medicine says they’re heart healthy, but you might want to grind them up before consuming.

 

Why do you love avocados? Let us know in the comments below!

Cover image courtesy of Shutterstock.

By Barbara Bent on April 6, 2016