This delicious dessert or snack is a great way to add unsaturated fats to your diet.
Consuming too much saturated fats or trans fats (which are fats processed to act like saturated fats) can increase risks of heart disease, weight gain, and bad cholesterol. This is sadly, not very hard to do, as many foods we eat today are high in these fats. You can check the nutrition labels to see how much of each fat there is. Here are some foods that are characteristically high in saturated fat:
- butter
- cream
- cheese, milk (some higher than others depending on fat content; for example, skim milk can be fat free)
- margarine
- coconut/palm oil
- meats (some higher than others)
This being said, it’s important to have some fat in the diet, especially for females. But it is best for these fats to be polyunsaturated and monounsaturated instead of saturated fats. These fats contain omega-3’s and omega-6’s.
It is advised to add some unsaturated fats to your diet, while reducing saturated fats as much as possible. These unsaturated fats are essential for bodily functions; increasing bone density, preventing amenorrhea, and boosting reproductive health.
So, after all of this, where do avocados stack up?
One serving of avocado contains about 3 grams of saturated fat and 8 grams unsaturated fat.
Just to put this into perspective, one serving of coconut oil has about 12 grams of saturated fat and 1.5 grams unsaturated.
So, if you want to add fats to your diet, the avocado is a good way to go. You’ll be getting added benefits from nutrients that help lower bad cholesterol and not to mention the extra vitamin E.
And if you’re not necessarily looking to add more fats to your diet, this pudding is a great treat. I’d say it’s a healthier option than ice cream, which is higher in saturated fat, with little unsaturated fats.
Ingredients
- 4 ripe avocados
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder special dark
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 11/2 teaspoons of salt
- vanilla or cinnamon (optional)
Directions
- Peel and pit avocados. Be careful so you don’t cut your hand!
- Put the avocados, cocoa powder, honey, salt, & vanilla and/or cinnamon (optional) in a Vitamix and blend on medium high until it is consistent throughout, about 3 minutes.
- Enjoy! This makes about 3 servings.
more information found at:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/282857.php
https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/fat-salt-sugars-and-alcohol/fat
https://www.livestrong.com/article/130211-many-grams-fat-avocados/
two running foodies 