Fruits and vegetables are infinitely versatile and delicious, whether in salads, on sandwiches or plain baked or boiled. The particular greatness of the avocado, however, is that it maintains the same, or at least very similar, taste in every dish in which it’s used. There are those among us that like tomatoes but not tomato sauce, raw carrots but not cooked and grapes but not raisins; but when preparing this round, green gem you won’t run into this problem.Avocados, with their good fats, maintain the same creamy rich texture and subtle flavor despite how they’re prepared, so you always know you’ll be tasting what you love. According to healthdiaries.com, they also aid in oral cancer defense, breast cancer protection, eye health, lower cholesterol, heart health, stroke prevention, better nutrient absorption and increase your intake of glutathione (an antioxidant) and vitamin E.As an avocado addict, I’m familiar with a few ways to eat them, so here’s some simple ways to healthily indulge after class:1. Eating it plain is always an option. They’re tasty on their own, but if you want a salty kick you can dip fork-fulls into low-sodium soy sauce.2. An avocado salad with tomato and some sliced or diced grilled chicken, topped with either Ranch or Italian dressing, is filling as well. The consistency of the fruit makes you feel like you’re eating more than you are and you’re getting protein and vitamins, among other nutrients, in one quick meal.3. For those plain Janes out there on the sushi train, avocado rolls are a fantastic snack. Rice has attributes of its own and this is an easy dish to opt out of raw fish.4. It’s not too difficult to whip up homemade guacamole! Throw in some chilies, cilantro and maybe some tomatoes and savor the flavor fiesta.5. The CTB-inspired California Sunrise: Grab a bagel, scramble a couple of eggs, melt on some jack cheese and lay avocado on top. Talk about a taste explosion: The bitterness of the cheese contrasts the avocado’s smoothness, while the egg and bagel stand in for substance and texture.There are countless ways to prepare the fruit (some more available at http://whatscookingamerica.net) and you can rarely go wrong. (Abroad they even experiment with avocado shakes!) So, run by Wegmans, Jason’s or even 7-Eleven and kick off your semester with some green goodness.
Original Author: Danielle Diniz