{article published on Hawaii Sport Magazine – Jan/Feb issue}
Abacate…that is what we call avocado in Portuguese. Growing up, I didn’t like “abacate”, and the main reason was because every weekend when I went to sleep over at my cousins’ house, her father forced us to drink an avocado smoothie for breakfast. It was a nightmare! We couldn’t leave the table to go play until we finished that gigantic cup with that green creamy liquid. I had to hold my breath and drink it as fast as I could because I really wanted to go play! So growing up, I avoided eating or drinking anything with avocados at all costs.
It wasn’t until college that I introduced avocados to my diet again. I went to college in a small country town in Brazil where a lot of my neighbors had delicious gardens. One of them had avocado and lemon trees, and very often I got bags delivered to my door with fresh fruits. As a tight-budget student, I happily accepted all the delicious donations. And then I got creative with how to prepare my avocados. And my three favorite ways to eat them until this day are:
1. Avocado with lemon and honey
1/2 avocado
1/2 lemon’s juice
1 spoon of honey
Cut the avocado into small square pieces, sprinkle the lemon juice over the avocado and drizzle the honey on top. The avocado’s creamy texture with the sour lemon juice and a hint of honey is such a delicious combination.
2. Avocado “Caesar Salad” dressing
1 avocado
4 spoons of olive oil
2 spoons of dijon mustard
1 lemon’s juice
1 clove of garlic
1 teaspoon of salt
Blend all the ingredients together and instantly you can make a healthy and delicious Caesar salad dressing. Mix with your romaine lettuce or with any other greens.
3. Avocado popsicle
1 avocado
1/2 lemon’s juice
3 spoons of condensed milk
Blend the avocado with lemon juice and condensed milk. Pour into a popsicle container and put in the freezer. It is an ice-cream delight!
Last year when I was in Brazil, I finally had an avocado smoothie after almost 15 years, and to my great surprise I enjoyed it! Thank you uncle Oscar for all those mornings when you woke up before us to prepare a smoothie with the most nutrient-dense fruit. Avocado is rich in vitamins A, B, and E, folic acid, and healthy fats in addition to the nutrients lutein and zeaxanthin! What an incredible food!
Did you know that avocado is one of the 12 superfoods recommended for pregnant women? Well, now more than ever, with my pregnancy, avocados are in my diet to stay!
mariane
photos by: Mike Vidales
