From breakfast to desert, whip up these healthy recipes starring a beloved superfood: the avocado.
Avocado is beloved in cuisines around the world. While most people associate them with Mexican food (a la guacamole and chips), it’s also represented in Africa, South America, Europe, Asia, and right here in the USA! There are plenty of things you can do with this creamy stone fruit while reaping health benefits like improved digestion and mood.
Create fun flavors in your kitchen with these healthy avocado recipes for any occasion:
- Breakfast: Avocado toast
- Lunch: Cucumber avocado sushi
- Snack: Guacamole
- Appetizer: Avocado fries
- Dinner: Creamy avocado pasta
- Salad: Tomato, cucumber, avocado salad
- Dessert: Chocolate avocado pudding
Breakfast: Avocado toast
There’s a reason that so many people are falling in love with avocado toast—it’s a delicious and healthy way to start the day. Choose whole-grain toast for a nutrient-rich base, then mash an avocado and choose your other favorite toppings like spinach, tomatoes, almonds, pesto, fried egg, strawberries, bell peppers, salt, pepper, paprika, etc. The sky’s the limit!
Lunch: Cucumber avocado sushi
You don’t have to venture to a Japanese restaurant for your sushi fix! Veggie sushi is easy to make at home (and less intimidating than the raw-fish kind). Look in your grocery store’s international aisle for sushi rice, nori (dried seaweed), and rice vinegar. Sliced cucumber and avocado make an easy and delicious filling for your roll. You can roll your sushi with a bamboo rolling mat if you have one, or use a towel-lined with plastic wrap or parchment paper.
Snack: Guacamole
We can’t talk about healthy avocado recipes without giving a shoutout to classic guac! You only need a few ingredients to whip up a perfect dip. Keep it traditional with chips or choose veggies like carrots and celery as your guacamole delivery vehicle.
Appetizer: Avocado fries
Crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside, avocado fries are the perfect combination of flavors and textures. To keep it healthy, this recipe suggests baking the fries instead of frying them in oil. Squeeze a lemon wedge on top and enjoy!
Dinner: Creamy avocado pasta
Whip up a dinner that feels gourmet in just 15 minutes! Garlic, basil, olive oil, lemon, and avocado combine for a creamy and tangy flavor explosion. This healthy avocado recipe is a richly decadent option to impress guests without spending all day in the kitchen – or enjoy it on a cozy night in.
Salad: Tomato, cucumber, avocado salad
For a light bite on the side, this vibrant summer salad is a perfect healthy avocado recipe. Dress the veggies in a simple dressing of olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and herbs, then enjoy the mix of crunchy veg and melt-in-your-mouth bites of avocado.
Dessert: Chocolate avocado pudding
You wouldn’t think of avocado as a dessert ingredient, but this is just one more way to transform this versatile and healthy superfood. Since it has such a mild flavor on its own, you can use it as a thick, creamy base for pudding. The rich chocolate is front and center, so no one would guess there are avocados inside!
One of the trickiest parts about working with avocados is knowing when they’re ripe. Use these tips, like giving it a gentle squeeze (it should yield but not feel squishy) and checking beneath the nub on the end of the fruit. If you’re buying a bunch of avocados at once to try all these healthy avocado recipes, store them in a cool, dark place until they’re ripe. Then, move them to the fridge to extend their life to 1-2 weeks.
If you enjoyed these healthy avocado recipes, get inspired with more meal ideas and nutrition info on our health and wellness blog!
