Avocados – Fabulous Fast Food
Avocados are a kid-friendly “fast food” brimming with powerful nutrients and healthy oils. When time is short, avocados can be made into a filling and nutritious side dish or snack in just a few minutes. Avocados get their wonderfully creamy texture because they are rich in heart-healthy monosaturated fats. They also provide essential nutrients like folate, vitamin E, and lutein. While avocados are a favorite of kids, they are a healthy addition to the diet for the entire family.
Kids like avocados cut into small chunks or mashed into a simple guacamole. If you have finicky eaters, try adding a dash of salt to the mashed avocado and nothing else.
A sure way to excite their enthusiasm about eating avocados is to have them create their own guacamole. Kids love the action of mashing avocados. Put the avocados into an oversized bowl and let your child loose with a potato masher. Pre-measure the salt or add the salt yourself to prevent over salting.
For a delicious snack or lunch, serve guacamole as a side to quesadillas. These cheesy comestibles provide a nutritional boost when made with whole-wheat tortillas.
Guacamole and chips are an all-time favorite, but be sure to choose a brand of chips made with as few ingredients as possible. Chips made with just three ingredients; whole corn, expeller pressed oil, and salt taste just as good to kids as those fried in unhealthy oils and coated in chemicals. Hunting for healthy chips can prove to be a fun grocery store challenge for the entire family.
A natural pairing for guacamole is salsa, which boosts the nutritional content of the snack. Many kids like to dip quesadillas and chips into both.
How do you know when an avocado is perfectly ripe? It should be firm to the touch except for the very bottom of the fruit where it has a tiny flat spot. This spot should be impressionable when gently pressed with your thumb. If an avocado is soft all over or dented, the fruit is beyond it’s prime and might be stringy or have brown spots on the flesh.
Mashed or sliced avocados are delicious on sandwiches, wraps, and in omelets. With its creamy texture, the avocado is a healthy substitution for mayonnaise. Try tossing chunks of avocado into salads and salsas. No matter how you slice them, avocados are a sure winner for the entire family.
