Food for Fall: the Avocado

Are you looking to incorporate a new food or ingredient into your diet this season? Well, look no further!

| 4 min read
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Suzanne Michel, M.P.H., RD, LDN
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Fall is that time of year when we start thinking about cooler weather and new recipes to get us through the season. One key fall food -- and ingredient -- that you may have overlooked is the avocado.

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Why the Avocado?

The avocado is a great food for everyone -- especially those who have CF. It is high in fat, but the healthy kind. Most of the fat in avocados is monounsaturated, and eating a diet with a variety of healthy fats is important for everyone, including people with CF. Avocados are also high in vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Avocados are a really good first food for babies too. Talk to the registered dietitian at your child's CF center about when to start offering it to them. Make sure the avocado is ripe (see the section below, “How to Use It,” for tips), mash a small piece and feed it to them using a spoon. When your baby becomes a toddler, they can practice fine motor and eating skills by picking up ripe pieces of avocado and self-feeding.

How to Use It

When you buy avocados they are usually green and hard; they cannot be eaten that way. You will need to let the avocado sit at room temperature for a few days. You'll know it is ripe and ready to eat when the skin turns black or dark purple and feels soft when you apply gentle pressure. If the avocado at the market is already soft and you don't plan to use it that very day, don't buy it.

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If the avocados you have at home are already ripe but you want to wait a day or two to eat them, simply put them in the refrigerator. And if your avocado isn't ripe yet and you have friends coming over the next day, put the unripe avocado into a paper bag with a fresh apple or banana and leave it on the counter. This will make it ripen faster.

Many people think of guacamole when they see avocados, and making it doesn't need to be complicated. Simply put the soft “meat” of the avocado in a bowl and mash it using a fork. Then, add salt, pepper, the juice of a lime or half a lemon and serve with crackers or chips. Of course, you can also find all kinds of really fancy guacamole recipes on the Internet. Use the guacamole on sandwiches just as you would with mayonnaise, or make it as a great topping for burgers and salads.

But avocados are really good for so many other recipes, too. Try this one, for example!

Fat Man Shake

Submitted by Susan H. for Chef4CF

Ingredients

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  • 1 1/2 tablespoons avocado (or frozen avocado cubes)
  • 1 banana
  • 1 Ensure Plus Shake
  • 2 tablespoons flax seed oil
  • 3 tablespoons Keifer
  • 2 scoops chocolate (or any flavor) protein (weight gainer) powder
  • 1/3 cup coconut milk
  • 1 cup whole milk

Directions

  1. Put all ingredients except milk into a blender.
  2. Blend until smooth.
  3. Add milk to desired thickness.

Serving Size

  • 2 servings
  • 630 calories per serving
  • Fat: 35 g
  • Sodium: 220 mg
  • Protein: 35 g
  • Calcium: 386 mg

Bon appétit!

This site contains general information about cystic fibrosis, as well as personal insight from the CF community. Opinions and experiences shared by members of our community, including but not limited to people with CF and their families, belong solely to the blog post author and do not represent those of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, unless explicitly stated. In addition, the site is not intended as a substitute for treatment advice from a medical professional. Consult your doctor before making any changes to your treatment.

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Nutrition
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Suzanne is a registered dietitian and clinical assistant professor at the Medical College of South Carolina, a leading CF center in Charleston, S.C. Suzanne has more than 30 years of experience working directly with people who have CF.

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