Avocados are a delicious fruit that many people enjoy eating in salads, toast, or snacks. They are often eaten as part of a meal, but things get rather technical when it comes to how to eat raw avocadoes. Most people are used to eating the fruit in salad or smoothie, but did you know that there are more ways to eat an avocado? More so, a raw avocado.
This article will answer your questions about how to eat avocadoes (both raw and ripe) and what the benefits are.
Can you eat avocadoes raw ?
Yes, avocados can be eaten raw. A lot of people like to buy ripe avocadoes eat them raw with another meal. They are also excellent in smoothies or salads.
Raw avocados can be eaten alone, also. You need to sprinkle some salt over the ripe flesh and give it a generous squeeze of lemon juice.
Is it safe to eat unripe avocado?
Yes. It is absolutely safe to eat unripe avocadoes. Most of the avocadoes in grocery stores are usually unripe.
However, there is one concern about unripe avocadoes; they contain more carbs than the ripe ones. Nevertheless, these carbs come from monosaturated fats, so there is no health risk.
The taste of unripe avocadoes is mostly awful, but given the cost of the fruit, many would be willing to consume it unripe if they opened it already. You can improve the texture (make it softer) and taste of unripe avocadoes by cooking it in the oven or frying it along with bread. The resulting taste will be far from that of ripe avocadoes, but isn’t it a great way to tweak avocado taste, especially with no health risks involved?
Unripe avocadoes are unsafe for farm animals and pets. In fact, avocado pits, leaves, and stems are all poisonous to animals. This is because they contain a certain fatty acid called persin. If birds or mammals consume a generous amount of persin, they’ll get ill, and some will most probably die. Fortunately, this fatty acid derivative doesn’t harm non-allergic humans.
How to eat raw avocado step by step
There are several ways of eating a ripe avocado without cooking it, i.e., raw avocado. Here are the steps you need to follow:
Picking a ripe avocado.
You need to be sure that the avocado is ripe. Squeeze it gently in your palm, and if it feels hard but yields to pressure, it’s ready for raw consumption.
Cutting the avocado
After selecting ripe avocado, cut it lengthwise into two halves. The halves should break free but twist them against each other to release the pit if they don’t.
Removing the pit
The pit should also come off easily. If it remains embedded in one half, whack it with a knife and lift it off the avocado flesh.
Dice the avocado
For easy scooping, you’ll want to dice the avocado flesh. Do this sparingly so that you don’t cut the skin.
Scooping out the avocado flesh with a spoon
You have to take the time to scoop out all of its meaty contents. The easiest way is by using a teaspoon, but you can use other kitchen tools as well. Be careful not to cut through the peel.
Your raw avocado is now ready for eating. As mentioned earlier, there are more than a couple of ways to eat the fruit. Here are some:
In smoothies
You can blend the flesh with fruit to make a smoothie. You can also add some sweetener or ice cubes to the mixture, but be sure not to overdo it.
In guacamole
Guacamole is perhaps the most popular way of eating raw avocadoes, and it’s delicious too. You can blend avocado with other ingredients to make guacamole. You can also add some spices like garlic, onion, chili powder, or oregano for added taste.
Sliced on sandwiches
Avocado in the middle of a sandwich is delicious and popular among many people. Here are how you do it: Slice an avocado in half lengthwise and remove the pit. Cut each of these halves into two or three slices, depending on how thick you want your sandwich to be.
In salads
You can cut it up and add it to a salad with other vegetables like tomato, onion, cucumber, lettuce leaves, etc. You can also use avocado as a topping for salads by adding it after all the ingredients are tossed together.
With toast or bread
Avocado on toast is not only delicious but also healthy. You can sprinkle some salt overripe avocado flesh and give it a generous squeeze of lemon juice to enhance its flavor, then spread it on top of your favorite type of bread (whole wheat, rye, sourdough, etc.).
With fruit or vegetables
Avocado is a great way to improve the taste of fruits and vegetables. You can mix slices of ripe avocado with sliced strawberries, for example.
Pureed
You can puree ripe avocado flesh with some milk or water to make a healthy fruit smoothie. Consider it a healthy alternative to milkshakes.
Can you eat avocado peel?
Although avocado peel is not poisonous to humans (which means you can actually eat it), it makes no sense to chew that thick and leathery skin for nothing! There are more edible parts of the fruit, so you might as well just avoid eating the peel.
Avocado peel is also bitter in most cases–and if it’s not, then you’ll hardly taste the difference. The skin is also difficult to chew and swallow (no matter how ripe your avocado is).
Can you eat avocado skin?
You can eat avocado skin, but do you want to go all that trouble for no nutrients in return? Avocado skin, or peel, is chewy, leathery, and often bitter.
If there was worthy nutritional value in avocado skin, then there would probably be better methods of preparing and consuming it. Avoid eating the skin entirely.
Can you eat a hard avocado?
If you’re talking about a rock-hard avocado, then the answer is no! A totally hard avocado is probably an unripe one. With proper storage, an avocado will ripen within a couple of days, and you could enjoy it soft.
Health benefits of raw avocado
There is more than meets the eye in an avocado. That green flesh is packed with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals like potassium which has many health benefits.
These benefits include:
Weight loss
Avocado is full of healthy fats that can help you lose weight. It also contains certain types of fiber, which are essential for digestive health and maintaining a lean figure. You will be able to burn more calories while at the same time feeling fuller longer with an increased intake (in moderation) of avocado.
Heart health
This fruit can reduce LDL cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and prevent the formation of plaque deposits in your arteries–all good for heart health! The unsaturated fats found in avocados are also beneficial for our cardiovascular system since they promote the production of HDL “good” cholesterol that takes excess LDL cholesterol out of our bodies.
Skin and hair health
Avocados are rich in vitamin E, an antioxidant that protects cells from damage by free radicals. Vitamin E promotes skin repair and healing while slowing down the aging process to keep your skin smooth and supple. Avocado is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which promote healthy hair growth.
Eye health
Vitamin A is essential for good vision and eye health. Avocado can give you almost twice the recommended daily amount of vitamin A in just one serving! Vitamin C also helps protect your eyes from free radical damage while promoting collagen production to keep your peepers wide open.
Healthy pregnancy and fetal development
Not only will avocados help you feel great, but you can also share the benefits with your baby. Eating avocado during pregnancy may enhance hair growth in your newborn child as well as improve skin elasticity to prevent undesirable developments like stretch marks. Avocado is packed full of folate or folic acid, which is essential for normal fetal development.
Digestive health
Avocados are rich in fiber, and certain types of soluble fibers can also help regulate blood sugar levels by slowing down how quickly our stomachs empty after a meal. Fiber helps keep your digestive system regular while preventing constipation or diarrhea.
Anti-inflammatory properties
Many of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients found in avocados have anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce pain from inflammatory conditions like arthritis or other autoimmune diseases.
FAQs
When to eat avocado?
Avocado can be eaten any time of the day, but it’s best eaten when you want to avoid eating again within a short time. The fiber in it takes time to digest, making avocado a healthy addition to your desserts.
Is avocado skin poisonous?
No! Avocado skin is not poisonous, but sthere is still no nutritional benefit of eating it. In fact, avocado skin is hard and bitter, something you do not want to be putting in your mouth.
Is avocado sweet or bitter?
Avocado fruit is a little bit on the sweeter side due to its high content of healthy fats. It can be described as creamy and nutty with a very mild tangy flavor.
Conclusion
Raw avocados are packed with more nutrients than one can imagine. In addition to the many options for how you can eat raw avocado, we’ve also seen the seemingly unreal benefits that you really get from eating avocadoes.
