Great news for avocado lovers!
Fresh avocados are a heart-healthy fruit that provide naturally good fats and are cholesterol- and sodium-free. Good fats, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, do not raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels and can also help with absorption of nutrients. In addition, replacing saturated fats with monounsaturated fats, like those found in fresh avocados, may help reduce the risk of heart disease.
In addition, avocados are one way to meet the American Heart Association’s recommendation for daily fruit and vegetable consumption.
“Dietary fats are essential to heart health in that they give your body energy and help your body absorb key nutrients,“ said Chef Hamlet Garcia, American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women spokesperson. “Avocados, in moderation, are one of the best foods you can eat to maintain a healthy diet and help keep your risk for heart disease at bay.”
Now that you know how avocados can help you have a healthy heart, enjoy these delicious avocado recipes. And if you have easy, healthy and original avocado recipes, share them with the American Heart Association’s Take Avocado to Heart Recipe Contest and possibly win up to $1,000, and have your winning recipe published on the American Heart Association’s new online Recipe Hub.