Do you want to reduce your intake of saturated fats and cholesterol?
Avocados are a nutrient-dense, versatile fruit that can be eaten alone or used in a variety of tasty recipes, all of which can fit into a sensible eating plan.
Because of their versatility, fresh avocados can also be used as a healthier substitute for other spreads in sandwiches, on toast, or even in place of many baking ingredients to help reduce your intake of saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and calories.
For those looking for an alternative to the many ingredients out there that are high in saturated fats, a 50g serving of fresh avocados is cholesterol-free, sodium-free, sugar-free and only has 1 gram of saturated fat.
The best part? Most of the fat in avocados is good fat. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends replacing bad fats with good fats; good fats can help improve the intake of dietary fat without raising LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.
Swapping foods that are high in saturated fats for avocado iseasy.
01
Swap butter for avocado on your morning toast.
One tablespoon of butter contains approximately 100 calories and 7 grams of saturated fat.
Instead of spreading butter on your toast, mash your avocado into a creamy delicious spread to reduce your saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium intake.
By comparison, 1/3 of a medium avocado (50 grams) has 80 calories and only 1 gram of saturated fat.
02
Exchange fresh avocado for cheese on your sandwiches and salads.
One slice of cheddar cheese contains 30mg of cholesterol, 5 grams of saturated fat, and 180mg of sodium.
To help reduce your cholesterol intake, switch that cheese for avocado which is sodium-free, sugar-free and cholesterol-free. Plus, avocados are a good source of five essential nutrients – fiber, folate, vitamin K, pantothenic acid, and copper.
03
Mix up your dips with a creamy avocado alternative.
It is normal to reach for mayonnaise or sour cream to make a tasty dip, but avocado is a delicious good fat alternative. Avocados are a unique and healthy fruit because they contain unsaturated fat — and can act as a nutrient booster by helping increase the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D, K, and E.
Avocados contain 6 grams of naturally good fat per 1/3 of a medium avocado. To help lower saturated fat intake, dip ingredients that are high in saturated fats can be exchanged with pureed avocados at a 1:1 ratio.
Spread & Dip Nutritional Comparison1
FRESH AVOCADO
Serving Size: 50g
Calories: 80
Total Fat: 8g
Sat Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 0mg
BUTTER
Serving Size: 1 Tbsp
Calories: 100
Total Fat: 12g
Sat Fat: 7g
Cholesterol: 30mg
Sodium: 90mg
SOUR CREAM
Serving Size: 2 Tbps
Calories: 45
Total Fat: 4.5g
Sat Fat: 3g
Cholesterol: 10mg
Sodium: 10mg
MARGARINE
Serving Size: 1 Tbps
Calories: 100
Total Fat: 11g
Sat Fat: 2g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 95mg
CHEDDAR CHEESE
Serving Size: 1oz (1 slice)
Calories: 110
Total Fat: 9g
Sat Fat: 5g
Cholesterol: 30mg
Sodium: 180mg
REGULAR MAYONNAISE
Serving Size: 1 Tbps
Calories: 90
Total Fat: 10g
Sat Fat: 1.5g
Cholesterol: 5mg
Sodium: 90mg
04
Use fresh avocados to replace baking ingredients that are high in saturated fat.
Due to their creamy texture, most standard baking ingredients that are high in saturated fat can be substituted one to one for pureed avocado. If your recipe calls for a half cup of an ingredient that is high in saturated fat, replace it with half a cup of pureed avocados to lower your intake of saturated fat.
The American Heart Association recommends eating less nutrient-poor foods and limiting the amount of saturated fat, added sugars, and sodium. The majority of the fat in one’s diet should be unsaturated; the predominant fat in avocados is unsaturated (good) fat. This makes avocado a great alternative in baking, and the high-water content means that your baked goods will remain moist. Aside from the nutritional benefits, avocado is also useful if you are looking for a vegan substitute in baking.
Try these taste bud-approved baking recipes to help reduce your intake of saturatedfats:
Mexican “Hot Chocolate” Spiced Avocado Mini Muffin Bites
Chocolate + fresh avocado + cayenne = a chocolatey muffin bite with a kick and only 1 gram of saturated fat per serving.
Avocado Pumpkin SpiceCake
A nutrient-boosted tasty treat with only 0.5 grams of saturated fat per serving.
Avocado Oatmeal BreakfastCookies
A delicious recipe for cookies that only contain 1 gram of saturated fat per serving.
Vegan Dark Chocolate AvocadoCupcakes
Fresh avocados make for an irresistible velvety chocolate cupcake and icing that fits into a vegan diet.
Baking Ingredients Nutritional Comparison2
FRESH AVOCADO
Serving Size: 1/3 of a medium avocado (50g)
Calories: 80
Total Fat: 8g
Sat Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 0mg
BUTTER, UNSALTED
Serving Size: 1 Tbsp
Calories: 100
Total Fat: 12g
Sat Fat: 7g
Cholesterol: 30mg
Sodium: 0mg
SHORTENING
Serving Size: 2 Tbps
Calories: 113
Total Fat: 13g
Sat Fat: 3g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 0mg
MARGARINE
Serving Size: 1 Tbps
Calories: 100
Total Fat: 11g
Sat Fat: 2g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 105mg
CREAM CHEESE
Serving Size: 2 Tbps
Calories: 100
Total Fat: 10g
Sat Fat: 6g
Cholesterol: 30mg
Sodium: 105mg
CANOLA OIL
Serving Size: 1 Tbps
Calories: 120
Total Fat: 14g
Sat Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 0mg
Reference:
1. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 28 (2018) Spread & dip nutrition data given for butter, salted; sour cream, cultured; margarine, regular, 80% fat, composite, tub, with salt; cheddar cheese; and salad dressing, mayonnaise, regular.
2. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 28 (2015) Baking ingredients nutrition data given for butter, unsalted; Shortening, household, soybean (hydrogenated) and palm; margarine, regular, 80% fat, composite, stick, with salt; cheese, cream; and canola oil, UPC: 858005002211.