5 Surprising Things You Can do With Avocado
May 6, 2016
Avocados. You either love them or hate them. When you love them, they are sliced and added to your sandwiches, top your salads, spread on toast and of course, mashed in the ever-so-addicting guacamole. But that’s not all! There are many more things you can do with this versatile little green gem. Here are five of our faves:
Make a Facial Mask
An avocado mask is nourishing and hydrating and there are several ways you can make DIY masks. Mash half a ripe avocado. Add a teaspoon or less of hot water and a teaspoon of warm honey and mix until smooth, then apply to skin for 10 minutes. Rinse and follow with your regular skin care or try argan oil for extra glow and moisture. You can also mix your mashed avocado with lemon juice and a little plain yogurt. Another mask idea is to mash half a ripe banana and mix with your mashed avocado.
Try a Hair & Scalp Treatment
Blend mashed avocado with a little olive or argan oil and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Mix well and apply to hair as a mask/conditioning treatment. Make sure to get it onto your scalp as it will soothe, nourish and improve both your hair and your scalp. It can really help with dry, brittle or frizzy hair.
Eat the Pit
Did you know you can eat the pit?The seed holds 70 percent of the avocado’s antioxidants, including the well-respected polyphenols associated with green tea. Avocado pits can be dried for a few days and then cut into small pieces. Grind them in a blender until powdered and add to smoothies. Also, avocados themselves are great in green smoothies!
Mix a Salad Dressing
Make a creamy salad dressing extraordinaire! Blend 1 large avocado with 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup water and the juice from 1 lime to make a simple creamy dressing. Make it spicy by adding a chopped, seeded jalapeno or a handful of cilantro leaves. You can add a tablespoon of honey or apple cider vinegar to play with flavors. The possibilities are endless. If you don’t want the oil, replace it with plain greek yogurt and add a few tablespoons more water (or milk) to get a nice creamy, but not too thick texture.
Add to Sweets
Cookies, brownies and darker breads can benefit from the healthy fats of avocado and the kids won’t ever know you snuck it in. Avocado replaces oils or butters so do a 1 to 1 swap. The texture may be a bit flatter but they will still taste delicious!
Extra Tip
Avocados often come in bags. Buying a bag of 6 or 10 is a great idea. You can store them until ripe and then once just about ripe, put in the fridge so they don’t over ripen. Avocados can be cut in half and frozen too. Just cut in half and drizzle with lemon juice and put in airtight bag or container. You can mash them first, drizzle with lemon and put in airtight bags too.
