It’s no secret that President Barack Obama loves avocados. In a recent interview, wife Michelle said his favorite snack is guacamole. But there’s so much more to avocados than that one dish.
In addition to their good flavor, avocados are incredibly healthful. They’re one of the best foods for increasing omega-3 fatty acids in the diet. Those are the good fats that offer a host of benefits, including lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as reducing the chance of strokes. They’re just an all-round bonus for a healthy heart.
“We need to increase our intake of omega-3s, and we can do this by eating fish two to three times a week, taking fish-oil supplements and eating other foods like avocados,” said Angie Gross, a registered dietitian with the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department.
Other good sources of omega-3 include collard greens, wild-caught salmon, albacore tuna and walnuts.
I keep a bowlful of avocados on my kitchen counter, rotating them into meals as they ripen. I slice them into salads or add them to a chicken or tuna sandwich for lunch, making sure my husband and I get maybe half an avocado at least every other day.