If you’re watching your diet and trying to be careful with fat intake, you might think avocado recipes should be avoided. The good news is that avocados actually contain “good” fat, allowing you to enjoy this tasty fruit.

The avocado is a versatile food that can be eaten by itself, served in a salad, or combined with other ingredients in a recipe. It’s a nutritious food as well, providing nearly 20 essential nutrients, including:

Fiber - Potassium - Vitamin E - B Vitamins - Folic acid. Avocados also act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling your body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients in foods that are eaten with the fruit.

Avocado recipes are delicious and full of flavor. Here are a couple you might try.

Avocado-Citrus Salad Serves 6

Ingredients

3 Medium corn tortillas

4 Oranges, medium

4 Grapefruits, medium

2 Tbsp Honey

2 Tbsp Raspberry vinegar

1 Avocado, peeled and sliced

6 Sprigs fresh mint for garnish (optional)

Slice corn tortillas into thin strips. Dry the strips by placing on a cookie sheet and baking in preheated 225° F oven for approximately 15 minutes. Set aside. Grate the orange rind to obtain approximately 2 teaspoons of orange rind for each serving. Set aside. Peel oranges and grapefruit, section, and seed. Set sections aside. Mix honey, raspberry vinegar, orange, and grapefruit sections. Add grated orange rinds and tortilla strips. Toss all ingredients gently. Top with avocado slices and a sprig of fresh mint for garnish. Nutrition information per serving: Calories 200, Fat 5g, Calories from Fat 22%, Cholesterol 0mg, Fiber 6g, Sodium 22mg.

Chicken Breast with Avocado Risotto

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 cups Fresh green bell pepper, diced

cup Frozen corn

1½ cup Fresh tomato, diced

4 cups White rice, cooked

cup Fresh basil, chopped

medium California avocado, diced

1 Tbsp Olive oil

6 (3 oz each) Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Fresh lemon juice

cup Fresh parsley, chopped

medium California avocado, sliced

Put olive oil in a skillet and over low heat, saute’ the green bell pepper, corn, and tomato for approximately 5 minutes. Add the precooked white rice and basil. Simmer for approximately 5 more minutes and set aside. Add the diced avocado. Saute the chicken breasts in olive oil for approximately 5 minutes on each side over low heat. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside. In the same skillet saute the capers for approximately 1 minute. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and parsley. To serve, place the risotto mixture on plate and top with chicken breast. Pour the caper and lemon juice mixture over the chicken and rice. Garnish with the California avocado slices. Nutrition information per serving: Calories 452, Fat 13g, Saturated Fat 2.3g, Polyunsaturated Fat 1.8g, Monosaturated Fat 7.7g, Cholesterol 72mg, Sodium 107mg, Total Carbohydrate 52g, Protein 32g, Fiber 3g, Sugars 6g.

Be sure to keep avocado recipes in mind when planning healthy meals.