Guilt-free guacamole! Light avocado has a third of the fat
spread on toast or turned into guacamole, the avocado is proving a firm family favourite.
But as a large fruit typically carries around 330 calories and about 30g of fat, over-indulging could have serious implications for your waistline.
The answer for avocado aficionados could soon be available in the form of a diet version.
The avocado Light, as it is known, has a third less fat. It also ripens more quickly and the flesh takes longer to brown when exposed to air.
The diet fruit has been developed by spanish firm eurobanan, which says crops are grown under special soil and climate conditions to provide the same nutritional benefits with less fat.
Most of the fat is the healthy mono-unsaturated type, which has been linked to the reduction of cholesterol and lowered risk of cancer and heart disease.
With standard supermarket avocados, the NHs suggests Britons should not eat more than half a day. such is the demand for the fruit in the UK that retailers are constantly looking for new varieties, suggesting the light version will soon be available here.
eurobanan’s import and marketing director ramón rey said the avocado Light, sold under the Isla Bonita label, chimes perfectly with shoppers’ concerns over health and wellbeing. ‘Consumption is growing constantly, as are consumer concerns about getting a balanced diet,’ he said. ‘Now, you can enjoy this fruit at all times in a much lighter way.’
The avocado’s nutritional makeup has been independently verified and it carries a seal of approval from the spanish Heart Foundation certifying that it is a product with reduced fat content.
Tesco recently promoted the arrival of the gourmet Gem avocado, which has gold specks on the skin. according to experts it is prized for its particularly smooth flesh and creamy, melt- in- the mouth texture.
Baby, snacking avocados have also been unveiled by British supermarkets and many stores sell cold pressed avocado oil for dressings and dips.
Other options include frozen ripe avocado halves and even an avocado ice cream.
such is the popularity of the fruit that it has become an alarming source of visits to a&e. surgeons have reported the emergence of so-called ‘avocado hand’ – caused by the serious cuts suffered by Britons battling to cut open the fruit.
Getting a balanced diet’