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Nutrition Facts in Avocados

Despite being a fruit, and therefore having the illusion of being healthy, avocados are actually very high-fat foods. However, if they are used as a substitute for other fatty foods such as dips and spreads, avocados will actually help your diet rather than hurting it. They also contain a number of nutrients that are an essential part of a balanced diet.

  1. Calories

    • One medium-sized avocado has approximately 150 g of flesh, and a serving is about 30 g, or 1 oz. of avocado, which is about 1/5 of a medium-sized avocado. Each serving of avocado contains 50 calories, although many people eat more than one serving in a sitting, and a whole avocado contains about 250 calories.

    Fat

    • Most of the calories in an avocado come from fat, with 4.5 g of fat per serving (making up 35 of the 50 calories). The good news is that most of the fat in avocados is monounsaturated fat (3 g), and each serving contains only 0.5 g of saturated fat. This makes avocados one of the healthier forms of fat that exist, and a very good alternative to foods high in saturated fat.

    Other Contents

    • The sodium and cholesterol contents of avocados are both negligible, and a serving of avocado has only 1 g of protein. There are 3 g of carbohydrates in a serving, 1 g of which is dietary fiber. This makes avocados a good choice for people on low-carbohydrate diets.

    Vitamins and Minerals

    • Avocados contain nearly 20 different vitamins and minerals, although in small quantity, with no more than 10 percent of your daily value of any vitamin or mineral in a serving of avocado. Some of the most notable vitamins are vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, potassium, iron, vitamin E and vitamin B6.

    Lutein

    • One of the most notable nutrition contents of avocados is lutein, a carotenoid, phytonutrient and natural antioxidant. A serving of avocado has 81 mcg of lutein, which can help with eye health because it is found in the macula of the eye. Consuming lutein can reduce the risk of macular degeneration with age.

    Health Benefits

    • A serving of avocado has 0.5 g of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, which have a number of potential health benefits, including increased brain health, reduced cancer risk and reduced risk of heart disease. Another health benefit of avocados is that, when used instead of foods like butter and cheese, they greatly reduce your intake of cholesterol, saturated fat and sodium.

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