The easiest snack ever

Sadly, one of my favorite foods often gets a bad rap. Avocados are a natural healthy fat and a great addition to any diet. So smooth and creamy, it can even be part of a dessert (see that here). But I wanna share what my daughter and I discovered when she was still living at home. It’s basically the easiest snack ever.

You know how it is…the kids come home from school or maybe it’s you, coming home from work, and the “hungries” strike. Supper’s still a little ways away, and everybody just needs a little “pick me up” until meal time arrives. You’ll love this quick recipe to sooth those hungry tummies. But first…

The bad rap

It’s hard to choose an avocado because they seem to ripen on the sly (how to test them in the store is here). So, let’s just face it…sometimes you will open your avocado only to see this…

I know, it’s disappointing. That’s why I almost always have two avocados – as insurance! You never wanna depend on just one to be perfect…cause chances are it won’t be.

But let’s also be real and accept there’s a lot of good still in this avocado. Sure, the end is bad (may mean some of the skin edges are bad too), but a quick pull of the skin or slip of the knife and the bad stuff is gone. My depression era grandparents would say, “Eat around it.” And I often do.

Guacamole can be the easiest snack ever

Honestly, you don’t even need a recipe to enjoy your avocado plain with a little salt. But if you’re looking for a little kick, here’s the recipe my daughter and I came up with in a rush one day.

• 1 avocado
• 1 Tbsp lemon or lime juice
• Taco seasoning to taste (start with 1 tsp)

Simply mash the peeled avocado with the juice and mix well. Then stir in the taco seasoning and enjoy on crackers, on chips, even just by the spoonful! Did I say EASY?

Keeping leftovers

You may not have any if more than one person is eating it, but if it’s just you, probably shouldn’t eat it all in one sitting. Here’s another place avocados get a bad rap…they don’t keep well once cut. I’ve tried just about every trick and generally putting guacamole in a glass jar with the top on in the fridge has worked the best for me. If you remember to keep the pit, putting that in with it can help even more. But it’s still gonna turn in a day or two. Maybe it’s your snack one afternoon and part of avocado toast the next morning!

The good, the bad, and the ugly

Let’s do this in reverse. Yes, an avocado gone bad can be pretty ugly, and it’s hard to catch them just as they ripen, without any brown spots. And I’m not happy to find Kroger and others spray them to make them last longer on the shelf (hmmm does it really? and does whatever the spray is permeate the skin? I buy mine elsewhere).

If we can find clean options and “eat around it” though, these are a wonderful vegetable ( “what’s the difference between a veg and a fruit” info here) to grab when on sale and enjoy as a snack. But always remember to get two –  just in case!