This month saw National Guacamole Day - and we felt it was only fitting to share some fantastic recipes to include this gut-boosting food into your diet. 

Originating in Mexico, Guacamole is an avocado-based dip that traditionally contains tomatoes and salt but has been adapted to contain many complimenting ingredients such as onion, lime or lemon juice, chilli pepper and garlic.¹

Avocado is a superfood for the gut. When you add other ingredients, such as tomatoes and onion, to make your guacamole, you’ve got fantastic healthy food on your hands!

Is Avocado Good for the Gut?

Avocados can sometimes get a bad rap due to being high in fat. It’s important to remember, though, that healthy fats are essential to our survival! Avocado contains monounsaturated fats, which can help to maintain healthy cholesterol levels.² 

Cholesterol is essential in allowing your body to produce bile; bile helps your body to break down food and absorb the nutrients within the intestines.

If there is too much cholesterol in the bile, the excess creates crystals and hard stones in the gallbladder (part of the digestive tract), which can be extremely painful and sometimes require surgery.³

A study on the benefits of daily avocado consumption found that participants who did consume avocado daily had more good bacteria in the gut that break down fibre and produce metabolites that support a healthy gut.

The diversity of the gut microbiomes in these participants was better compared to those in the study that did not eat avocado.⁴

Avocados can be really versatile, and adding guacamole to meals or snacks can be a great way to boost your gut! Here are some recipes to help you get your dose of avo:

Loaded Jacket Potato:

Are you looking for an easy, delicious, filling meal? We’ve got you covered! 

Ingredients:

• Jacket Potato
• Bacon (or meat-substitute)
• Sour creme
• Chives
• Avocado
• Onion
• Salt 
• Tomatoes

Method:

First, chuck your potato in the oven at around 200 degrees or gas mark 6. Leave for approximately 45 minutes to cook, but remember; the longer it cooks, the crispier it’ll be on the outside and the softer it’ll be on the inside.

Whilst it’s baking, you can make your toppings. Add bacon to a frying pan and cook until crispy. Add finely chopped chives and stir. Leave to cool. 

Now to make your guac. Carefully cut your avocado and remove the stone. A top tip for removing the avocado from the shell is to slice it into squares whilst it’s still in the shell and then squeeze it into a bowl. It makes far less mess and ensures you don’t leave any behind!

Mash the guac in a bowl until it’s a consistency you enjoy. Add chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper and raw onion. 

Get your potato out of the oven and open it up (carefully - it’ll be scolding hot inside!). Add sour creme, the bacon and chives mix, and then pop the guac on top. Enjoy!

Fish Burgers and Guac:

The beauty of this recipe is the flavour combinations as well as the array of great gut-boosting foods! Avocado goes wonderfully with fish; the omega-3 content is excellent for reducing inflammation and helping digestion. 

Ingredients:

• Tuna (or fish of choice)
• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Mashed Potatoes
• 1 egg
• Breadcrumbs
• Avocado
• 1/4 of an onion
• 1/2 Jalapeno pepper
• Tomatoes (chopped)
• Lime juice
• Mayonnaise
• Wholemeal bun

Method:

Take your fish of choice (we recommend tuna for its omega-3 content), ketchup, mustard and mashed potatoes.

Form fishcake shapes that are to your liking. Beat an egg and place it in a bowl big enough for you to dip your fishcakes into. Once they are covered, dip them in the breadcrumbs onto a greased baking tray. 

Whilst these are baking, time to make your guac. Add 1 sliced avocado, ¼ of a finely sliced onion, ½ a finely sliced jalapeno pepper, chopped tomatoes, lime juice and 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise; mix. You can blend it if you like smooth guacamole or keep it chunky. 

Spread the guacamole on top of the fishcake, and add a wholemeal bun to create burgers. Add a salad of your choice, and enjoy!

Conclusion

Avocado is not only delicious, but it can be super fun to include avocado (or as guacamole) into your diet. It is so versatile that it can literally be used at any time of day! Who doesn't love smashed avocado on toast?! 

How will you try including avocado in your diet?