Avocado City

I'm OBSESSED with avocados. They're one of the best foods you can eat post-workout. They have more potassium than a banana, can be swapped out for butter, used as moisturizers and hair conditioners, and they are LOADED with protein. A half of an avocado runs about 160-180 calories.. but before you go gasping, they're good calories. They have unsaturated fat, which is good for your body. Yes, there are good fats out there! They also load up your body with vitamin C and vitamin K. Avocados, people!

My favorite snack is very simple. I typically use a whole avocado, because I treat it as lunch with a piece of fruit, and because it is difficult to save an avocado once you cut into it (quick tip for saving---keep the pit. It preserves it for longer!).

Some people may be wondering... how do you even tackle an avocado? It's really easy. First of all, the darker green the avocado, the riper it is. You want it to be squishy, but not too squishy. If it's too hard, it will be alot more difficult to cut and won't exactly taste the same. Sometimes I buy two squishy ones and two harder ones if I know I will be using them later in the week. Also, I store them in the fridge. I prefer them cold as opposed to room temperature. Take a knife, carefully, of course, and slice the avocado in half, the long way. Placing your hands each on one side of the cut line, twist the halves in different directions and they should twist apart easily. One side will still hold the pit. My best way for removing the pit is prying it (again, carefully) with a knife. Once removed, I simply take the knife and slice each half like a grid. Horizontal lines, and vertical lines. Then take the avocado, and flip it inside out, and all of the squares should fall out. Sometimes they need a little help, but yes, it's that easy.

Next, I take a half of a tomato and cut it up into squares or triangles. My favorite type of tomatoes are vine ripe. To me, they're the most flavorful. You can use whatever kind you want. Next, I combine both the tomatoes and avocados and drizzle it with olive oil. Then I sprinkle on some dried basil, and add salt and pepper to taste.

This snack is to die for. It's delicious and addicting, and I eat it probably 3 times a week. Enjoy!