Stuffed Avocado: A Delicious Low-Carb Lunch

The perfect addition to your healthy lifestyle, avocados are flavorful, creamy, simple, and packed with nutrients. Stuff them with the right accoutrements, and you have on your hand a complete meal, whether it's an easy low-carb lunch or a quick no-cook snack recipe. Without question, stuffed avocados are a guaranteed crowd pleaser if you're cooking for others.

Stuffed avocado recipes are also easy to tailor to your preferences, whether that be chicken salad that is stuffed in an avocado half, or a plant-based vegan recipe with chickpeas. You can make these healthy recipes gluten-free, low-carb and keto friendly, depending on the ingredients, and as spicy (or not) as you like.

If you haven't been making stuffed avocados, they may be the delight you've been missing.

What are stuffed avocados?

Stuffed avocados are a flavorful addition to ripe avocados in their raw form – you simply halve an avocado, remove the pit, and then stuff the avocado half with your favorite recipes. You can think of avocados as a delicious vehicle for delicious fillings, like a taco shell is for taco's ground beef, cilantro and cheese.

Stuffed avocados are packed with essential nutrients, and the fillings they are stuffed with add a great balance of both macronutrients and micronutrients, in addition to the beneficial properties of avocados.

My favorite way to stuff an avocado is with chicken salad. It's a recipe that's extremely quick to whip up, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days, and chicken salad pairs nicely with the creamy taste of an avocado. But taco salad-stuffed and tuna stuffed avocados are also popular recipes.

Are avocados healthy?

Avocados are packed with healthy fats and potassium, they contain vitamin E, vitamin K and folate, and they are rich in fiber and low in sodium. Avocados are also versatile and easy to incorporate into new recipes. Additionally, they can help your body better absorb nutrients from food, such as the vitamin A from tomatoes and carrots.

When you think about adding something healthy to your diet, it's important to think about what is sustainable for your lifestyle. Avocados not only pack in the nutrients and minerals and have a delicious flavor that's easy to enjoy, they also fit nicely into several well-known eating regimens, including the Mediterranean diet and the keto diet. Both of these diets encourage the consumption of avocados, because like other healthy fats, they support cardiovascular health, already-healthy blood sugar levels and a high-quality diet. Avocado oil is another way to enjoy this fruit's nutrients and health benefits.

Healthy Stuffed Avocado Recipe

Although taco stuffed avocados with cilantro, tomato and jalapeno peppers are a popular recipe, avocado halves can be stuffed with a wide variety of salad recipes, including my favorite: chicken salad.

Ingredients

6 Hass avocados
½ lb chicken, cooked and shredded
¼ cup mayonnaise
⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup red onion, chopped
Fresh parsley, chopped

Seasoning mix

½ tsp garlic salt
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp paprika
1 tsp dried parsley

Preparation

• Cut avocados in half, remove pit, and set avocado halves aside.
• Add chicken to bowl and stir in mayonnaise and Greek yogurt.
• Mix in onions and seasoning mix. Combine well.
• Spoon mixture into avocado halves.
• Serve topped with fresh parsley.

Nutritional Values

Recipe serves 6
Per serving
Calories: 390
Protein: 14 grams
Carbohydrates: 16 grams
Fat: 30 grams

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes.

Stuffed avocado recipe with a vegetarian twist

Avocados are just showing off when this recipe adds a vegetarian twist. How? Simply follow the recipe above, but substitute 15 oz of chickpeas for the chicken and swap out the mayonnaise and yogurt for vegan mayonnaise. This recipe is just as flavorful, and just as simple, but with a vegetarian twist. The directions for this recipe are the same as above.

Ingredients

6 avocados
15 oz can chickpeas, drained
½ cup vegan mayonnaise
¼ cup red onion, chopped
Fresh parsley, chopped

Seasoning mix

½ tsp garlic salt
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp paprika
1 tsp dried parsley

What goes well with stuffed avocados?

The chicken or chickpea salad inside these recipes provide a well-balanced nutrition profile and versatility in textures and flavors. Try out different salad or stuffing recipes that fit both your taste buds and your lifestyle.

If you need ideas for salad mixtures, try the following:

• Shrimp ceviche

• Scrambled eggs with bacon, bell pepper and cheese

• Bruschetta with tomato, black beans and cheese

• Cheesy taco meat with peppers

• Tuna salad

• Cabbage slaw

• Artichoke dip

You can also get creative with various toppings. Fried onions can add a crunch, fresh herbs like cilantro can add freshness, and sesame seeds or crushed peanuts can add depth of flavor. The coolness of sour cream pairs well with taco seasoning and peppers. Lime juice can also dress up your salad recipe. Get creative! Many of your favorite ingredients are a great pair with an avocado.

Are you getting enough Vitamin E from avocados?

I find it very satisfying to eat a whole avocado, but did you know the recommended serving size of a medium Hass avocado is one-fifth of the fruit? Although an avocado is packed with nutrients, including vitamin E, 100 grams only provides about 2 mg of vitamin E. (The recommended daily intake of vitamin E is around 15 mg, and this level is sufficient only to avoid nutrient deficiency. Life Extension recommends much greater levels for optimal health.) If you aren't getting vitamin E from other dishes on your table, you might want to consider a vitamin E supplement to take advantage of the health benefits of this nutrient.

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that helps to protect cells from the effects of oxidative stress, supports nerve and eye health, promotes healthy cognitive function, and helps to maintain a healthy immune response. Choose vitamin E supplements that are non-synthetic, which makes it more bioavailable for maximum whole-body health benefits.

References

• Dreher, M. L., & Davenport, A. J. "Hass Avocado Composition and Potential Health Effects." National Library of Medicine. May 2013. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3664913/
• "Vitamin E." Harvard. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-e/