Happy Monday guys! I hope you all had a fabulous Father’s Day celebrating and seeing family. Did you get a chance to try my blueberry pancakes for brunch over the weekend? I hope you loved them as much as we do! If you haven’t had a chance to make them yet, they also are delicious for dinner too….just saying (not speaking from experience or anything…haha).
Moving on to today’s recipe though! Confession: I actually have THREE other recipes that have something to do with blueberries already tested that I’m really excited about, but thought after last week with ALL the blueberry recipes we should take a break from fruit. Finally, a lunch/dinner recipe!
As you may already know, I’m not a huge fan of mayo. But as evidenced here, I definitely have a thing for avocados. Since discovering avocado toast last December, I religiously have eaten at least a ½ an avocado a day. I pretty much plan my grocery trips around when we are out of avocados (not even joking lol).
Avocados: Nutrition
So what’s the big deal with avocados anyways? Aren’t they full of fat? Well yes…but it’s heart-healthy fat! You may or may not know that I currently work as a clinical registered dietitian covering the heart institute at a large regional hospital. Needless to say, I talk with patients A LOT about heart-healthy nutrition education. Providing nutrition education and counseling is hands-down my favorite part of my job. Allow me to nerd out for a minute here with my love obsession with avocados…?
Heart Healthy Fats
A lot of people I interact with at work think they need to eat a low-fat diet to be heart-healthy, which was instilled in the low-fat diet craze of the ’80s and ’90s. But it’s not necessarily the amount of fat as much as the TYPE of fat. Avocados are filled with poly and monounsaturated fats, which can help reduce blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk for heart disease (source). Avocados are a great substitute for foods higher in saturated fat (such as mayo and butter), which are not as heart healthy.
Fiber
Not only do avocados contain heart-healthy fats, they also contain fiber! Just 1/3 of an avocado provides 3 grams of fiber! Most Americans do not get enough fiber in their diet. Fiber is found in whole grains, fruits, and veggies. Speaking of fruit…did you know that avocados are technically a fruit? Increasing your fiber consumption can also help reduce your risk of heart disease. Fiber also helps keep you feeling full…and helps with improved digestion as we all know. ?
As you can tell by the pictures, I enjoy this salad over greens, as a sandwich, or eaten plain! I will say this is best served right after it’s made since avocados tend to brown quickly. I’ve eaten leftovers the next day though and it still tastes great. ? Hope you enjoy this!
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 avocado
- ¼-1/2 cup diced red onion
- ¼-1/2 cup diced celery
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Mash chickpeas and avocado together in large bowl.
- Add all other ingredients and mix until combined.
- Great for sandwiches, on top of salads, or eaten plain by the spoonful!
alternative to onion?
tomato could be
You could try tomato! But that will add more moisture and a very different texture. You can always omit the onion if you want.
I made this one yesterday and we didn’t have to worry about leftovers–it was great! We ate it on crackers with little cherry tomatoes on top–beautiful and healthy. Topped it off with Monster Cookies!!
Oh I’m so excited you made both recipes already and liked then both! 🙂 the tomatoes with the avocado salad is a great idea…I will definitely have to try that next time! Especially with garden fresh tomatoes.
Yumm! I am firmly on the avocado train as well. The dill is a great idea since pretty soon it’s going to be all over the farmer’s market. I’m always looking for new ways to use herbs.
Liv
http://www.whatlivlikes.com
Yes!! I planted herbs in our garden for the first time this year and am loving having them! Hope you love this recipe 🙂
Such a great recipe! I love avocados and chickpea together!
Thank you so much! Yes, they make a great combination! 🙂
Your pictures on this post were great. I especially liked the one of all the ingredients – looks like a cooking show.
My latest thing has been guacomole and hummus so I’m sure I would like this recipe and will try it as soon as I go to store. How do you store avocados? And I tried avocado toast for first time this morning and loved it!
Yes I think the ingredient shot is probably my favorite picture for this post as well! Thank you 🙂
I’m glad you tried and liked avocado toast! Seriously a daily staple for me.
I store avocados on the counter for the first day or two if they are hard and unripe, but then like to store them in the fridge as they last much longer that way.