Fresh Avocado Dip {Guacamole}

Healthy foods like avocados are not only great for summertime dips and light meals, but because of it’s high protein content, avocados are perfect any time of year. Avocados contain monounsaturated fat which lessens your LDL (bad) cholesterol. Other benefits of avocados include vitamins B, E and K as well as anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties.

Incorporate more avocados into your meals by serving them as a dip with low-salt bagel or pita chips, or as an accompaniment to quesadillas or tacos.

• 2 cups chopped avocado (from 2 medium avocados)
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon salt-free seasoning
• 6 drops hot pepper sauce

Mash the avocado in a bowl with a fork until desired consistency. Mix in the cilantro, lime juice, garlic powder, ground cumin, salt-free seasoning, and hot pepper sauce. Serve immediately.

Yield: 1 ½ cups – Serves 6

Nutrition per ¼ cup serving:

Calories: 98 kcal
Sodium: 6 mg
Potassium: 301 mg
Magnesium: 17 mg
Calcium: 9 mg
Fat: 9 g (EPA 0g, DHA 0g, ALA <1g)
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Carbohydrate: 5 g
Dietary fiber: 4 g
Sugars: <1 g
Protein: 1 g

Copyright © 2013 by Janet Brill, Ph.D.

Janet Bond Brill, Ph.D.

Janet Bond Brill, Ph.D., R.D., LDN, author of Blood Pressure Down: The 10-Step Plan to Lower Your Blood Pressure in 4 Weeks -- Without Prescription Drugs, is a nationally recognized expert in cardiovascular disease prevention and the author of Cholesterol Down and Prevent a Second Heart Attack. She has been a nutritionist in private practice for many years. For more information, visit DrJanet.com and Amazon.

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