Fire Up the Grill and Toss on Avocados
Move over meats and make room for something greener –fresh avocados. This cholesterol free, creamy fruit with naturally good fats is not only a great companion to any grilled protein; you can also throw them directly on the grill to infuse a deliciously smoky flavor. Easy Grilled Avocados Recipe. Or to use avocado as a traditional “topper” try The Works! Avocado Topper recipe to amp up your favorite grilled protein.
Hass Avocado Modulates Postprandial Vascular Reactivity and Postprandial Inflammatory Responses to a Hamburger Meal in Healthy Volunteers. Here’s what you should know.
A pilot study conducted at UCLA found that adding one-half of a fresh medium Hass avocado to a hamburger:
- May curb the production of compounds that contribute to inflammation
- Interleukin-6 levels, a protein that measures inflammation, peaked significantly after the plain burger was eaten (70% increase) and little effect was observed after the burger with avocado was eaten (40% increase) over the same time period.
- May reduce, within hours, the after-meal effects observed after eating a plain burger, specifically inflammation and narrowing blood vessels
- Does not elevate triglyceride levels any more than what was observed after the plain burger was eaten, despite the extra calories and monounsaturated fat from the avocado
For more information, view the scientific summary or full study.
Meats and veggies are not the only thing you can grill. Fire up the coals and sear some fresh avocados to obtain a deliciously smoky flavor. See our Easy Grilled Avocados Recipe.
