A Simple, Healthy Meal Replacement

Whether it's a green smoothie or one of the many powdered fitness shakes on the market, meal replacement shakes seem to be all the rage right now. I like a good smoothie every once in a while (preferably with fruit and yogurt...yum!), but I personally will not use any kind of smoothie in place of a meal. Here's why:

• Cleaning our blender is a pain. I have no desire to do that every day.
• Meal replacement powders are expensive! I know people who use them and love them, and some who even sell them. I haven't tried any of these shakes, so I can't speak to the quality or health factor, but at this time I can't justify the cost when I feel we are already eating a pretty healthy, real food diet.
• I prefer to chew my food. Drinking a meal just doesn't satisfy me (even if it's filling), and I end up munching on something just to feel like I've eaten. That kind defeats the purpose of a meal replacement.

Instead, I have found a healthy, easy-to-prepare, easy-to-eat meal replacement. I don't need to break out my blender, and the only things I need to eat it are a sharp knife and a spoon.

Enter The Avocado:

I love avocados! Whether it's mashed up as guacamole or sliced on a sandwich (seriously, try it with grilled cheese), I haven't found an avocado I haven't liked. They're also really good for you. Just look at all these health benefits:

• Protein: An avocado contains between three and four grams of protein.
• Fiber: An avocado has 10 grams of dietary fiber.
• Vitamins: Avocados are rich in potassium and vitamins C, E, K, folate, lutein, and B6. In fact, an avocado contains over one-third the daily value of vitamin C and more than half of your daily requirement of vitamin K.
• Essential Fatty Acids and Amino Acids: Yes, our bodies do need fat. In fact, the heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat found in Avocados help you feel satiated, and help our bodies absorb key antioxidants.
  
  

Move over, banana! The avocado is nature's perfect food.

 

A Quick & Easy Lunch:

Several years ago, an expert on one of those morning news shows recommended that an avocado was a better choice than a protein bar if you needed a quick meal. Just cut it open and eat it with a spoon. This has quickly become one of my favorite ways to eat an avocado. Here are my three favorite ways to use it as a quick meal replacement:

Option 1: Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (emphasis on "a little" - the amount in the picture above is too much!). Scoop out the flesh with a spoon and enjoy! 

Option 2: Follow the directions above, only fill the hole left by the pit with salsa instead of sprinkling with salt and pepper. Eat with a spoon.
This is my favorite way to eat an avocado! It's like eating guacamole without all the work.  

Option 3: Fill the hole left by the pit with a little chicken salad or tuna. Yum!

Avocados are pretty economical. Depending on sales, I can get an avocado for $1-$2 each. That's about the cost of a Greek yogurt, and definitely less expensive per serving than a popular powdered meal replacement.
The best part about any of the options above is that they're quick to prepare and easy to eat. As a mom to a busy toddler, this is hugely important to me. I don't have a lot of time to make anything elaborate at lunch time!

More Ideas for Avocado:

Avocados are such a versatile food. They're delicious when chopped to top a salad, sliced and added to a sandwich, and of course, mashed into guacamole and served with chips. I've even seen recipes to use avocado in place of mayonnaise in chicken salad. You can find a few other fun ideas for avocados here.

 What's your favorite quick and easy lunch? How do you like to eat avocado?

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