Digestible Dietitian Bites

By Denice Hynd RD, MPH

Recipe and Image by Brianda Younggren, MPH 1/2023 

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The New Year has arrived and we are looking forward to a year full of bright colors, fiber, and as much nutrient dense food as a plate can hold! Avocados and tomatoes marry well in almost all dishes and this salad holds true to that! Although heirloom tomatoes are a summer and fall crop, most grocery stores import them from warmer climates and for this dish we are A-Okay with that. 

 

Why we love this Heirloom Tomato and Avocado Salad: 

Avocados are known for their creamy and meaty texture which is attributed from the healthy amounts of fat in each avocado. Additionally, avocados are an excellent source of fiber and potassium. Fiber, as you may remember helps us stay regular, it regulates or LDL (bad) cholesterol and helps us stay fuller for a longer period of time. Potassium is a mineral that is essential in muscle contraction and is an electrolyte that helps minimize muscle cramping. Also - did you know the original name for avocado was alligator-pear. Neat!

 

Tomatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C, which during the cold and flu season we can't get enough. Tomatoes are also a great way to get more "bound" water into our diet. We receive "free" or "fluid" water from the water we drink, but we also receive "bound" water from the foods we eat, tomatoes, watermelon and cucumbers are all excellent sources of high water foods. The fiber from the avocado paired with the bound water of the tomatoes helps our gut motility stay, well, mobile.....hahah! 

 

We also love this salad because it doesn't require culinary skill, special equipment, or an overwhelming amount of ingredients. If thin slices of avocado are challenging to cut, we can also achieve the same style and flavor by quartering a roma tomato, or halving a bunch of grape tomatoes. 

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Heirloom Tomato and Avocado Salad

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Recipe and Image by: Brianda Younggren, MPH 1/2023 

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Ingredients & Steps: 

• 1-2 ripe avocados peeled, and sliced or quartered

• 1-2 beef steak heirloom tomatoes, or 2 roma tomatoes quarterd

• fresh herbs of choice (consider dill, cilantro, basil, and chives)

• Olive oil

• Red or balsalmic vinegar

• sea salt

• any crunchy topping of your choice: air fryed chick-peas, fried garlic, toasted bread crumbs, or broken pretzel.

• Assembled everything together and eat same day. Once cut, the tomatoes will water-log in the refrigerator, it won't have the same texture as when it's consumed the day of. 

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How to pair this salad:

 

• with a piece of chicken or fish

• inside a feta and kalamata olive quesadilla

• over a bed of brown rice

• inside a whole wheat pita

• with cubed watermelon and balsalmic vinegar

 

Avocado Fun Facts:

• Avocados are native to the Americas 

• First domesticated by Mesoamerican tribes over 5,000 years ago 

• Botanically it is considered a large berry with a single seed 

• The plant was introduced to Spain in 1601, Indonesia in 1750, Brazil in 1809, the United States mainland in 1825, South Africa and Australia in the late 19th century 

• Specifically, the avocado was introduced to Florida and Hawaii in 1833 and California in 1856 

• Some ancient tribes use avocado as a euphemism for ‘testicle’ 

• It is known as “butter-fruit” in some parts of India and Hong Kong 

• To grow, they require a climate without frost and very little wind 

• Like a banana, the avocado is a climatic fruit, it matures on the tree but ripens off the tree