Dietary Guidelines, MyPlate Food Guide & Where Avocados Fit In (2024)

FAQs

Dietary Guidelines, MyPlate Food Guide & Where Avocados Fit In? ›

While botanically a fruit, MyPlate includes avocados as a member of the Vegetable Group based on how they are typically eaten and how their taste is described. MyPlate recommends adults consume 2-4 cups of vegetables per day and 3 1/2 – 7 cups of “other vegetables”, like avocados, a week. One avocado counts as one cup.

For example, tomatoes, avocados, eggplants, cucumbers, green peppers, zucchini, butternut squash, and others are classified as fruits by botanists because they are the fleshy plant part surrounding its seeds. However, for nutritional and culinary purposes, these foods are considered to be vegetables rather than fruits.

Avocados are berries (yes, berries!) in the Lauraceae (laurel) family and are sometimes called alligator pears. Some of the other members of the laurel family include bay leaves, cinnamon, camphor and sassafras.

The recommended serving size is one-third of a medium avocado. Research suggests eating avocados might help prevent cancer, arthritis, depression, and inflammation. They also contain fiber, potassium, and folate, among other important nutrients.

So contrary to popular belief, an avocado is not a vegetable it is a fruit. However, nutritionally avocados are more like a vegetable and are listed as such in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Avocado is a fruit. More specifically, botanists define it as a large berry with a single seed. Although it's not nearly as sweet as many other fruits, it falls under the definition of fruit, which is “the sweet and fleshy product of a tree or other plant that contains seed and can be eaten as food” (1).

While botanically a fruit, MyPlate includes avocados as a member of the Vegetable Group based on how they are typically eaten and how their taste is described. MyPlate recommends adults consume 2-4 cups of vegetables per day and 3 1/2 – 7 cups of “other vegetables”, like avocados, a week. One avocado counts as one cup.

Avocado is a fruit!

While avocados are often prepared with salt and spice and consumed like, and alongside, vegetables, avocados are biologically fruits since they contain seeds and develop from the ovary of a flowering plant.

Avocado is botanically classified into three groups, which have been termed the Mexican (Persea americana var. drymifolia), Guatemalan (Persea nubigena var. guatemalensis) and West Indian (Persea americana var. americana) types or races.

Avocado (AV) belongs to the genus Persea and is classified in the family of Lauraceae. It is also known as the AV pear or alligator pear due to its shape and size. The AV tree is thought to have originated in South Central Mexico, Central America, and South America.

Is it OK to eat a whole avocado every day? ›

Study Finds Daily Avocado Consumption Is Linked to Better Diet—Here's Why. Nick Blackmer is a librarian, fact-checker, and researcher with more than 20 years of experience in consumer-facing health and wellness content. Researchers found that eating one whole avocado each day is associated with better diet quality.

The diet containing avocados improved blood lipid levels even more than a diet with oils that were high in oleic acid ( 8 ). The avocado diet also decreased LDL (bad) cholesterol by 10% and total cholesterol by 8%. It was also the only diet to decrease the number of LDL particles.

Avocados are unusual among fruits because they are high in fat. This means they contain a higher amount of energy (calories) than other fruits and vegetables.

However, this mix should be eaten in moderation. "The ideal way not to risk exaggerating with fat and calories is to bring to the table half avocado combined with two eggs, preferably hard-boiled, no more than a couple of times a week," says the expert, who here shares 5 good reasons to choose this meal combination.

The avocado consists of around 73% water, 15% fat, 8.5% carbohydrates — mostly fibers — and 2% protein. Half an avocado, at around 100 grams (g) contains 160 calories ( 1 ).

Avocados

Avocados are another extremely healthy, low-carb plant food. They're technically a fruit and happen to be very high in certain nutrients, especially fiber and potassium. Over 60% of its fats are monounsaturated, with small amounts of saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Since avocado is classified as a fruit and not a tree nut, you should be able to eat avocados even if you have a nut allergy. However, some studies have shown that avocados have similar proteins as chestnuts. So if you're allergic to chestnuts, you may have to avoid avocados.

Avocado is dairy free. Avocado does not contain milk and should be safe for those with a milk allergy.