Is Avocado A Fruit Or Vegetable?

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

The avocado has earned a place of honor as one of the most popular foods due to its extremely useful nutrient content and its diverse culinary applications. Rich in fiber, potassium, healthy fats and powerful antioxidants, the benefits of avocado are many.

With this article we aim to end the debate on whether an avocado is a fruit or vegetable.

Fruit or vegetable?

The avocado is a fruit. Or more precisely - botanists define it as a large fruit with one seed.

Although not as sweet as most other fruits, it still fits the definition of a fruit, which is a sweet and fleshy fruit of a tree or other plant that contains seeds and can be consumed as food.

Avocados originate from Mexico and their fruits grow on trees. Its inside is creamy and with a smooth texture, and the outside is covered with an uneven, hard, dark green or black shell.

Half a small (or one-third of a medium-sized) avocado, which is about 50 g, is considered one serving. It contains about 94 calories and is full of healthy fats and nutrients with various health benefits.

How to distinguish fruits from vegetables

Both fruits and vegetables come from plants, so it is sometimes difficult to tell what is what. In fact, there is no official way to tell the difference. The main botanical difference, however, is which part of the plant they come from.

While fruits begin their life by the color of the plant and often contain seeds, vegetables usually include stems, flower buds, roots or leaves.

And while these are not scientific distinctions, they must be enough for you to be able to to distinguish most fruits and vegetables. From a culinary point of view, some fruits are often categorized as vegetables.

Fruits that are usually considered vegetables

The avocado is not the only fruit you can take for vegetables. Some fruits can be used for both fruit and vegetables. They are fruits from a botanical point of view, but are categorized as vegetables in cooking or food science.

Here are some of them:

- tomatoes;

- cucumbers;

- zucchini;

- pumpkins;

- peppers;

- squash pumpkin;

- olives;

- aubergines;

How to include avocado in your diet?

Photo: Albena Assenova

Avocados have many culinary applications. It is most often used in the manufacture of guacamole. The process is easy and involves squeezing the avocado of pasta and mixing it with lemon juice. You can then add spices of your choice such as red onions, green onions, chili, tomatoes or peppers.

Avocados can be eaten raw, and for a better taste you can add a pinch of salt and pepper. It can also be added to salads. Due to its high fat content, it helps absorb vitamins from other vegetables in the diet. In addition, its smooth and creamy texture makes it a great choice for puddings or cocktails.

And another advantage of avocado - it can be used as a substitute for butter - be it for spreading or baking.