Avocado Chicken Salad Recipe | We are not Martha (2024)

FAQs

What are the health benefits of avocado chicken salad? ›

Not only delicious, but this salad is packed with protein, healthy fats, and plenty of vitamins and minerals. It's a great way to add some variety to your diet and enjoy the health benefits of avocados and chicken.

Avocados can brown when exposed to the air, so let them be the last ingredient you add before serving to help keep them green for your presentation.

Because avocados are high in antioxidants, regularly eating avocados may help increase the body's antioxidant defenses. A small study that included 45 people found that eating an avocado a day increased blood levels of the carotenoid lutein compared with a typical Western diet without avocado.

Still, using ingredients such as mayonnaise or serving the salad on a croissant adds calories and fat. Therefore, it's best to enjoy chicken salad occasionally in moderate portions and as part of a well-rounded diet.

Ah yes, the age-old question - how to thicken up chicken salad. Well, my trusty kitchen companions, one of the easiest and most foolproof ways is to add a few spoonfuls of Greek yogurt to the mix. This will help to give the salad a creamy texture and a bit of a tangy flavor. Enjoy!

The cold, hard truth is that just because you start a meal with lettuce doesn't mean it's always going to be considered “light.” If your salad is full of add-ons like chicken or steak, cheese, beans, croutons, a heavy dressing, and other toppings like tortilla chips, you're now eating a pretty big meal, which can ...

Cold meat just doesn't smell or taste as flavorful as it does at room temperature or warmer. This is why chilled chicken, even on salads, isn't as delicious as it could be. Warming that chicken before adding it to your salad would return it to its juicy, satisfying best.

For comparison, avocado is about ½ the calories of mayo: two tablespoons of avocado contain 50 calories compared with 100 calories for the same amount of mayonnaise. Avocado also contains half the fat (4.5g to 9g) and is cholesterol free.

The combination you want to stay away from is eating avocados (a fat) with nuts (a protein). The raw fat properties of the avocado have an inhibiting effect of the digestion of the protein in nuts.

Enjoy your guac while you still can: Why some chefs are smashing the avocado trend. Some chefs are moving away from using avocados in their restaurants due to concerns over the fruits' large carbon footprint, unsustainable harvesting methods, and role in organized crime.

When not to use an avocado? ›

Avocados are rotten if they're mushy when squeezed, brown or moldy inside, and have developed rancidity or a sour smell. You may be able to salvage part of the fruit if it's just starting to brown inside and the rest of the fruit looks, smells, and tastes fine.

Avocados are high in fat with 60 per cent of this being monounsaturated fats, which research suggests helps to protect against heart disease and lower blood pressure. They are also an excellent source of potassium, folate and fibre, all of which benefit the heart and cardiovascular system.

"Avocados contain lutein and zeaxanthin, two phytochemicals that are especially concentrated in the tissues in the eyes where they provide antioxidant protection to help minimize damage, including from ultraviolet light," according to Medical News Daily.

A daily dose of avocado is good for your heart. Research has shown that people who eat avocados every day have higher levels of HDL, the "good" cholesterol. Avocados also may be good for your gut biome. But they're high in calories, so stick to recommended serving sizes.