People don’t just like avocados, people love them. Obsessed really, adding them into every meal or smoothie possible. They’re so popular an avocado emoji is supposedly arriving soon 😍 Sure they’re nutritious—check out my earlier post on the nutritional value of avocados. But it’s more about its creamy satisfaction that balances out a crunchy salad, the cool richness that complements a warm soup, and the buttery lushness that makes a slice of toast a decadent treat. Just use the hashtag #avocadolove on any social media outlet and you’ll see what I mean.

Below are a few of my Instagram posts honoring the amazing avocado.

Avocado Protein Toast: With a fork, mash 1/2 a ripe avocado with 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas in a small bowl. Add some lemon juice, a few sprigs of chopped dill and a dash of salt. Spread on whole grain toast or crackers. For crunch and more protein, sprinkle with sunflower seeds or chopped nuts (or just eat the nuts on the side like I did below!).

Avocado Rose: These offer a wow factor to any dish but don’t tell your friends and family how simple they are to make! Click here for a tutorial. Display on top of a salad or grain dish…

…or toast.

Avocado Pasta: The recipe is from my previous blog post Low Carb Creamy Avocado Pasta. This particular dish was intended to be a snack or side dish, as it does not contain enough protein or other nutrients to be a meal. But you can easily change that by mixing in beans, tofu, tempeh or nuts, and more vegetables. For a meal I’d also use a whole grain pasta instead of the very low calorie shirataki noodles. This is wonderful comfort food without the usual comfort food guilt!