Recipe: Avocado "Yoghurt"
Fave low-carb, high fat snack
Being on a low-carb, high-fat diet is actually pretty great. Sometimes you have to think a little more consciously about what you're eating, especially when you are dining out, but on the whole, if you're organised, I think it is sustainable. For the way I feel and how my body is functioning it's definitely worth it.
It's coming up to four months of this lifestyle and I've been exercising along side this. So in terms of energy, it is more than enough to sustain some intense gym, running and cycling sessions, which I was originally skeptical of. I just completed my first sprint duathlon (3.2km run / 16km cycle / 3.2km run) - all on a low carb lifestyle.
After my three month stint with a holistic personal trainer (Penny) I allowed some things back into my diet, like alcohol and a bit of dairy. Dairy is still apart of the Keto Diet, however to test whether it reduced my eczema, I cut that out too.
Consuming fat (trans and saturated fat) is bad for your health and can contribute to heart disease. But there are good fats - unsaturated (mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated) that are really good for our heath. This can be found in peanut butter, nuts, seeds, plant oils and avocados!
Avocado is about 75% good fat, and is cholesterol and sodium free. It is high in calories though – but if you are exercising regularly like me now, then calories isn’t something I tend to worry about too much.
I've been playing around with different recipes (often using my Ninja Kitchen) and avocado has been the staple food item that I always keep on hand in my fruit basket. It’s great, because it can be used to replace so much. I love using it to thicken up smoothies and also use it in my baking - as well as knowing I'm getting a good dose of 'good fats' for the day.
This avocado yoghurt was introduced to me by my PT, when she bought me a jar that she made. So I went home and learned to make it just how I like it. I usually store it in a recycled jar and keep it in the fridge so that I can eat it at breakfast or if I need a snack in the afternoon, or if I know I’ll be out late, I’ll throw it in my bag and take it with me to tide me over before dinner.
Avocados are quite cheap here in the UK at the moment, but sometimes hard to find ripe'n ready. Thank goodness I currently don't live in NZ where it's $9 for ONE avocado right now!... Here in London, I bulk buy avocados in advance (either at farmers markets or the supermarket) and let them ripen up naturally over the week so I can use them the following week. Little tip, if you want to hurry up the process, put a bunch of bananas on top of them or altogether in a paper bag. Bananas release ethylene which triggers ripening.
Not only is this recipe tasty, but I eat it in place of yoghurt, because I want to reduce my dairy intake. The lime juice gives it a nice tang, and the coconut milk gives it a creamy taste. The desiccated coconut and chia seeds give it some texture and bulks it out a little. Honey is optional, if you like it sweeter, just add more or if you don’t need it at all, then that’s even better!
Best had with some berries and a really delicious cup of (TGITC) coffee ;)
Avocado "Yoghurt" Recipe:
*Dairy Free *Gluten Free *Sugar free *Keto
Ingredients:
1 whole avocado (medium sized)
1/4 cup / 60ml Coconut milk (more if you want it runnier)
3/4 to 1 teaspoon of honey (preferably raw)
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1 Juicy Lime
2 teaspoons of chia seeds
Method
Throw all the ingredients into a food processor and whiz until smooth...thats it! If there's too much avocado, then add a little more coconut milk to thin the mixture.
So quick, tasty and GOOD FOR YOU!
Enjoy! x