How to Eat Avocado for Weight Loss

Co-authored by Claudia Carberry, RD, MS

Last Updated: February 4, 2023 References

Avocado is a flavorful fruit that contains monounsaturated fats, which are the healthiest kind of fats. Currently, researchers are studying if eating avocado can help people lose weight.^{[1]
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Research source} Research is ongoing, but the results of previous studies suggest that eating avocados may help people manage their weight.^{[2]
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Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source} Incorporate avocado into your diet, especially to replace unhealthy fats, and see if it helps to boost your weight loss efforts!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Integrating Avocado into Your Diet

1
Eat avocado every day. For example, you can spread avocado onto a sandwich in place of mayo, add sliced avocado to a salad, incorporate avocado into a wrap, or make guacamole. How much avocado you eat will depend on your calorie goals and preferences.^{[3]
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Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source}
- Keep in mind that the average avocado has about 322 calories. Half an avocado has 161 calories.
- You can consume the avocado all at once, or spread it throughout the day. For example, you could have ¼ of an avocado mixed into a smoothie for breakfast and ¼ of an avocado mashed, mixed with salsa, and enjoyed with veggie slices.
2
Use avocado in place of other fats. Avocado can help you to feel full longer because of the fat each fruit contains. Make sure that you replace the fats in your diet with avocado. Do not add avocado as an additional fat source or you may end up consuming too many calories in a day, as a whole avocado has 322 calories.
- For example, you could replace the sour cream on your baked potato with avocado slices, spread avocado over a slice of toast instead of butter, or replace the cheese on a sandwich with a few slices of avocado.
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3
Substitute an equal amount of avocado for butter in baked goods. Avocado works well as a 1 to 1 substitution for butter in baked goods, which can reduce the saturated fat and cholesterol in your meals. Replace all of some of the butter in your recipes with an equal amount of mashed avocado.
- This is a great way to reduce saturated fat and cholesterol in cookies, muffins, and cakes. You can replace all or some of the butter. If you replace all of the butter in a recipe with avocado, decrease the oven temperature by 25 °F (−4 °C).^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Substituting Avocado for Other Ingredients

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Make an avocado-based dressing instead of a cream-based dressing. Salad dressings can be laden with saturated fats and cholesterol. Using avocado as a base for your dressing is a great way to include more avocado in your diet. Swap an equal amount of avocado for sour cream or mayonnaise when making a salad dressing.^{[5]
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- For example, if the recipe calls for 8 oz (230 g) of sour cream, use 8 oz (230 g) of mashed avocado instead.
2
Use avocado as a base for pudding when you have a sweet tooth. Pudding recipes often call for whole milk and eggs which contain lots of saturated fat and cholesterol. Instead, use a fork or food processor to mix 1 whole mashed avocado with 0.5 to 1 oz (14 to 28 g) of sugar or honey, 1 to 2 oz (28 to 57 g) of cocoa powder, and 0.5 fl oz (15 mL) of vanilla for a quick and easy chocolate pudding.^{[6]
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- You can add in other flavors and thickeners if you like, such as 1 fl oz (30 mL) of coconut cream, a dash of cinnamon, a pinch of salt, or ¼ of a mashed banana.
3
Coat noodles in avocado instead of pesto or cream-based sauces. Pestos and Alfredo sauces are high in fat, and it is often saturated fat. Try swapping your pesto or cream sauce for 2 mashed avocados. Mix the avocados in with 1 16 oz (450 g) box of cooked pasta. Add 0.5 oz (14 g) of fresh basil and a salt and pepper to taste.^{[7]
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- You can also season your avocado pasta sauce with the juice of 1 lime or lemon, 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes, and 0.25 oz (7.1 g) of cumin or chili powder for a spicy avocado pasta sauce.
4
Replace mayonnaise with avocado to cut cholesterol and saturated fat. Mayonnaise is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, so swap it for avocado. You can spread avocado on sandwiches or use an equal amount of avocado in place of mayo in recipes.^{[8]
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- For example, instead of spreading mayo on your bread for a turkey sandwich, spread on ¼ of a mashed avocado.
- Instead of adding 4 oz (110 g) of mayo to a casserole recipe, use 4 oz (110 g) of mashed avocado.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Adding Avocado to Recipes

1
Toss chunks of avocado onto a salad for a quick way to use it. An easy way to get more avocado into your meals is to toss a few chunks into your salad. Cut ¼ to ½ of an avocado into 0.5 in (1.3 cm) chunks and add them to your salad just before you eat it.^{[9]
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- Avocado works especially well in Southwest salads. Top lettuce with ½ a cup of black beans, 4 oz (110 g) of salsa, 4 oz (110 g) of corn, and 4 oz (110 g) of avocado chunks. Add hot sauce to taste and enjoy!
2
Add a few slices of avocado to a sandwich or burger instead of cheese. To cut down on the saturated fats in your sandwiches and burgers, replace the cheese with avocado. Cut ¼ to 1/2 of an avocado into slices and layer them on your sandwich or burger just before you eat it.^{[10]
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- For example, you could have a grilled avocado sandwich instead of a grilled cheese, enjoy a tuna sub with avocado instead of Swiss cheese, or have a turkey burger with a few slices of avocado instead of a piece of cheddar cheese.
3
Mix avocado into your hummus for a savory dip. Avocado adds richness to hummus that will keep you feeling full for longer. Try mixing ½ to 1 whole avocado into a batch of hummus for a simple, satisfying dip to enjoy with fresh cut veggies.^{[11]
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- You can make an easy avocado hummus dip with 1 can of drained and rinsed chickpeas, the juice of ½ of a lemon, 0.25 oz (7.1 g) of salt, and ½ of an avocado. Put all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend until the ingredients are smooth and well combined.
4
Blend half of an avocado into a smoothie for a rich taste. Avocado has a mild flavor that will take a back seat to most other ingredients you add to a smoothie. Try adding ¼ to ½ of an avocado to a smoothie recipe for an easy, delicious way to enjoy avocados.
- For example, you could blend ½ of an avocado with 4 fl oz (120 mL) of almond milk, 1 banana, and 8 oz (230 g) of frozen blueberries.^{[12]
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