An avocado a day keeps the doctor away?

Developing a daily avocado habit can lead to better food choices, according to a recent study. The study of 1,000 participants split them up into two groups, with one eating an avocado each day and the other eating their regular diet. Researchers found that the first group ended up making better dietary decisions overall, eating more vegetables and fewer foods that contained sodium, refined grains, or added sugar.

The big question, of course, is why, but the study didn’t examine the reasons people shifted their eating habits by consuming a daily avocado, it just noted a correlation. Researchers have a few educated guesses, the first being that the avocado “crowded out” other foods because it was filling and left less room for other items. The second theory is that foods that naturally pair well with avocado tend to be healthy options. “They pair so well with other nutrient-dense foods,” says registered dietician Jessica Cording.

Avocados are affordable in many parts of the US – they are currently selling for under $1 USD near me – making them a good value for the amount of nutrition you receive. But before you load up your cart with dozens of avocados, you may want to consider their environmental impact. I am an avocado stan and since I didn’t eat my first avocado until I was in my 30s (an artifact of living in a rural area), I feel like I need to make up for lost time. With more than 11,000 online recipes containing avocados in the EYB Library – 4,000+ with avocado in the title – there are plenty of ways for me to enjoy these luscious fruits.