Avocados are quite versatile. They can be mashed up into sauces or sides, sliced and placed in salads or sushi, or cut in half and eaten with a little vinaigrette. I tend to use the avocado raw, plain, and unadorned.

There is an art to preparing an avocado. Step one is to de-sticker the sucker so that you can compost the skin. Step two is to cut around the entire fruit longways and pull apart the two halves. Then you can get fancy with your knife work and hit the large seed with the knife so that it sticks into the seed a bit and then twist it out of its place and throw it away. The last step is gutting out the good parts. I usually just use a fork or a spoon.

Avocados contain the good fats, proteins, vitamins, potassium, and more.

Avocado or guacamole makes a great topping for any burrito or in any salad!

Less well-known is the avocado smoothie! I wholeheartedly recommend trying one of these bad boys, just be careful of the added sugar.

True story: When I had my wisdom teeth removed, I ate/drank avocado smoothies every day as I recovered. They are thick and delicious.

One of my favorite stores of all time carries avocados in a five pack, which is great because I eat 1/2-1 avocado every day. However, if you buy five near-ripe avocados they have a tendency to ripen all of a sudden and nobody likes an overripe and browning avocado. One trick I use is to stick a near ripe and ready avocado (or two) into the fridge to slow down the ripening process. Or, if it is too late and you must gut the avocado you can store the thick goodness in a Tupperware in your fridge to enjoy in spurts. It will turn brown but still be uber delicious and ready to consume! If it starts to smell funky then it’s time to chuck it. Generally I would never keep a gutted avocado (unless it’s store bought with preservatives but why do that when you can buy ’em fresh?) longer than a week in the fridge.

Pair your avocado with some salmon and you’ve got a super serving of those omega-3 fatty acids!