My 8 Favorite Ketogenic Avocado Recipes

8 Favorite Ketogenic Avocado Recipes

Avocados may just be one of the healthiest and most versatile foods around. I personally follow a cyclical ketogenic diet and avocados are a staple in my meals every day. With their combination of vitamins, minerals, prebiotic fiber, and healthy fats, I would recommend you find a way to eat at least one avocado every day. There are a number of ways I use avocado every day and these are some of my favorite ketogenic avocado recipes.

A lot of people have only tried avocados alone or in a guacamole recipe and believe they don’t enjoy them.  However, it is important to have an open mind and try them in a number of different ways.  Once you see how many ways avocados can be used, they may just become your new favorite food (if they weren’t already).

Benefits of Avocado

There are a wide range of benefits that can be derived from avocados, however certain benefits are particularly helpful on a ketogenic diet.

Potassium

When you are following a ketogenic diet, you need to cut most fruit from your eating plan. Most people think of bananas as the best source of potassium when in reality avocados actually tend to have twice as much potassium.

Being in ketosis drops insulin and signals the body to release excess water, draining important minerals as well. Ensuring you are getting plenty of electrolytes like potassium will ensure you are operating at peak performance.

Magnesium

I talk about magnesium all the time being one of the most vital and underestimated minerals in the body. Much like potassium, magnesium is an electrolyte that helps to ensure the nervous system is functioning properly. Additionally, magnesium is involved in various processes from energy production to mood regulation.

Avocados are one of the best food sources of magnesium which is another reason I recommend eating them every day.

Fiber

One of the number one side effects of following a high-fat, low-carb diet that I hear about is constipation. If you want to remain in optimal health, you need to keep your bowels moving. While many people think that fiber mostly comes from grains and vegetables, avocados are a great source.

This fiber helps to ensure healthy bowel movements and healthy microbiome by acting as food for the bacteria in our gut.

B Vitamins

One of the primary benefits of a ketogenic diet is its beneficial impact on mitochondrial health. Mitochondria are little structures within almost every cell in the body that produce almost every bit of energy our bodies need to function. One very important set of vitamins that help support healthy mitochondrial function are the B vitamins.

Avocados are specifically rich in Vitamins B5 and B6 which are important cofactors in the production of stress hormones and neurotransmitters. This means that consuming avocados can play an important role in stress and mood regulation by providing essential building blocks for physiological processes in the body.

D-Mannoheptulose

D-mannoheptulose is a special type of sugar compound that actually has the opposite effect on insulin than other sugars. An increased intake of d-mannoheptulose from avocado may be an important strategy for balancing blood sugar and improving one’s ability to burn fat.

This is interesting because avocado oil appears to play some therapeutic role in attenuating physiological dysfunctions that occur as a result of diabetic conditions, such as mitochondrial dysfunction (1).

Carotenoids 

Finally, avocado is a great source of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. Together these antioxidants protect the cells from oxidative stress, keep the skin looking young, and may even help prevent any damage incurred by prolonged sun exposure (2).

Lutein and zeaxanthin are also important antioxidants for the preservation of healthy eyesight.  These nutrients also help to prevent the formation of cataracts and macular degeneration.

Nutrient Absorption

Adding avocado and other healthy fats to vegetable-rich meals can actually assist your body’s ability to extract important nutrients from those foods. A 2005 study looked at two groups consuming salads and salsa. One group took these foods alone while a second group consumed these food with the addition of avocado.

What they found was that the group which combined avocado with their salad actually had a higher uptake of carotenoids and other nutrient compounds (3).

Cardiovascular Health

Many people follow a ketogenic diet in order to lower inflammation and balance blood sugar, two things that are beneficial for cholesterol and heart health.

A recent study found that adding an avocado to a diet higher in fats provided additional benefits for cholesterol profiles, lowering small-particle LDL and boosting HDL levels (4). Another 2017 review looked at avocados as a potential preventative and treatment measure for cardiovascular disease through several therapeutic actions (5).

8 Ways To Consume More Avocado

Some people have this belief that a ketogenic diet is extremely restrictive. But think about this, how many of the foods that you typically eat are made out of some variation of one ingredient (corn, wheat, etc.). Now take that concept and apply it to ketogenic foods.

I have personally found dozens of uses for avocados that are delicious and allow me to experience variety. In fact, a number of ketogenic staples can go a long way with a little creativity. Here are some of my favorite recipes using avocado.

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

If you’ve never tried the combination of avocado, coconut, and chocolate, you are missing out. This is one my favorite combinations and I consume a variation of this every single day. What is awesome about this recipe is that it tastes like a dessert, but it serves as an entire meal.

Personally, I like to use avocado, full-fat coconut milk (or oil), and chocolate bone broth protein powder. This combination is full of healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and gut healing elements from the bone broth and it tastes amazing. For an added ketogenic boost, add in a tablespoon of a high-quality MCT oil.

You can find this recipe here.

Creamy Lemon Superfood Guacamole

 There are a ton of guacamole variations floating around. What sets this one apart is the use of coconut milk to give it an extra creamy texture and taste. Additionally, plenty of lemon juice, fresh herbs, and a splash of apple cider vinegar turn this recipe into a true superfood. I have had people who say they do not like avocados or traditional guacamole tell me that they enjoyed this one so definitely give it a try.

Combine this with our keto-friendly crackers or garlic chips for a super satisfying snack or even as a meal on its own. This will fill you up and provide you with tons of healthy fats for your body to convert into ketones.

You can find this recipe here.

Avocado Pesto

If you are a fan of pesto, you’ve got to try this variation utilizing avocado as the base. All it takes is a few simple ingredients processed in a blender or food processor and you’re done. It contains healthy fats along with tons of anti-oxidants, vitamins, and other important phytonutrients that are easily absorbed by the body.

One of my favorite ways to use this pesto is as a sauce for ketogenic pesto pizza, it’s amazing. You could also pour this over veggie noodles.

You can find this recipe here.

For Ketogenic Pizza Crust, check out his recipe here.

Chicken Avocado Soup

For a little variety, avocados actually go great in soups. I have a chicken avocado chili recipe that is absolutely delicious and nutrient-packed.

The combination of warming and nourishing broth, clean protein, healthy fats, and nutrient-rich veggies make this a super satisfying meal; and it’s super simple to make. To take this recipe to the next level use bone broth instead of regular broth.  You can find this recipe here.

If you have limited access to high-quality, pastured meats, I would recommend US Wellness Meats.

Creamy Cucumber Avocado Soup

This is a new twist on soup that most people overlook. Unlike most soups, this one is actually served chilled and contains all raw ingredients. Cucumbers are super-hydrating and refreshing. They also contain a wide range of beneficial nutrients including silica, which is important for building healthy connective tissues.

This one is nourishing to the skin, highly anti-inflammatory, and detoxifying. Especially great in the summertime. On top of all that, it is SUPER simple to make.  You can find this recipe here.

Top Salads

If you are someone like me who just loves the taste and texture of avocados, this is one of the simplest ways to eat them. Simply chop it up and throw it on a salad that is full of veggies!

Like I mentioned before, this simple addition assists your body’s ability to absorb nutrients from the other veggies in the salad. Alternatively, you could simply cut open an avocado, drizzle with olive oil (or MCT), salt and herbs, and eat with a spoon!

For one of the most nutrition-packed super salads, check out this recipe here.

Chocolate Avocado Truffles

For a super healthy ketogenic dessert or snack, these are one of my go-to snacks. This one is super simple and can be prepared fairly quickly. The combination of avocado and dark chocolate provides healthy fats, fiber, and anti-oxidants to help the body stabilize hormones and optimize your metabolism.

These are best consumed immediately or frozen for future use.  You can find this recipe here.

Gut Healing Protein Pudding

For people who are experiencing a lot of digestive issues, or someone who just wants to maintain a healthy gut, this recipe can be very powerful. It is a simple 4 ingredient recipe that is easy to digest and features our Gut Healing Protein.

The Gut Healing Protein can be substituted for another high-quality protein. I like Gut Healing Protein because it is essentially a multi vitamin, anti-inflammatory, and liver support all in one. Maintaining a healthy gut is an extremely overlooked aspect of optimizing ketosis. If you have damage or unwanted microbes in the gut, this can create cortisol responses in your body that signal the release of insulin, bringing you out of ketosis.

I personally continue to use this protein periodically to ensure my gut lining remains strong.  You can find this recipe here.

Summary 

If you are following a ketogenic diet, you will benefit from finding ways to use various staples in many different ways. Avocados are super versatile when you know how to use them. On top of being versatile, they are full of fiber and various nutrients that are super important on a ketogenic diet.

Give these recipes a try, let me know how they work for you, and share your unique creations that you’ve made with avocados below!

Sources For This Article Include

1. Ortiz-Avila, O., Esquivel-Martínez, M., Olmos-Orizaba, B. E., Saavedra-Molina, A., Rodriguez-Orozco, A. R., & Cortés-Rojo, C. (2015). Avocado Oil Improves Mitochondrial Function and Decreases Oxidative Stress in Brain of Diabetic Rats. Journal of Diabetes Research, 2015. PMID: 26180820

2. Dreher, M. L., & Davenport, A. J. (2013). Hass Avocado Composition and Potential Health Effects. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 53(7), 738–750. PMID: 23638933

3. Unlu, N. Z., Bohn, T., Clinton, S. K., & Schwartz, S. J. (2005). Carotenoid absorption from salad and salsa by humans is enhanced by the addition of avocado or avocado oil. The Journal of Nutrition, 135(3), 431–436. PMID: 15735074

4. Wang, L., Bordi, P. L., Fleming, J. A., Hill, A. M., & Kris-Etherton, P. M. (2015). Effect of a moderate fat diet with and without avocados on lipoprotein particle number, size and subclasses in overweight and obese adults: a randomized, controlled trial. Journal of the American Heart Association, 4(1), e001355. PMID: 25567051

5. Zhao, C.-N., Meng, X., Li, Y., Li, S., Liu, Q., Tang, G.-Y., & Li, H.-B. (2017). Fruits for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases. Nutrients, 9(6), 598. PMID: 28608832