If you’re an avocado fan you know how hard it can be to time using your avocado stash at just the right time so it’s perfectly ripe. It seems they can go from hard to overripe overnight. One solution is to freeze avocado chunks when they are just right but you can’t use them all, or buy a bag of frozen avocado chunks to use when you need them. Frozen avocado chunks can be found in the freezer section of grocery stores. For those who really love avocado, you can even buy a bulk sized bag at warehouse stores like Costco.
The idea of keeping your avocado in the freezer sounds perfect (just like always having a stash of frozen veggies on hand). But, in reality, frozen avocado just doesn’t work the same as fresh avocado. The thawing process can lead to a texture difference that some avocado enthusiasts don’t think holds up on it’s own. So you may not be eating these avocado chunks all by themselves, but they can be used successfully in a number of ways in a bariatric diet.
- Protein Packed Green Smoothie: Smoothies are not always recommended for gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, or lap band patients, but they can have their place especially when you add protein powder and keep it low sugar.
- Guacamole: Mash the avocado chunks with lime juice, diced tomato, and minced onion to make a quick small batch of guacamole. This can be a great dipping sauce for cilantro lime chicken, topping for chili, or even a snack with veggies.
- With eggs: Mash up a chunk or two to add to a fried egg with a drizzle of Sriracha on top for a quick high protein meal (see Dr. Shillingford’s guideline for adding eggs to your post op bariatric diet).
- Add to your chicken or egg salad: Mix a bit of mashed avocado in with your mayo when making chicken salad or egg salad.
- Make a salad dressing: By blending the avocado in a food processor with your other ingredients to make a salad dressing you shouldn’t be able to tell if you started with fresh or frozen avocado.
Despite being high in calories and fat, avocado can be a good addition to your gastric sleeve diet. They are high in fiber, have heart healthy fats, are low in carbohydrates, and packed with nutrients. Read Dr. Shillingford’s Food Highlight on avocados to learn more. As with everything portion size and moderation are key. Also crucial is following your bariatric surgeon’s advice on when and how to progress through your post gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, or lap band diet. Dr. Shillingford’s patients should follow his post surgical diets found here.
