While visiting family in Portland this summer, I was assigned (last minute) to bring a yummy salad.
I looked in my dad’s fridge to see what he had available. I can’t usually count on him having much more than some bell peppers, pizza dough, pesto, and Parmesan cheese.
But I lucked out this time!
I ended up making a creamy avocado lime dressing. It was SIMPLE, FLAVORFUL & AMAZING.
It just so happened to be low FODMAP (at the recommended 2 tablespoon serving size). And even non-FODMAPers loved it. That’s when I knew I had to share it with all of you!
Avocado and the Low FODMAP Diet
If you’ve ever seen a list of high FODMAP vegetables and seen avocado indicated as “no”, “bad”, or a “high FODMAP” food, then you’ve been misled!
According to Monash University, 30 grams of avocado (~1/8 whole avocado) is low FODMAP, while larger servings are moderate or high in FODMAPs (depending on the serving size) [1].
Back in my low FODMAP days, I found it difficult to justify buying an avocado. Avocados brown so quickly and I could only eat an eighth of it without symptoms. One trick I found helpful was freezing avocado slices for making super creamy smoothies.
But this recipe makes low FODMAP avocado eating even more realistic! The lime juice in this dressing helps prevent browning and preserves the color and freshness of the sauce for up to a few days.
Health Benefits of Avocado
People are crazy about avocados these days. And while I wouldn’t recommend four slices of avocado toast daily for stellar health (dietary diversity is key, friends!), avocados are certainly a worthwhile component of a healthy diet!
Avocados are rich in vitamin B5, fiber, vitamin K, copper, folate, vitamin B6, vitamin E, and vitamin C.
Research indicates that avocado consumption may help increase satiety, improve blood sugar response after meals, lower triglyceride and total cholesterol levels, and protect against metabolic syndrome [2].
Bring on the avocado!
If you try this recipe, I would love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below 🙂
- 1 medium avocado*, pitted
- 3 Tablespoons lime juice (~1 medium lime / or use less if you aren't into zing)
- 1 tsp pure maple syrup (more or less to taste)
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
- 1 dash sea salt (plus more to taste)
- ⅓-1/2 cup water (plus more as needed to thin)
- Add all ingredients to a small blender** (such as a magic bullet), starting with just ⅓ cup water. Blend until creamy, adding more water (as needed) to thin to desired consistency (I used an additional ~3 Tablespoons).
- Serve over a salad, bowl, or your favorite creation! For a low FODMAP serving idea, try lettuce, sliced red bell pepper, diced cherry tomatoes, and corn cut off the cob (if tolerated / microwave corn on the cob for ~2-3 minutes, flipping half way through, then remove husk and cut from cob). For those who want to try high FODMAP additions, finely diced red onion and black beans are delicious!
**A small blender works best in this recipe, but a food processor might work. If you only have a larger blender such as a Vitamix, I would recommend doubling the recipe so that the dressing rests comfortably over the blades and blends fully.
References
[1] Monash University Low FODMAP App. Accessed 8-16-2019.
[2] Dreher ML. Whole Fruits and Fruit Fiber Emerging Health Effects. Nutrients. 2018;10(12)
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