• Boost your immune system with essential nutrients like zinc and vitamin C.
  • Stay hydrated with high-water-content fruits like avocados.
  • Enhance vitamin absorption with avocado’s good fats.

During the colder months, prioritising health and boosting the immune system to ward off winter sniffles is more important than ever. While staying active, getting enough sleep, and staying hydrated are crucial steps, a healthy diet can make all the difference.

Packed with essential nutrients and vitamins, avocados are the unsung heroes of a winter-proof diet. With their ability to enhance immune system function and keep bodies at their best, avocados deserve a spot on the grocery list this season.

Avocados: The Winter Immune System Superfood

This creamy, versatile fruit is more than just a trendy toast topping, it’s a nutrient powerhouse that can help keep you strong and healthy when you need it most.

Boosts Immune Function: Avocados are a good source of vitamins C, E and B and zinc, which are key to supporting the immune system. Vitamins C and E can help fight off harmful bacteria and viruses, while B vitamins such as B6 can help the body build antibodies to fend off illness. Also, one serving of avocado provides a significant amount of magnesium and copper, which help support healthy immune systems.


Absorbs Vitamins Effectively: The monounsaturated fats in avocados (6.65g per half an avocado) are not only a great source of fuel and help us feel fuller for longer, but they also act as a nutrient booster, helping the body to absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, and E more effectively.


Keeps Us Hydrated: Going back to basics and staying hydrated can be of utmost importance when fending off unwanted germs. This can be done by simply drinking enough water or hot drinks like tea, but we can easily increase our liquid intake just by being conscious about the foods we eat. Avocados are 73% water, meaning incorporating this fruit into our diets can help keep our bodies in top shape during the dry cold months.


Warm Yourself Up with Avocado

Incorporating avocados into your diet is a simple yet powerful way to support your immune system. Adding them to your favourite winter dishes is a delicious and nutritious way to fuel your body during the colder months.

To help you get started, we’ve included a selection of delicious, immune-boosting recipes featuring avocados. From comforting snacks to hearty breakfasts, these dishes will keep you cosy and nourished until the warmer months arrive.

For more tips on staying healthy and avocado-inspired recipes, visit www.worldavocadoorganisation.com.

 

COURGETTE CRISPS WITH AVIOLI

Servings: 2-4 people
Ingredients 
1 small courgette (±250g)
Sea salt and pepper
For the batter:
40g all-purpose flour
50ml unsweetened almond milk
1 free-range egg
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion poder
For the avoioli:
1 small head of garlic
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 avocado, pit and skin removed
Juice of ½ lemon
Sea salt and pepper

Equipment
Kitchen foil
Baking tray
Box grater or mandoline
Baking paper

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/gas mark 6.
  2. Slice off the top of the garlic bulb (the pointy end), and drizzle 1 tbsp. olive oil into the cloves. Wrap it up in kitchen foil and roast it in the oven for ±30 minutes until soft.
  3. In the meantime, combine all the ingredients together for the batter and set aside to rest. If you have any lumps in the batter, use a hand blender to make it super smooth.
  4. Wash the courgette and, using the grater or mandoline slicer, slice it horizontally into super thin slices.
  5. Line a large baking tray (or two small ones) with baking paper. Dip each slice of courgette in the batter so it’s fully coated and place them onto the baking tray.
  6. Turn the oven down to 200ºC/gas mark 4 and bake the courgette until golden brown and crispy, ±30 minutes.
  7. While the courgette crisps are baking, make the avoioli. Squeeze the bottom of each roasted garlic clove to push it out of its skin into a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mash them together with a fork until smooth. Season to taste.
  8. Make sure the courgette crisps have cooled, then serve with the avoioli.

 

 


THE SHAKSHUK-A-VOCADO

Servings: 2 people
Ingredients 
2 aubergines, cut into 1cm cubes
2 red onions, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, grated
1 tbsp. ras el hanout, or more to taste
½ tsp. chilli flakes (1 tsp. if you like it spicy) – leave this out if you’re cooking this for children
1 bunch of fresh coriander, leaves and stalks, roughly chopped
400 g can of whole peeled tomatoes (+ ½ can’s worth of water)
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 avocado
2 small free-range eggs
100 g feta cheese, crumbled
1 tsp. grated ginger
Zest of ½ lemon
Olive oil for frying
Optional: 1 jalapeño pepper sliced, sriracha sauce, omit if cooking for kids

To serve (optional): pita bread or homemade naan

Method

  1. Heat a medium sized pan or skillet and add a generous glug of olive oil.
  2. Add the cubed aubergines and cook over medium heat for 5–10 minutes, until soft and golden brown. Remove from pan.
  3. Add some more oil to the pan and sauté the red onion until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the ras el hanout and chilli flakes and stir to combine everything together.
  4.  Add the aubergine back to the pan along with the coriander stalks (reserve the leaves for later) and fry it for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, ½ tin of water and balsamic vinegar. Bring it to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat and let it simmer for ±30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shakshuka sauce has the consistency of a pasta sauce.
  5. Meanwhile, cut the avocado in half, and remove the pit and the skin. Turn them into 2 roses, leaving a big hole in the middle in which you can fit the eggs.
  6. Carefully place the avocado roses in the shakshuka sauce, making sure they touch or nearly touch the bottom of the pan. Crack an egg into each one and cook to your desired firmness (up to 10 minutes for hard yolk, 6 for a softer-set one).
  7. While the eggs cook, combine the crumbled feta, grated ginger and lemon zest. Scatter the mixture over the shakshuka along with the chopped coriander leaves, the slices of jalapeño and sriracha sauce if you like it spicy and serve with sriracha sauce, warm pita or naan.

 

About the World Avocado Organisation:

The World Avocado Organisation is a non-profit organisation founded in 2016, with members including avocado producers, exporters, and importers from around the world, including the top four EU and UK avocado-producing countries. The World Avocado Organisation promotes avocado consumption for its nutritional value and recognised health benefits. It also shares information and knowledge with the public about avocado production, supply chains, and sustainability.

For the website, please go to: http://www.worldavocadoorganisation.com/

For further information, contact: info@worldavocadoorganisation.com