You’ll want to increase your avocado intake on Paleo if you don’t already eat them regularly. They provide essential elements to your diet that are made doubly important when taking on the Paleo way of eating. First, they are rich in healthy fats, which is a component of the Paleo plan. They are also high in fiber, helping your digestive system process all of the meat you’ll be eating. They are also a great source of potassium, containing more than you’ll find in a banana. These recipes show you several different ways you can use avocados to boost your nutrition on Paleo.
1. Pink Grapefruit & Avocado Salad
Sometimes all it takes to make a delicious salad is a few ingredients. And when you use superfoods like grapefruit and avocado as those ingredients you’re in for a real treat that will provide you with essential nutrients. For example, the grapefruit will give you a burst of Vitamin C, while the avocado will top you up with healthy fat, minerals, and fiber. Overall this salad is not only pretty to look at, but delights your taste buds as well.
2. Tuna Avocado Lettuce Wraps
These lettuce wraps are similar to ordinary tuna wraps except for the inclusion of avocado, which tips the scales both on deliciousness and nutrition. It already starts off pretty good with the tuna, providing plenty of protein as well as omega-3s. By adding the avocado Kiri has really upgraded these wraps and they’re sure to keep you feeling satisfied longer thanks to the healthy fat. That’s a common complaint with lettuce wraps, they don’t keep you satiated long enough. Not with these, so they make a good lunch choice.
3. Guacamole Deviled Eggs
These deviled eggs are sure to turn heads thanks to the green color of the filling. They’re green because they have guacamole in the filling. But don’t think that it’s just regular guacamole. They’ve added the egg yolks to the guac so you are getting the same consistency and texture as you do with regular deviled eggs, they’ve just upped the ante by adding avocado to the mix. These make a great St. Patrick’s Day appetizer, or just a good conversation starter at any get together.
4. Paleo Stuffed Avocado
Stuffing an avocado is a great way to make it look enticing and also gives your meal a base of healthy fat, fiber, and potassium. The stuffing that goes into these avocadoes is made up of sardines, mayo, onions, and seasoning, so it’s going to bring big amounts of flavor. Sardines are an oily fish full of omega-3, and the mayo should be a Paleo approved mayo that you’ve made yourself in order to keep things legit. Overall this is a dish that will keep you feeling good long after you’ve eaten it, and with the addition of turmeric it’s going to really stand out on your taste buds.
5. Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Cream Sauce
When you look at an avocado, what do you see? Here they figured they could turn it into a pasta sauce, and that’s exactly what they’ve done. It’s a cream sauce, but there isn’t any dairy being used, instead they’ve gone with olive oil and lemon juice and have used the natural creaminess of avocado that’s been processed to smithereens by a food processor. Instead of regular pasta they’ve gone with zucchini noodles which means you’ll be getting a serving of vegetables along with the sauce. This recipe is aching for a nice grilled chicken breast to make it a complete Paleo meal.
6. Curry Chicken & Avocado Salad
This is one chicken salad that is pulling out all of the stops. They’ve added plenty of flavor in the form of curry powder and red chili flakes, and the avocado does a good job of cooling things down enough so that it’s not too spicy. If you serve this on a bed of spinach or kale you’ll have a full Paleo meal without much fuss involved. This is a great dish to cook in larger batches and store for several days so you have an easy time making lunch. You won’t get sick of it, and your biggest worry will be rationing it off and not eating too much at once.
Photo: An Aussie with Crohns
7. Avocado & Bacon Muffins
Bacon finds its way into many Paleo recipes, and here it has infiltrated a muffin and joins avocado to make this one unique menu item indeed. You don’t typically find bacon in muffins, and you don’t see avocado being used in muffins too often either. Finding them both in the same muffin recipe is unique indeed, but there is a method to this madness. Bacon makes the muffins savory and tasty. Avocado gives them a certain texture that it hard to define, and also fiber and healthy fat. A savory muffin with healthy fat, potassium, and fiber is one heck of a way to start your day.
8. Quick and Easy Guacamole
No avocado recipe list would be complete without guacamole. Guacamole is avocado’s ticket to fame and can be used in so many different ways, from a dip to an entree topper, that it’s just fun to whip some up and see what you can use it on. This recipe promises to be quick and easy, and that’s appreciated since you want your guac fresh and bright green, so you don’t want to let it oxidize too much. It still has a pretty impressive list of ingredients, but they’re all Paleo and will result in a delicious guacamole when you’re done.
9. Grilled Avocado Stuffed with Red Chile Braised Pork
Once you grill your avocado you may never go back. It’s not something that is well-known but the grilling process gives it a new and improved flavor, and also changes the texture a bit. Here they’ve stuffed this avocado with an amazing roasted pork made with red chiles. Avocado goes great with spicy foods, and its smooth creamy texture helps to counterbalance the heat and put the fire out a bit. They grill it with the outer casing still intact, and then remove it before serving so the entire plate is edible.
10. Stuffed Avocado with Garlic Shrimp
This avocado is stuffed with garlic shrimp, so you’re not only getting a quality protein source, you’re getting plenty of fiber as well as healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. The hard-boiled egg is just something she added to the recipe because she had it on hand, so don’t feel like you need to make up a batch of hard-boiled eggs just to make this. That’s one aspect of Paleo that is unlike other diet programs, use what you have and be resourceful rather than feeling like you have to stick to the recipe exactly as it’s shown.
11. Shrimp-Avocado Salad
Here’s a beautiful salad that is a pretty even mix of shrimp and avocado, as well as an assortment of ingredients like onion, garlic, jalapeno, and lime juice. It’s definitely going to make you take notice, and isn’t just going to sit idly by and let other foods outdo it. This makes the perfect light lunch, or can be thrown together when you need something to hold you over until dinner. Their serving suggestion is pretty eye-catching, and shows that this is a salad you could entertain with, as long as you serve it up right.
12. No Mayo Avocado Slaw
A lot of slaws out there are loaded with mayo, which is fine if you’re using a Paleo mayo, but sometimes you just don’t want to have mayo in it. This is an avocado slaw that doesn’t use any mayo and leaves you with a great taste in your mouth. She came up with this recipe because she wanted a way to eat more vegetables without having to feel like they’re being forced. When it tastes this good to eat your cabbage it’s a joy rather than a chore.
13. Avocado Creamsicles
Who would have thought you could make creamsicles out of avocados? There’s certainly nothing like this that you can buy in stores, and that’s part of the appeal to going Paleo, you free yourself from the bondage of letting corporations handle your nutrition. An avocado creamsicle has healthy fat, potassium, and even fiber that you’re not going to get from any creamsicle we’ve ever met before. There’s plenty in these to make them taste good, so don’t feel like you’re going to bite into a frozen avocado. Honey and coconut milk make sure that this is creamy and sweet like a creamsicle, while keeping you honest to the Paleo plan.
14. Heirloom Tomato Avocado Salad
This is a simple salad that promises the same flavor in each bite, because it’s separated into bite sized pieces. Each serving of tomato comes with a serving of avocado right on top of it, as well as a leaf of fresh basil. Everyone knows that tomato and basil go well together, and they are taking full advantage of it with this recipe. Olive oil adds even more healthy fat to this salad, making it a salad that won’t leave you feeling empty after you finish eating it. This is a great recipe because it can easily be scaled to serve large groups as well as just one person if necessary.
15. Bacon, Avocado & Arugula Flatbread
This flatbread is like a mini pizza, and is made from cauliflower mostly. The avocado serves as a topping along with bacon and arugula. If you’re like us you didn’t start using arugula until you started Paleo, and now you wonder how you went without it. It not only makes a great flatbread topper, it can be used in salads and other dishes wherever you need a spinach-like veggie but don’t feel like using spinach. The bacon and avocado combination can’t be beat, and this is sure to satisfy you if pizza has been on your mind.
16. Seared Scallops with Avocado “Crema”
Each scallop sits perched atop a bed of avocado “crema”, which itself is sitting on a leaf of butter lettuce. These make great appetizers, as they can be folded up and popped in your mouth with one bite. The avocados lend their creamy nature to the crema taking away the need to use any actual cream. The scallops get seared to perfection, and the whole thing looks quite impressive and enticing to your guests. There are a few tricks to getting the scallops just right, so be sure to follow the directions so they come out looking and tasting great.
Photo: Paleo Fondue
17. Avocado Kale and Cashew Parfait
Everybody likes parfait! But we’re guessing that they’ve never tried this parfait made with a mixture of avocado, kale, and cashews. Avocado and kale are bona fide superfoods, and cashews often make the list of healthiest foods as well. You’re getting a big boost of healthy fat in this parfait, as well as plenty of fiber, and even some protein from the cashews. But what about the taste? Will it taste like a dessert? Yes, because there’s a layer of strawberries, and raw honey on each layer so you’ll get sweetness with this all the way through. Love those layers!
18. Loaded Guacamole
We just had to include a second guacamole recipe because this one is just stacked. It not only has the requisite avocados, but tomatoes, cilantro, and red onions, so each bite of guac comes with an assortment of yummy items with it. The minced garlic gives it the classic taste of guacamole and you can serve this up with a batch of Paleo tortilla chips for a very traditional guac and chips experience, without anything that will set you off of your path.
19. Chilled Cream of Avocado Soup with Crab
When summer is here nothing will quite satisfy like a bowl of chilled soup. If you’ve never tried chilled soup, you simply have to try it once to be hooked. This is a good recipe to get started with, as the avocado provides a coolness of its own that is quite refreshing on a hot summer’s day. There’s no actual cream in this of course, or it wouldn’t be Paleo. To give it creaminess they’re using coconut cream, which you pretty much have to try to believe that it can be so creamy without containing an ounce of dairy in it. The dungeness crab works very well with the avocado.
20. Stuffed Bacon Guacamole Burger
This burger is stuffed to the edges with bacon and guacamole, and is sure to win fans not just because it contains bacon, but because a stuffed burger will always beat an unstuffed burger. Face it, if this burger had bacon and avocado on top of it it wouldn’t be as impressive, or cool looking. They walk you through the process of making a stuffed burger and have a photo that gives insight into how it’s done. You can then take that knowledge and apply it to other ingredients you can stuff into a burger.
21. Shrimp and Avocado Salad
This is our second shrimp and avocado salad, so as you can tell we like the combination of shrimp and avocado! They just go together well, and each salad is a little different. Here she’s using big meaty shrimp, as well as good-sized pieces of avocado. If you’re lucky enough to get a shrimp and an avocado chunk in your mouth at the same time you’re in for a real treat. The baby greens and fresh cilantro help turn this into a salad, along with the dressing she shows you how to make.
Photo: Goats and Greens
22. Avocado and Smoked Salmon
Simple. That’s the name of the game here, and it works so well. No need to tinker with a good thing once you’ve got it, and this avocado is draped with smoked salmon and some capers and you call it a day. This makes for a nice light lunch or simply a light meal that can hold you over to the time when you can have a larger meal. The whole thing can be eaten with a spoon, and smoked salmon and avocado have an oddly similar texture to each other, which will baffle your senses.
23. Avocado Cream
Sour cream may be hard to part with for some Paleo followers, so here’s a way to get a lot of the flavor without any of the dairy. Avocados provide the creamy texture, especially when they’re combined with some oil to smooth things out further. You can use this on any recipe that calls for sour cream as a way to convert it over to a Paleo friendly meal. There’s also some limes in it to make it taste even better as a topping for any Mexican-themed meal.
24. Spicy Tuna Roll-Ups
These spicy tuna roll-ups look a bit like something you’d find at a sushi restaurant, and they’re designed to show you just how easy it can be to make great-looking food. The spiciness comes from crushed red pepper, and the tuna comes from a can, so this is a blend of fancy meets not-so-fancy. On Paleo you’ll want to stick to albacore tuna if you go the can route. Wrapping this all up in a slice of cucumber works amazingly well with all of the included ingredients.
25. Bacon & Guacamole Sammies
These sammies are like no other sandwich you’ve tried before, with bacon serving as the bread and guacamole serving as the thing being sandwiched. Talk about a fun recipe to make up when you’re hungry between lunch and dinner and want something yummy that won’t spoil your appetite. Take full advantage of the fact that bacon is Paleo friendly, and goes so well with avocado, here in the form of a guacamole, which she provides a separate recipe for so you can get it just right.
26. Basil Avocado and Bacon Deviled Eggs
These are deviled eggs like you’ve never had them before. That’s because they include basil, avocado, and even bacon in them for a truly Paleo experience. The basil works well as the primary herb flavor, with the avocado having a similar texture to the typical egg yolk filling of a deviled egg. Adding bacon is like the cherry on top, and these deviled eggs might just replace your traditional deviled egg recipe as the one you prefer.
27. End of Summer Salad
Bid summer a fond farewell with this End of Summer salad selection. Big chunks of avocado are used in the salad so with almost each bite you’re getting plenty of avocado flavor. They’re using chicken and apple sausage in this version, but the recipe itself calls for your choice of cooked sausage. It’s a great idea to follow their lead and use the one with apple baked right in, as apples are in season during the fall, which is the season you’re leading into with this recipe.
28. Avocado Lime and Coconut Smoothie
Avocados make a great smoothie add-in, since they build on the smoothness of the smoothie. Here they’re featured along with lime and coconut in a refreshing smoothie you won’t want to put down until it’s finished. Not only are they tasty, but they’re also making the smoothie healthier and are one of the recommended Paleo foods thanks to their high content of healthy fats. The lime goes well with the coconut, and this smoothie can be enjoyed all year long.
29. Key Lime Pie
It’s funny to see a key lime pie recipe on a list of avocado dishes, but that just shows how Paleo works in healthy foods into some of the most beloved recipes out there. Key lime pie is a cool and rich dessert that will have you wanting another slice, and here they’ve gone an extra step and added in avocado. This not only helps with the texture, making it even more perfect, but jumps up the enjoyable factor by giving it more fiber and potassium.
30. Avocado Salmon Cakes
These salmon cakes take things to the next level by having a generous amount of avocado in them. Salmon cakes alone are so good for you thanks to the protein and the omega-3s from the salmon. When you add in the healthy fat, fiber, and potassium from the avocado you’re making them even better for you and also tastier with a better consistency. You may have found in the past that your salmon cakes would fall apart. Avocados help keep them together while you enjoy them.
31. Wild Swordfish and Mango Avocado Salsa
You might think that the swordfish would steal the show but here there’s a mango avocado salsa that gets the main spotlight. Mango and avocado have a similar texture to one another, and together they have a wonderful flavor with the sweetness of the mango and the mild flavor of the avocado. The swordfish is full of protein and has omega-3s as well. The best way to describe it is delightful, and it gives the fish that extra flavor it needs.
32. Cherry Tomato Stuffed Avocado
Stuffing avocado with a delicious food like cherry tomatoes is one way to make sure you’ve got a tasty and healthy dish on your hands. This dish is fun to eat because it’s served on half of the avocado and has a nice presentation to it. The red of the tomatoes also contrasts with the green of the avocado so it has a nice color combination as well. She recommends it as a lunch or an appetizer to a larger meal.
33. SoCal Guacamole Burgers
Guacamole helps to make this burger extra tasty, and they’ve dubbed it a SoCal burger since it gives you the flavors that are popular in Southern California. When you use high quality grass-fed beef in your burger you’re getting extra CLA that will help you burn fat, and when you add on a layer of guacamole you’re getting healthy fat that can also help you burn fat. Combine the two together and you’re eating a fat-burning burger rather than one of the fat-gaining burgers that abound.
