How Many Avocados Can I Eat in a Day?

Yum…nothing quite adds that creamy texture to a meal quite like an avocado. Avocados add more than just yumminess, though. They are packed with healthy fats and fiber to help you feel satisfied, along with lots of vitamins and minerals. Avocados are very energy dense, meaning they provide a lot of calories. Even foods with great health benefits should be eaten in moderation.

One whole avocado or less in a day is likely plenty for most teens. While there is no specific recommendation for exactly how many avocados you can eat in a day, it is recommended that between 20-35% of your daily calories come from fat. One whole avocado contains 30 grams of fat and teenagers need about 56-78 grams of avocado per day. Teenagers need healthy fats and avocado is a great fat source to choose.

Read on for more information about the health benefits of avocados, their effect on weight, and other healthy foods for teenagers.

How Many Calories are in an Avocado?

The macronutrient amounts and calories of an entire avocado are shown below. This may be slightly different based on the size of your avocado, but it will give you a good idea.

Nutrition in One Whole Avocado:

Nutrient	Amount
Fat	30 grams
Protein	4 grams
Carbohydrates	17 grams
Calories	322

Avocados are a very energy dense food. Most foods high in fat contain higher calories as well. Your body needs calories, and specifically calories from healthy fats, but fatty foods should still be consumed in an amount that is appropriate for your energy needs.

Are Avocados Healthy?

Did you know that avocados are “technically” a fruit? Okay, it is really just because it has a seed in the middle. Based on its nutrient profile, we would classify it more as a fat.

Fat should make up between 20-35% of your total calories for the day. Fats are important because it can help you feel full and satisfied and it slows down your digestion so that your energy is sustained over a longer period of time.

Fat also is important for the absorption of certain vitamins and some kinds of fat can also help to decrease inflammation and promote good heart health.

Avocados are particularly high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These are often referred to as the “healthy” fats compared to saturated fats. Eating unsaturated fats has been linked to lower levels of bad cholesterol and therefore a healthier heart.

Avocados are high in fiber which keeps your gut happy and regulated. Fiber also helps you feel satisfied when eating. Avocados are also great sources of these vitamins and minerals:

Niacin
Riboflavin

Pantothenic acid
Pyridoxine
Vitamin C

Vitamin E
Vitamin K
Potassium

Magnesium
Folate

All things considered, avocados are a healthy option to include in your diet.

Check out my meal plans for more help.

Is it Okay to Eat an Avocado Every Day?

Yes, eating an avocado every day is okay as long as you are not consuming too much fat or missing out on other nutrients from protein and carbohydrate sources. Most teens won’t even need a full avocado each day to get the great health benefits. A fourth or a half of an avocado might be just enough.

Teen athletes with very high energy needs could use more avocado to increase their calorie intake. This is an easy way of getting in more calories in a healthy way, without having to consume a huge amount of food.

Avocado can be added to sandwiches, sauces, salads, rice bowls, and even smoothies! Guacamole makes a great side for foods like nachos, quesadillas, burritos, and more. Experiment with including avocado in your meals and snacks.

Do Avocados Help You Lose Weight?

Teenagers are rarely recommended to lose weight. Instead, they should focus on consuming meals and snacks that have a combination of carbohydrates, protein, and fat, as well as nutrients from a variety of foods.

The first priority is to nourish your body and make sure it gets the nutrition it needs. Teenagers are at a time of growth and development and fixating too much on weight loss could result in missing out on essential nutrients, as well as disordered eating.

A healthy diet is made up of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean protein, and healthy fats. Avocado is not only a healthy fat, but it also provides so many extra nutrients and makes for a great addition to a healthy diet for a teenager.

In order to get to and maintain a healthy weight, it is important that your body feels nourished and satisfied. Adding avocado to your meals and snacks will help you feel more full and satisfied.

Healthy Fat Foods for Teenagers

Avocados are a great source of monounsaturated fat. This is the type of fat highly associated with lowering bad cholesterol levels in the body (LDL cholesterol). There are other good food sources of monounsaturated fats too.

Oils (Olive oil and canola oil in particular)
Nuts
Nut butters

Omega-3 fats are a type of polyunsaturated fats. They have shown to provide tons of benefit to the body like:

Decreasing inflammation
Improving heart health by decreasing cholesterol levels (just like monounsaturated fats!)
Promote a healthy brain and nervous system

These Omega-3 fatty acids are found in foods like:

Fish
Seeds (Flax, chia, hemp)
Eggs

Walnuts

What are Fats to Eat in Moderation?

Just because we are encouraged to consume plenty of unsaturated fats doesn’t mean you cannot ever have foods with other fat in it. In fact, most foods have a mix of different kinds of fats.

Consuming high amounts of saturated fat is often linked to poor health outcomes like heart disease. Saturated fats are typically found in fried foods, fast food, desserts, meats, and dairy. Trans fats are a type of fat that is better to avoid. They have actually been proven to be very harmful to our health. Many companies have opted to take them out of their products, but unfortunately it is still found in some of our food.

Using trans fats increases the shelf-life of foods, making them last longer without going bad. Look for “hydrogenated oils” or “partially-hydrogenated oils” on the ingredient list of your packaged food. If you see either of those ingredients, that means there is trans fat in that product.

So what does this mean for teenagers? Eat the foods that you enjoy, but also make health-conscious decisions to take care of your body and make sure that you feel your best! Here are a few simple ways to decrease your intake of these types of fats:

Choose leaner meats like chicken, and turkey over things like sausage and beef.

Choose lower-fat dairy options that you enjoy (That doesn’t mean you have to drink skim milk if you hate it).

Eat at home more than eating out. Restaurants don’t really care all that much about your health. While eating out can be enjoyable and convenient, it should still be done in moderation.

Choose grilled foods over fried foods. Some of the grilled options might even taste better to you!

Don’t deprive yourself of the high fat foods that you love. That will likely only lead to overindulging in them later. Instead, be mindful as you eat, and eat to the point that you feel satisfied.

Ideas for Including Healthy Fats in Meals and Snacks

If you don’t know where to start to increase healthy fats in your diet, here are a few easy ideas:

Add nut butters, avocado, and/or seeds to smoothies

Cook with oil instead of butter

Include fish a few times each week

Add nuts to salads or eat them as a snack

Add an egg or two to your breakfast for some extra omega-3’s and protein

Add peanut butter and/or nuts to oatmeal for an extra boost

Use olive oil and balsamic vinegar as salad dressing

Summary

Avocados are a great way to include healthy fats, fiber, and other nutrients in your diet. They add texture, color, and flavor to meals and snacks, as well as increase satisfaction and feeling full after eating. Try to find new ways of including avocados and other healthy fats in your diet. You may need to get creative.

Resources

Cedars-Sinai. In case you need a reason to eat more avocado. Published September 26, 2017. Cedars-sinai.org.

Gordon B. Choose healthy fats. Published August 6, 2019. Eatright.org.

US Department of Agriculture. Avocados, raw, all commercial varieties. Published April 1, 2019. Fdc.nal.usda.gov.

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