Recently, avocado toast has gone from a trendy brunch menu item to a breakfast staple. This is great because avocados are a healthy fat, though pairing it with other ingredients can make the toast healthy or unhealthy. Ultimately, turning avocado toast into a healthy breakfast dish is all about portion size and ingredients.
To make avocado toast a more rounded breakfast dish, you’ll need to pay attention to your toppings. Adding proteins and vegetables can make your toast healthier. At the same time, avoid any cheese, bacon, or toppings high in sugar and simple carbohydrates.
What Is Avocado Toast?
Avocado toast can be a healthy breakfast choice prepared in minutes. Avocado on whole-grain toast is the simplest example of avocado toast. However, there are many varieties to try during your next breakfast. Adding different vegetables and other toppings is a great way to change things up.
Avocado Toast Nutrition and Health Benefits
Avocados have many health benefits. When added to a balanced diet, avocados can reduce your risk for chronic diseases. They can help round out your diet and help you make healthier food choices overall.
Avocados are considered a healthy fat, and they are also a great source of the following:
- Fiber
- Vitamins C, E, and K
- Folate
- Potassium
- Magnesium
- Carotenoids
The recommended serving size of an avocado is one-third of a medium-sized avocado. Restaurants tend to use a whole avocado, though, if not more. Keep in mind that overeating avocado can take you over the recommended daily fat intake.
Fortunately, eating avocado toast has many benefits. Avocado has a buttery, savory taste, and eating the right portions of avocado can help improve bad cholesterol levels. Avocados are full of heart-healthy unsaturated fats and fiber.
Avocados are also considered brain food, so having avocado toast occasionally for breakfast can help you improve your brain health. Brain foods can help you learn, plan, concentrate, and more. Other brain foods include leafy greens, blueberries, nuts, and seeds.
If you're choosing avocado toast for brunch, though, make sure you're mindful of other meals throughout the day. Make sure you're eating even healthy fats in moderation.
To keep your avocado toast healthy:
- Check the serving size of the avocado before eating it.
- Use whole-grain bread instead of white bread for your toast.
- Add a protein source (for instance an egg) to your avocado toast.
- Top your avocado toast with vegetables or fruits and balsamic vinegar.
- Jazz up your avocado toast with lemon juice, cilantro, or cayenne pepper.
How to Make Avocado Toast (Avocado Toast Recipes)
Whole-grain toast is a good base for your avocado toast. It can also be a good addition to your diet because three daily servings of whole-grain foods are recommended by the American Heart Association.
To make a basic avocado toast, you will need a slice of bread, a ripe avocado, and a pinch of salt. First, you'll want to toast your bread until it's nice and crunchy. Then you can mash or slice up the avocado before spreading it on your toast. Sprinkle some salt on top, and you will have a tasty morning breakfast.
Other variations, though, can make your toast even healthier and tastier.
Lemon olive oil avocado toast. For an Italian-inspired avocado toast, try adding a squeeze of lemon juice, some olive oil, and Italian herb seasoning on top of your avocado toast.
Tex-Mex avocado toast. For a twist on Tex-Mex cuisine, add tomato, black beans, and cilantro to your avocado toast. You can also add a Greek yogurt sauce that includes Greek yogurt, milk, cumin, and pepper.
Everything bagel avocado toast. For this variation, you'll need everything bagel seasoning and whichever toppings you'd like. Once you've toasted your bread, add your avocado and toppings, then sprinkle a good amount of everything bagel seasoning on top for some extra flavor. This seasoning tends to be salty, though, so you don't need to add extra salt.
Dill salmon avocado toast. Adding salmon to your avocado toast can make your breakfast a protein-packed meal. Add chopped dill, a drizzle of Greek yogurt, cucumber, and radish for flavor.
Loaded avocado toast. This recipe uses radish, green onion, jalapeno, and toasted sunflower seeds. Add this mixture to your avocado toast and have a flavorful breakfast.
Mint goat cheese avocado toast. On top of your whole-grain crispy bread, add sliced avocado, soft goat cheese, and some fresh mint leaves. To add more flavor and crunch, throw in some thawed peas, roasted almonds, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Blueberry flaxseed avocado toast. You can sprinkle blueberries, flaxseeds, or hemp seeds on your avocado toast for a sweeter option. Even adding a drizzle of honey can add some extra sweetness.
Avocado Toast Tips
As mentioned, adding flavor and texture can help make eating avocado toast enjoyable over and over again. Some specific ingredients you can try include:
- Red onion
- Shredded carrots
- Basil
- Rosemary
- Parsley
- Paprika
It's best to be cautious and try to avoid eating too much avocado or oils, though. Even so-called good fats can be bad for your health. Some studies have shown too much fat can cause fatty liver disease, which increases your risk for type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
It's important to know you're not just counting calories when you monitor your portion sizes. What makes up those calories can affect your overall health.
Fortunately, when you eat the recommended serving of good fats, you may see a reduced risk of heart disease. It's all about balance. Even if you skip avocado toast in the morning, you can always add small amounts of diced avocado to a meal later in the day.