Heirloom Tomato Avocado Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

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A creamy half avocado filled (to overflowing) with diced heirloom tomatoes, jalapeño, and cotija tossed with a fresh and fabulous citrus vinaigrette... Heirloom Tomato Avocado Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette (Veracruz Style) is a beautiful and healthy side to enjoy with a Mexican main dish or simple grilled fish or chicken!

I'm curious... Where do you "come down" on the avocado debate? For years I considered avocados a "splurge" ingredient, laden with fats and calories. In recent years, however, my approach to a healthy diet begins and ends with macronutrients. By the simplest of definitions, macronutrients provide energy, and include protein, carbohydrates, and fat.

There is no diet that is healthier than another, nor one that is more correct than another. It all boils down to those "macros" as we call them. IMHO. I have seen people take fat out of their diets, and languish; I have seen people cut carbs out almost entirely for years at a time, and it's not healthy. I've had friends stay on a high fat diet long enough to put their cardiovascular health at risk. If you have dietary restrictions, by all means, do what your doctor recommends. Otherwise, target those macronutrients and total calories! It really is the best long-term, healthy approach...

Featured Ingredient: Avocados

We love avocados in guacamole, but this versatile ingredient is showing up in smoothies and frozen desserts, mixed into hummus (I had that at the Sierra Nevada Brewery in Asheville last summer), and spread on toast. Lately we've enjoyed ripe avocado spread on a pan-toasted ancient grains tortilla eaten alongside eggs poached in spicy tomato sauce (shakshuka). What's your favorite way to enjoy avocados?

Yes, the avocado is fat dense, but most of that fat is "good fat." One medium (150 g) avocado has 22 g fat (34% of the recommended daily allowance), 13 g carbohydrates (4%), 10 g dietary fiber (40%) and has 240 calories.

So if you're trying to eat a healthy diet, what do you do with that information? This Heirloom Tomato and Avocado Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette provides an excellent example. Rather than have your avocado mashed up with sour cream and tortilla chips (loads of calories and fats), enjoy it with other nutrient-rich foods in a healthy salad. Each serving of this lovely salad contains xxx calories, and xx grams of fat. Served with grilled tuna, salmon, or chicken breast, and whole grain tortilla, you've got a healthy and delicious meal.

An Heirloom Tomato Avocado Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

My approach to food and cooking is one that includes a vast variety of foods, and lots of moderation. Fitness is a priority, so I try to include protein throughout the day. I limit my fats to mostly "good" fats - olive oil, nuts, avocados, etc. My carbohydrates are almost exclusively whole grain and minimally processed like my Spring Vegetable Freekeh Salad. This approach has served me well. I have rarely had to battle my weight.

So, enjoy your avocados, just keep in mind the fat and calories, and adjust in another area. They're high in several B vitamins and vitamin K, and a good source of vitamins E and C, and potassium. Avocados can remain on your list of healthy foods, and you'll definitely enjoy my Heirloom Tomato Avocado Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette (Veracruz Style) if you love them!

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