Contributed by: Carol Kline

What’s the best way to get a healthy dose of vitamin K, vitamin B, vitamin C, and vitamin E, and lots of healthy, monounsaturated fats, linked to lower blood cholesterol? Eating avocados! Studies show that a diet rich in heart-healthy avocados can help reduce overall cholesterol levels by up to 10%. Avocados are good when eaten plain with just salt and pepper! You can also toss some creamy avocado into your meal ANY TIME of day. They are also good breakfast smoothies or mash half onto some toast. Treat guests to an appetizer of guacamole with raw veggie sticks or pita chips. You can also easily incorporate avocado into any salad or sandwich. Is the avocado you bought from the store hard and needs to ripen? Prepare for eating much faster by placing in a paper bag along with a banana or a tomato. The production of ethylene gas will promote the ripening process. Enjoy!