There’s a Lot to Love about Avocados

Avocado is a very popular fruit and consumers continue to buy avocados not for their taste but because they are “healthy” and contain “good fats.” They were even categorized as “superfoods,” and have become a status symbol and meme for an entire generation – the millennials elevated the avocado to “superfood status.”

In 1994, when the millennials were barely in their teens, Americans consumed around one pound of avocado per person per year. Fast forward to 2022, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, the U.S. consumes up to seven pounds per person per year.

That’s a lot of avocado toast, and if you try to google “avocado toast,” you’ll come up with what seems to be a limitless variation of recipes. I read about a restaurant in New York serving an avo toast for $26 a plate, and there are at least two million hashtags on Instagram devoted to avocados served on a piece of toasted bread.

We usually get concerned when it comes to “fat” in our food, but the fat in avocado is the monounsaturated fat; though it has a lot of fat, it is the “good and healthy fat.” 

Recently, my daughter, a millennial, sent me a photo of my eight-month-old grandson Remy (Gen Alpha) devouring avocado toast mashed with ripe bananas. Looks like Remy’s joined the avocado generation early!

Adding to its popularity is that avocado is now available year-round at our local markets. According to a USDA report, in 2019-2021, the US imported an annual average of 2.25 billion pounds from Mexico and other Latin American countries. California is responsible for around 90% of the US’s avocado production, according to the California Avocado Commission. Both avocados are of the Haas varieties.

According to the UF/IFAS, Florida’s commercial production is small-scale, approximately 7,400 acres, mainly in Miami-Dade County, and is of the “green skin” variety. They have lower fat content and 35% fewer calories and are marketed as “slimcado.”

At the market, the price of the Haas avocado (Mexico and California variety) is on the expensive side – anywhere between $1.50 to $4.00 per avocado. With all the billions of pounds of avocados flooding the U.S. market – why the hefty price for avocado toast?

I reached out to Steve Cucura, owner of Fruitscapes Fruit Tree Nursery and Fruit Market, Southwest Florida’s leading tropical fruit nursery in Bokeelia, Florida. According to Steve, he lost 50% of his trees and will take another six months to get to where he was pre-Hurricane Ian. He shared that Mother Nature (flood, drought, wind, freeze) plays a big role in avocado production. 

Steve was a good resource and suggested three avocados suited for a typical Southwest Florida backyard, which are Russell (Summer fruits), Day (September/October), and Oro Negro (November/December). He highlighted the many varieties and textures of Florida avocados. Matthew Hermann of the Naples Botanical Garden also suggested that by planting cultivars with different seasons, avocado fruits will be available year-round. 

It’s a Thirsty fruit - According to the USDA, in California it takes about 74 gallons of water to produce one pound of Haas avocados under normal conditions, and in Mexico, it can take up to 85 gallons for a single avocado. Add the cost of fertilizer, pesticide, tree maintenance and market distribution costs. 

And the bread has to be organic! Add the cost of someone prepping the avocado making $15/hour at a trendy restaurant; server and waitstaff cost at $15/hour -Is avo toast at $26 a plate considered expensive?

And how about the 139 million pounds of Haas avocados used for guacamoles consumed as dips during a Super Bowl game?

Note: Haas avocados, due to their oil content are easy to mash into guacamoles and avo toast. A Florida green avocado makes a great choice sliced or diced in salads or tacos. 

Personally, I prefer a low-carbon diet from the local farms to my dinner plate of fresh-tasting Florida green avocados, savoring their varied tastes and textures. And I don’t mind paying $3 for it.