National Avocado Day, July 31-First Plants Brought to Florida in 1833

Curious about this crazy good fruit? Check out: National Avocado Day online.  It gives a brief history of how this ancient fruit is cherished by some even today. (I for one, try to eat one a day when they are in season.)

Some people avoid them because they are high in fat but it's primarily the healthy type of monounsaturated fat known to lower cholesterol.

Even though avocados are a little high in calories, those calories come packaged together with a good dose of nutrients. A third of the fruit has 250 milligrams of potassium, which is about half as much as a large banana. Potassium can help lower your blood pressure and keeps your muscles and nerves working.

Avocados are a good source of many of your daily vitamins. You'll get about 4 percent of the recommended dietary allowance of vitamin C, 6 percent of your daily niacin and 10 percent of the daily folate from a third of an avocado. The same portion is also a good source of vitamin K and contains vitamin E.

If you purchase an avocado and it isn't ripe (when you squeeze it there should be some give) you can place it in a paper bag and check it daily for ripeness.

Once ripe, check out these 12 Recipes for using your avocados.

HAPPY NATIONAL AVOCADO DAY!

BTW, many Mexican restaurants are offering free guacamole today to celebrate!