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Strawberries top list of produce with most pesticides, avocados have the least

If you pass on the organic produce in order to save a few bucks, perhaps you should at least consider the organic strawberries, new research suggests. For the third year in a row, strawberries rank the worst on the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list of fruits and vegetables. The annual list looks at which of our grocery store produce is harboring the highest number of harmful pesticide residues. This year, more than 98 percent of samples of fruits like strawberries, peaches, cherries and apples tested positive for at least one pesticide residue on the skin. About a third of all strawberry samples had at least 10 pesticides present, the study reported. One sample had an “astounding” 22 pesticide residues. Behind strawberries on the Dirty Dozen list landed spinach. About 97 percent of spinach samples showed pesticide residues were present. Nectarines, apples and grapes rounded out the top five. The report is based…

Scientists Approve Eating Avocado Every Day

Good news for avocado lovers everywhere. A review of scientific literature suggests that including an avocado in your daily diet may help prevent metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrom is the term used to describe a combination of risk factors that can occur together — like high blood pressure, high triglycerides, and a large waist measurement — that increase risk for heart disease and diabetes. The review was conducted by Iranian researchers and published in the journal Phythotherapy Research. It took into account 129 previously published studies on the health effects of avocado consumption. Most studies were done on the meaty, lighter green part of the fruit you’re used to eating, but a few dabbled in the health benefits of leaves, peels, pits and oil, as well. The researchers found that, of these, avocados have the greatest effect on cholesterol levels, but they helped fight other metabolic syndrome symptoms, too. In addition to their heart-healthy fats, avocados are…

Avocado Easter eggs (made of chocolate) are now a thing

So a supermarket chain in Britain made avocado Easter eggs … and they’re selling briskly. Waitrose unveiled a chocolate Easter egg in the shape of millennials’ favorite fruit — the avocado. The treat, which sells for about $11, looks like an avocado cut in half with a stone. Introducing…our Avocado Easter egg ? with a delicious dark chocolate shell, white chocolate ‘flesh’ and an inner cocoa-dusted ‘stone’. Available in store and online from 20 February! pic.twitter.com/6WFl0lNbtE — Waitrose (@waitrose) February 15, 2018 Here’s how British newspaper the Telegraph described it: “The shell and stone are Belgian chocolate made with 70 (percent) cocoa, while the white chocolate middle uses natural coloring to imitate the green flesh of the fruit. Despite the physical resemblance, the egg’s flavor is 100 (percent) chocolate.” Pastry chef Dominique Ansel, the creator of the Cronut, also took a run at avocado Easter eggs with his “huevocado.” This holiday…

Creamy avocado pesto sauce with veggie noodles

Pasta never gets old. Just change the sauce and the veggies and you have an entirely different meal. This pasta and sauce combo puts a California twist on an old favorite — pesto. Avocado is so versatile. If you’ve only been using it as a breakfast food or burrito topping, you’ve been missing out. Its unbelievably creamy texture adds tons of flavor and it coats almost any type of noodle really well — Angel hair, farfalle, whole wheat rigatoni. Add in a few handfuls of basil and some nuts for texture, and you’ll have a seriously satisfying sauce and spread. I chose veggie noodles (sometimes called zoodles because of the zucchini) as my base to give this dish a truly West Coast kind of feel. You can make them with lots of different vegetables by using a spiralizer or by carefully and thinly slicing each vegetable with a knife. As a time saver, or if…

Grapefruit, avocado, capers, a flavorful salad for all seasons

Discounts can lead you to make some questionable choices. In one of those “I’m totally saving money” moments, I purchased an enormous jar of capers for two bucks at the market a few months ago. (It was 150 servings!) My love of the little briny flower buds is strong, but how many cups of capers can one person honestly eat? Since my excessive purchase, I’ve let them be my muse. You’d think a recipe like the one below would have started with the citrus at its center. But actually, it was the salty capers that lead me in. But no matter where you start in a recipe, it’s the final product that matters most. This recipe works all year round. Make it in the winter when citrus is in peak season. Or whip it up in summer when we have an endless appetite for all things fruity. The sour to semi-sweet grapefruit pairs perfectly with the smooth,…

The most popular brunch food in every state

Can anyone honestly say they don’t love a good brunch? Brunch is the meeting point of everything we love about sweet and savory. It allows us to have smoked salmon with our scones and mimosa with our muffins. Whether it’s booze-filled, savory or just filled with stacks of homemade pancakes and fresh fruit, there really is no wrong way to brunch. Pinterest recently compiled the most-search brunch recipes by state. It gives us a little insight as to what’s people are craving across the country. While it’s no surprise Arizona favors breakfast tostadas and Alaska its smoked salmon, others are a bit more unexpected. Iowa and Pennsylvania basically head for dessert table first with their peanut butter bars and thumbprint cookies, respectively, while Colorado (paleo breakfast) can’t seem to let itself splurge. And New York is trying to make breakfast risotto become a thing. Stay tuned to see if that one catches on… Perhaps the most delicious place to…

California drought sends avocado prices soaring

Guacamole and avocado toast are about to cost you a lot more green. Between an intense heat wave, summer drought and heavy winter rains, California, the nation’s leading avocado producer, has suffered a significant shortfall of fruits this year. Forecasts expect production to plunge as much as 46% to 215 million pounds, down from 401 million pounds in 2016. “We lost fruit that would have have sized up to be this year’s crop,”  Jan DeLyser, vice president of marketing for the California Avocado Commission, a trade group for avocado growers, told the Los Angeles Times. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average cost of an avocado jumped to $1.25 last week — up from $1.14 last year at the same time and just 94 cents at the start of summer 2016. Mexico, the leading international avocado supplier to the U.S., suffered similar weather this year and is able to send fewer boxes across the border, adding…

Cool, Creamy Mango Avocado Smoothie Great for Summer

Avocados elevate pretty much everything. This summertime smoothie is no exception. Enjoy the satisfying flavors of mango and avocado, with a unique nuttiness from hemp seeds. Mango Avocado Smoothie Ingredients 1 1/2 cup frozen mango 1 avocado, peeled and pitted 1/2 cup plain (or Greek) yogurt 1 cup almond milk 2 tbsp hemp seeds Add water slowly if mixture is too thick for your blender Directions Add milk and hemp seeds to blender. Follow with yogurt, frozen mango and avocado. Blend on high until mixture thoroughly. Add water slowly to blender container if mixture becomes too thick. Enjoy!