Amazing Avocado: Recipes to Try with your Picky Eaters (52 New Foods, Around the World Week 16) April 28 2013, 1 Comment

The secret to getting past picky? Try it lots of different ways.

Avocado was one of the first foods that I served to my son James, and it continues to be one of his favorites. But for my daughter Catherine, it’s a struggle. Whether I didn’t expose her early enough, or the texture is one that she just doesn’t enjoy, it’s a challenge to get her to try avocado.

But our Cinco de Mayo party wouldn’t be complete without this wholesome, healthy fruit. So this week in our 52 New Foods adventure, we’re trying avocado -- a few different ways. It's the secret to getting past picky!

First we tried it sliced in a quesadilla. Then rolled in our sushi. And finally tossed into our mango salsa.

Avocado hasn’t yet made it onto Catherine’s “favorite foods” list. More important than whether she liked this new food was her willingness to try a new food. That is what we are celebrating at our family table this Cinco de Mayo!

Tip: Avocado can quickly turn brown when it’s exposed to the air. Add a squeeze of lime or lemon juice to prevent browning. Leaving the pit intact will help too.

Mango Avocado Salsa

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
Crunch a Color points: 10 green, 5 yellow / orange, 5 red. Bonus points (x2) for each new food you try.

Ingredients:

1 avocado
1 mango
5 strawberries
1 Tbsp meyer lemon juice
A few sprigs of cilantro

Directions:

1. Dice your fruit into ¼” to ½” size pieces. Load into a medium size bowl.

2. Add lemon juice.

3. Toss gently.

4. Garnish with cilantro.

5. Enjoy on its own or atop grilled salmon or chicken. Yum!

* What’s your favorite way to serve avocado? Share your ideas!  

Craving more easy recipes to try? Catch up on last week’s post: Eat Your Colors!