Like many foods, avocadoes have their pros and cons — they're high in calories and high in fat, but it's a good fat. So should you shy away from them because of the fat and calories, or include them in your diet?

The humble avocado is nutrient dense. Nutrient-dense foods provide substantial servings of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients in proportion to the number of calories they contain. Although avocados are high in fat, most of that fat is heart-healthy monounsaturated fat.

Avocados are loaded with dietary fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, and folate, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They're also cholesterol- and sodium-free. One avocado contains about 700 milligrams of potassium. In fact, avocados have more potassium gram for gram than bananas. And avocados are loaded with the phytochemicals that are thought to reduce the risk of some types of cancers and other chronic diseases.

But what about the calories?

The calories in an avocado are hefty — two tablespoons of mashed avocado (that's 1/5 of the whole thing or about 1 ounce) provide about 55 calories. So, if you eat a whole avocado, then you're getting about 275 calories. That's a lot of calories, especially if you're on a calorie-restricted diet.

However, the key word for avocadoes and everything else we consume, is moderation.

A little avocado can add some real nutrition and variety to a meal. Plus, sometimes avocado can offer a nutrient-rich alternative to another less-healthful fat. You can use avocado as an alternative to mayonnaise or butter by spreading 2 tablespoons of avocado on a sandwich. This will save you almost 40 calories. You still get the fat, but it's definitely a better-for-you fat than those other spreads. And you really can't beat the flavor avocadoes offer. So go ahead, include an avocado in your mix of foods — just don't go overboard.

When buying avocados, pick fruits that have firm skins, but which yield to gentle pressure and have no soft spots. These are the kind of fruits that will ripen after they're picked. Put unripe avocados in a paper bag at room temperature and they will ripen in the next 2-5 days. If you want them to ripen more quickly, add a ripe banana or apple to the bag. These fruits give off a natural ethylene gas that helps to ripen the avocados. Once they're ripe, use them right away. You can also put them in the refrigerator, where they will last for a couple days.

Q and A

Q: How fast do I need to walk for it to count toward the recommended 30 minutes of moderate activity daily?

A: You can find reputable sources with lists of activities that identify your activity's intensity — labeled as light, moderate or vigorous. For example, walking as moderate activity typically refers to "brisk walking" at a pace of three-and-a-half miles per hour, whereas very fast walking (at four-and-a-half miles per hour) or jogging (five miles per hour) is classified as vigorous activity. But these categories don't necessarily work for everyone.

One easy way to estimate your activity intensity is to tune in to how you are feeling. Based on a 10-point scale, where sitting is 0 and working as hard as you can is 10, moderate aerobic activity is a 5 or 6. Moderate activity means you breathe a little harder, and although you can talk, you can't comfortably sing a song. In contrast, vigorous activity is a 7 or 8 on this scale, with heart rate substantially increased and breathing hard enough that you can't say more than a few words without stopping to catch your breath. For researchers, moderate activity is activity during which heart rate is at 50 to 70 percent of estimated maximum heart rate, whereas activity is vigorous if heart rate goes up to 70 to 85 percent of estimated maximum. Keep in mind the heart rate that represents "moderate" activity varies among individuals, and the walking pace that brings someone to that heart rate will vary, too. For example, someone who has been inactive or who is recovering from illness or surgery might find activity "moderate" in intensity when walking at a pace slower than expected based on a standard formula. Likewise, someone who is very fit might walk at a pace rapid enough that would be vigorous for some people, but with a small enough increase in heart rate that it's moderate exercise for him or her. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, moderate activity that you do in blocks of 10 minutes or more counts toward the goal of at least 30 minutes a day; if you can total 60 minutes, that's even better.

Information courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Recipe

Greek yogurt and nut butter boost protein in this smoothie from Eating Well magazine. Ground flaxseed adds omega-3s.

STRAWBERRY-BANANA PROTEIN SMOOTHIE

1 cup hulled strawberries, fresh or frozen

1/2 medium banana

1/2 cup diced mango, fresh or frozen

1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon natural nut butter, such as cashew or almond

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 ice cubes or 1/2 cup water

Combine strawberries, banana, mango, yogurt, nut butter, ground flaxseed, vanilla and ice cubes (or water) in a blender. Puree until smooth. Serves 1: 1 3/4 cups each.

Per serving: 359 calories, 19 g protein, 46 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat, 6 mg cholesterol, 10 g fiber, 85 mg sodium.

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian at Hy-Vee in Springfield, Ill. For comments or questions, contact her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @Nutrition Rd. To find out more about Charlyn Fargo and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.