Putting together your weight loss diet can be a challenge with all the options. What about guacamole, is it good for weight loss or fattening?
Guacamole is a spread and dip that is commonly thought of as a part of the Mexican kitchen but nonetheless popular all around the world. Avocados are the main ingredient of this mixture.
There are many different ways to make guacamole, different recipes will have varying nutritional values. Even so, looking at a typical guacamole recipe will show you how good this dip generally is for weight loss.
Generally many people will benefit in terms of weight loss by eating more of the right types of guacamole.
Do make sure you check the nutrition label, for store-bought guacamole, and recipe details, for home-made guacamole before adding a lot to your daily diet. Many brands and recipes add ingredients that are not very weight loss friendly.
That being said, there are also better foods for weight loss. Find out the nutritional values of guacamole, what foods are even better for weight loss, and what some of the most weight loss friendly things are to eat with guacamole.
How do you make guacamole?
The first thing you need to know about guacamole is that there are many different recipes for it. That means that the exact nutritional values will vary slightly depending on your choice and ratio of ingredients. However by looking at the example of a general guacamole recipe you get a sense of how it impacts weight loss.
Some common ingredients in guacamole include avocado, onions, lemon juice, and salt but many recipes also use ingredients like garlic, jalapenos, lime juice, tomatoes, cumin, pepper, basil, and many more.
These ingredients make guacamole usually a vegan-friendly food.
This article will use the nutritional values for the following simple guacamole ratio of ingredients (1):
- 400 grams of avocados
- 5 grams of raw onions
- 5 grams of raw lemon juice
- 3.6 grams of salt
The details of some ingredients in guacamole matter more than others when it comes to weight loss. Adding one tablespoon of olive oil to this portion of guacamole would add 119 calories (2).
This comes down to about 28 calories extra per 100 grams. This is more than certain low-calorie vegetables contain per 100 grams!
Micronutrients in guacamole
The first thing to look at is the amount of micronutrients in guacamole.
Micronutrients are a group of nutrients your body absolutely needs to survive and thrive. Micronutrients include vitamins and minerals. These are involved in basically every aspect of your health, including weight loss.
100 grams of this kind of guacamole provides you with approximately (1):
- Vitamin K: 25% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Folate: 20% of the DV
- Vitamin C: 17% of the DV
- Sodium: 14% of the DV
- Vitamin B6: 13% of the DV
- Potassium: 13% of the DV
- Vitamin E: 10% of the DV
- Copper: 9% of the DV
- Niacin: 8% of the DV
- Riboflavin: 7% of the DV
- Magnesium: 7% of the DV
- Phosphorus: 5% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in less significant amounts. That is a good amount of vitamins and minerals compared to a lot of whole foods.
Guacamole alone will likely not be enough to hit your daily vitamin and mineral goals but it can help you a lot with that.
Guacamole also contains antioxidants, substances that can help your body deal with oxidative stress. It’s not clear if and if they do, to what extent, these substances can help you lose weight.
Fiber in guacamole for weight loss
Another very important factor for weight loss is the amount of fiber in your food.
This kind of guacamole contains around 6.5 grams of fiber per 100 grams.
That’s a big amount of fiber per 100 grams compared to many whole foods.
Fiber has multiple benefits for weight loss. First of all, it feeds your microbiome, the microbes that live in your intestines. The health of your microbiome influences your body’s health and weight. Feeding it well is usually not a bad idea.
Fiber also helps you feel less hungry without adding a lot of calories to your diet. Hunger and cravings can be a big pitfall for people trying to lose weight, so avoiding this is a big plus.
With the amount of fiber in guacamole you can greatly reduce the time you spend craving for food.
Does guacamole help you lose weight?
Before knowing whether or not guacamole deserves a spot in your weight loss diet you still need a final piece of the puzzle. The number of calories in guacamole.
This kind of guacamole contains around 155 calories per 100 grams. 33.8 these calories come from the carbohydrates (8.45 g per 100 grams of which 6.5 g fiber).
Guacamole is definitely suited for low carb diets like the keto diet.
In general, the number of calories in guacamole is not that high but also not that low. Other fruits and vegetables are usually lower in calories than guacamole.
Guacamole is a relatively low-calorie food that can help you feel fuller with its large fiber content and amount of healthy fats. This can help you avoid higher-calorie foods. For most people that, and thus eating more guacamole, is enough to help them lose weight.
If you don’t like guacamole you don’t have to go out of your way to force it into your daily eating habits, guacamole is not a unique weight loss food. There are other foods that are just as good, or even better for weight loss.
What you compare guacamole with is key. If you still struggle with overeating calories there are less fattening food options that can benefit your weight loss more than guacamole.
Also keep in mind to check the nutrition label of store-bought guacamole. Often brands add ingredients like sugar that are not very helpful when trying to lose weight.
Does guacamole burn belly fat?
Targetting fat loss in a specific area like your belly is generally not possible. Not by eating more of a specific food or by doing a specific exercise. To burn belly fat you have to lose weight overall.
Since guacamole can help you lose weight in general, depending on your current habits, this food can also help you burn belly fat once your body wants to lose fat in your abdominal area.
Is it bad to eat guacamole every day?
Nutrition is always a bit of a puzzle in terms of what the perfect diet looks like. It’s a pretty individual thing.
Consuming enough micronutrients is important for both your short and long-term health and weight loss. Guacamole can help you a good amount with this but you will need other food as well.
That being said, if you use healthy ingredients for guacamole, it can even be healthy to eat guacamole every day.
If you are close to consuming enough vitamins and minerals you can see how much guacamole still fits within your daily calories. The amount will be different from individual to individual from day to day, it can be 0 too.
What to eat with guacamole for weight loss
Most people don’t eat guacamole by the tablespoon. This mixture is typically used as a dip or spread for other foods. Not all of these foods are great for weight loss.
Some great foods to eat with guacamole for weight loss include raw vegetables like carrots, celery, cucumber, slices of bell peppers, cauliflower, and so on.
Lastly, the combinations you generally want to avoid when trying to lose weight are guacamole with crackers, toast, sandwiches, and other foods that are often high in refined carbohydrates like flour.
