3 Healthy Avocado Toast Recipes, Plus Nutrition Facts & Benefits

Avocado toast

Easy, healthy, trendy, and Instagram-able, avocado toast has the potential to be a serious upgrade to your typical breakfast, lunch, or dinner…and it’s equally snack-worthy.

Rich in fiber, healthy fats, and other beneficial nutrients, a daily serving of avocado can do wonders for your skin, heart, and immune system. And a piece of avocado-topped toast can provide just that.

It just might be one health trend that makes sense! If you do it right, of course.

Is Avocado Toast Healthy?

Avocado is healthy; that is unquestionable. Toast, however, can have some variance in its nutritional value. To make healthy avocado toast, you’re going to want to stick to whole-grain or whole-wheat breads.

Some of the best options to maximize the benefits of avocado toast include:

  • Sprouted whole-grain bread
  • Multi-grain bread (100% whole grain)
  • Rye bread
  • Sourdough bread

White bread, made of refined grains, leaves much to be desired, nutritionally, and has the potential to promote inflammation, elevated blood sugar, and weight gain. Refined carbs are not a health food. When it comes to avocado toast, whole grains are the choice.

Other items you pile on the toast can also influence its nutritional value.

Avocado toast with egg, for example, boosts the nutritional value. You’ll be getting some protein, healthy fats, vitamin D, choline, and more.

But using the toast as a smorgasbord to find a way to make bacon, cream cheese, fried potatoes, or corned beef “healthy” won’t cut it. Calories can add up quick on avocado toast and it’s only as healthy as you make it.

Avocado, which is primarily a fat source, is very high in calories. And that’s fine, as long as you’re accounting for that. Calories, inherently, are not bad and different sources of calories of varying qualities.

Avocado offers high-quality calories because it of its nutrient density and potential health benefits. Made with whole-grain bread and egg, avocado toast calories can be very healthful—yet high-dose.

Avocado Nutrition Facts & Benefits

Here’s a brief rundown of the nutrition and potential benefits of 100-gram serving of avocado (Persea americana):

Nutrient Amount % Daily Value
Calories 160 8%
Total Fat 15 g 23%
Protein 2 g 4%
Fiber 7 g 27%
Vitamin K 21 mcg 26%
Vitamin B(Folate) 81 mcg 20%
Vitamin C 10 mg 17%
Vitamin B(Pantothenic Acid) 1.4 mg 14%
Vitamin B6 0.3 mg 13%
Vitamin E 2.1 mg 10%
Potassium 485 mg 14%
Copper 0.2 mg 9%
Magnesium 29 mg 7%
Manganese 0.1 mg 7%

 

As you can see, avocado is a rich source of vitamin K, which aids in absorption that can help the body utilize more of the antioxidants and nutrients you eat. The abundant folate, on the other hand, can aid cell division and growth.

The vitamin C in avocado helps keep your immune system healthy, while its potassium content contributes to better heart health and lower blood pressure. And the fiber within can aid heart health, reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol, and promote healthy digestion and gut bacterial populations.

High in healthy fats, avocado is also a great source of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat associated with a number of health benefits. In fact, an avocado gets about 77% of its calories from monounsaturated fats, which make it a powerhouse to reduce inflammation, provide immune support, boost skin health, and more.

Vitamin Baids in metabolism and nutrient absorption, while also contributing to healthy skin, hair, eyes, and liver. Vitamin Bcan promote immune and nervous system health, brain health, and a better mood.

Avocado also supplies much of your vitamin E daily needs, which can support eye health, hair health, skin health, and brain health. It has powerful antioxidant capabilities.

3 Healthy Avocado Toast Recipes

1. Start Your Day Sunnyside Up Avocado Toast

Ingredients:

  • 2 slices whole-grain bread, toasted
  • 1/2 small Haas avocado, mashed (2 oz)
  • Cooking spray (canola, olive oil, avocado oil, etc.)
  • 1 large egg
  • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
  • Hot sauce, optional
  • Chili flakes, optional

Directions:

  1. Mash avocado in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat a nonstick skillet over low heat, spray with oil, and gently crack the egg into the skillet. Cover and cook to your liking.
  3. Place mashed avocado over toast, topping with egg, salt and pepper, chili flakes, and hot sauce if desired!

2. Avocado and Salmon Open-Faced Sandwich

Ingredients:

For honey mustard auce:

  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp raw Manuka honey
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1/4 tsp coarse sea salt
  • Black pepper, freshly ground 

For sandwich:

  • 1 egg
  • 4 (4-oz) wild Alaskan salmon fillets
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 tbsp honey mustard sauce, (see above)
  • Coarse sea salt
  • Black pepper, freshly ground
  • 1 tomato, quartered
  • 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 8 slices dark rye or multi-grain bread
  • Mixed leafy greens
  • 1 avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch slices
  • 2 teaspoons capers, drained

Directions:

For honey mustard:

  1. Add the mustard and honey to a small bowl, and whisk together. Slowly pour in the olive oil and continue to whisk.
  2. Add in lemon juice, and stir. Then season with salt and pepper.

For sandwich:

  1. Place the egg in a small pot and fill with water, covering by one inch. Heat just to boiling, then turn off heat.
  2. Leave the egg in water for seven minutes before peeling. Cut the egg into quarters, lengthwise.
  3. Place a grill pan over high heat. Brush salmon fillets with two tablespoon of the olive oil and grill. Cook for two minutes on each side.
  4. Brush the remaining one tablespoon of olive oil on the bread and, on a clean grill, grill the bread for 30 seconds each side, until nicely toasted (or use a toaster)
  5. Slice salmon fillet in half. Place leafy greens, tomato, avocado, egg, red onion, salmon, and capers on each slice of bread. Top with a spoonful of honey mustard sauce and serve, opened faced.

3. Chicken-Guacamole Fajita Sandwich

Ingredients:

For guacamole:

  • 4 ripe Haas avocados, cubed
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Cumin to taste
  • Coarse sea salt to taste

For sandwich:

  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (or avocado oil or butter)
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp chipotle pepper powder
  • 2 chicken breasts, sliced thinly
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
  • 1/2 onion, sliced thinly
  • 1/2 recipe guacamole
  • 8 slices whole grain bread/4 whole-grain tortilla wraps

Directions:

For guacamole:

  1. In a medium bowl, mash avocado cubes with a fork, leaving a few chunks. Add in the garlic, onion, and cilantro. Season with cumin and salt.
  2. Squeeze lime juice into the bowl and stir everything together. Serve immediately.

For sandwich:

  1. Heat cooking oil/butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.
  2. In a small bowl, combine onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder and stir.
  3. Place the onions and peppers in the hot skillet and stir to coat with oil. Cook for three minutes over medium heat.
  4. Add the chicken strips to the pan. Sprinkle the seasoning mix over the chicken, onions, and peppers and stir to coat. Continue cooking, stirring often, about five minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
  5. Pile up some of the chicken, peppers, a big scoop of guacamole, and onions evenly onto bread/wrap.

Sources:
Gunnars, K., “12 Proven Health Benefits of Avocado,” Healthline, June 29, 2018; https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-proven-benefits-of-avocado#section2, last accessed December 19, 2019.
Yu, C., “You Might Be Making These 4 Big Mistakes With Your Avocado Toast,” Women’s Health, October 19, 2017; https://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/a19950629/avocado-toast-mistakes/, last accessed December 19, 2019.
“Avocados, raw, all commercial varieties,” SELFNutritionData; https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1843/2, last accessed December 19, 2019.
Jaden, “Open Face Salmon Sandwich with Sweet Mustard Sauce,” Steamy Kitchen, 2019; https://steamykitchen.com/9069-open-face-salmon-sandwich-with-sweet-mustard-sauce-2.html, last accessed December 19, 2019.
Karly, Chicken Fajita Sandwiches with Guacamole and Bacon,” Buns in my Oven, September 7, 2018; https://www.bunsinmyoven.com/chicken-fajita-sandwiches-with-guacamole-and-bacon/, last accessed December 19, 2019.