I can’t seem to get enough avocados lately. They’re a staple on my grocery list and always abundant in my kitchen fruit basket. Despite being quite high in fat, avocados pack a powerful punch for runners.

According to Dr. Liz Applegate, an expert on nutrition and fitness, director of sports nutrition at the University of California Davis and a frequent Runner’s World columnist, avocados may have the following benefits for runners:

• Provide more than 20 key nutrients
• High in potassium which may help lower blood pressure
• Boost heart heath by lowering levels of bad cholesterol (LDL)
• Reduce inflammation by possibly protecting blood vessels from inflammatory damage

Next month, I’m attending FitBloggin – a national conference for fitness and wellness bloggers that focuses on using technology, blogging and social media to motivate, inspire and foster a culture of health and wellness. I was excited to hear that the California Avocado Commission is one of the conference sponsors, and I’m even more excited about their California Avocado Cutting-Edge Culinary Recipe Contest. They’re looking for flavorful and wholesome recipes made with California avocados, and I have the perfect recipe to share inspired by my mother-in-law who recently came to visit and gave me the idea.

Ingredients:
1 15 oz. can of chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1-2 California avocados (I use 2), peeled and seeds removed
1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice and the zest of 1 lime (add more to taste as needed)
1 tablespoon of cilantro, finely chopped
1 green onion (green and white part) finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• In a medium-sized bowl, mash the chickpeas with a fork or potato masher.
• Add the avocado and mash it into the chickpea mixture.
• Add the remaining ingredients and stir together with a spoon until thoroughly combined.

• Serve as a sandwich on whole wheat toast, use as a dip with pita wedges, whole grain tortilla scoops or toast points or eat it on its own as a salad. You can also give it your own personality by adding chopped tomatoes, garlic powder or anything the creative chef inside you desires. Enjoy!

Serves 4
Nutrition information (spread only): Calories: 188, Fat: 7.5 grams, Carbs: 22.9 grams, Fiber: 8.9 grams, Sugar: 3.3 grams, Protein: 6.4 grams, Potassium: 274.1 milligrams

The California Avocado Cutting-Edge Culinary Recipe Contest winner will be announced at FitBloggin and will win a KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer, a $150 Williams-Sonoma gift card  and a California Avocado gift pack and a seasonal supply of California Avocados for June through August. Keep your fingers crossed for me! For complete contest rules and to enter, check out the official contest rules for the complete contest guidelines.

Note: The California Avocado Commission did NOT ask me to write about this, nor did FitBloggin. I saw the contest and wanted to enter for my love of avocados.

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Connect with the California Avocado Commission:
Twitter: @CA_Avocados

Do you have a favorite avocado recipe? If so, link up to it in the comments below! If you try my Chickpea and Avocad-Oh-So-Good Spread, let me know what you think!