Almost daily Michael and I tell the boys about how different their food experience is from our own childhood, even though they don’t really believe us. I grew up in the Midwest and never even saw an avocado, let alone tasted one, until I was an adult. Now they are a regular part of our family’s diet. I stir them into soups, add them to omelets, make guacamole, smoothies, salsas, sauces, and dips. Avocados are so healthy, and my family loves them.
Of course I had hopes of trying to grow my own, even though the climate here is all wrong for avocados. A girl can dream, right? Some girls want fancy clothes, shoes, or jewelry; I want avocado trees. I tried anyway, hoping they would give me avocados someday, but I eventually learned that avocados in containers generally don’t produce fruit. So my two experimental 7-foot avocado trees went away during one of our many moves.
As I dished up this avocado and yogurt dip for our grilled burgers, Michael and Hockey Guy were right there with fingers in the dip, going on about how good it tasted. The avocado flavor comes first, then the tangy Greek yogurt, followed by the cilantro and lime. I use low-fat or fat-free Greek yogurt for this dip because of that delicious tangy flavor and the rich mousse-like texture the mixture has after blending. It works well as a dip or a spread, and tastes fabulous on grilled meat sandwiches.
Low-fat or fat-free Greek yogurt is a good choice for those with lactose intolerance because it contains a small amount of lactose, only 4 grams of lactose per 6-ounce serving. And mixing it with other ingredients, such as the avocado, and serving with grilled meats and other solid foods and the live active cultures in the yogurt aid digestion of lactose. It all works together. Plus Greek yogurt is a good source of high-quality protein.
- 1 Hass avocado, pitted and sliced
- 1/2 cup (114 g) low-fat or fat-free Greek yogurt
- 1 large lime, juiced
- 1/2 cup packed (20 g) fresh cilantro
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- pinch of ground cayenne pepper, or more to taste
- Put all the ingredients in the blender or food processor. Mix until smooth and creamy. Spoon into a bowl and chill until ready to use. Will keep in the refrigerator for 2 days.
blender or food processor
Recipe Notes:
Pick the best Hass avocado you can find. It should have nice dark skin and feel just a little bit soft if you give it a gentle squeeze. If you can’t find any ripe and ready, choose one that’s not ripe–it will have bright green skin and a firm texture–and leave it out on the counter for a couple days to ripen.
More Recipes for Lactose Intolerance
More from the National Dairy Council Beyond Lactose Intolerance Campaign
- Pinterest (lactose intolerance-friendly recipes)
- Twitter #BeyondLI
- AllRecipes.com – National Dairy Council (lactose intolerance-friendly recipes)
[Disclosure: I am an ambassador for the National Dairy Council Beyond Lactose Intolerance awareness campaign.]
Germaine says
July 26, 2013 at 7:47 amLooks lovely! Can’t wait to try it!
Andrea says
July 28, 2013 at 11:39 amThank you! Hope you enjoy it. 🙂
kellypea says
July 28, 2013 at 4:28 pmI’d have never thought of using yogurt with avocados but I think the tang in the yogurt would go quite nicely. I’d probably slather this on a sandwich or omelet, too!
Rosemaryandthegoat says
August 28, 2013 at 9:48 amI liked this. A little tangy and next time I may add twice the avocado.