Avocado Calories and Nutrition Facts

Learn how many calories are in an avocado and why you should incorporate avocados in your diet.

Is Avocado a Fruit or a Vegetable?

Avocado is widely considered to be a vegetable as it is commonly used in salads, but it is actually a fruit.

How Many Calories Are in an Avocado?

The calorie count of an avocado can differ significantly depending on the type of avocado. You should distinguish between California avocados and Florida avocados. California avocados are smaller with pebbly very-dark-green to black skin. Florida avocados are larger with green skin. Nearly 80 percent of the U.S. avocados are grown in California.

Unlike most fruits and vegetables, the avocado is high in calories due to high fat content. The raw California avocado has 50 calories per serving, 42 of these calories come from fat. Once serving is about 30 grams or an ounce (28 grams).

The raw Florida avocado has 28% fewer calories than the California avocado. The Florida avocado contains 36 calories per serving, 27 of these calories come from fat. The difference in the calorie count of avocados predominantly comes from variations in fat content.

Avocado Nutrition Facts

Avocados can be 20 times higher in fat than most fruits and vegetables, which is why the avocado earned the nickname “butter pear”. A serving of California avocado contains 4.6 grams of fat, which is 7 percent of recommended daily value assuming the standard diet of 2000 calories a day. Three quarters of this fat is monounsaturated, which is the fat that lowers the total blood cholesterol level and reduces the risk of stroke and heart disease. The avocado has 0.6 grams of saturated fat per serving, which is 3 percent of the recommended daily value.

Florida avocados are lower in total fat than California avocados but have a similar amount of saturated fat, with 0.6 grams per serving.

Avocados are low-carb food, with only 2.6 grams of carbohydrates per serving. You should definitely incorporate avocados in your diet if you follow the low-carb style of eating. Both California avocado and Florida avocado have similar amount of dietary fiber, with about 2 grams of fiber per serving. As opposed to most fruits, avocados are very low in sugars, with 0.1 gram of sugar in the California avocado and 0.7 gram of sugar in the Florida avocado per serving.

A serving of avocado (any variety) provides about 0.6 gram of protein. The avocado provides a large assortment of vitamins and minerals. The avocado is a good source of vitamin C, folate (protects the body against the risk of cancer), and potassium (helps regulate blood pressure).

Use avocados to cut back on saturated fat and calories in your diet. Spread some mashed avocado on your bread instead of butter or cream cheese. Avocado slices can replace the mayonnaise you put on a sandwich. Though avocado is high in calories, you get only 50 calories from 30 grams of avocado mesh as opposed to 200 calories you get from 30 grams of mayonnaise or butter. Moreover, avocados are totally cholesterol free.

Avocados can be a great addition to well-balanced low-fat diet; however, remember that too many high-calorie foods can hinder weight loss so eat avocados in moderation.