Did you know avocado sales are in the top 10 fruit sales nationally? They firmly surpass orange sales, but only slightly behind the favorite fruit of children everywhere: apple, grapes, and bananas. Yep, fruit sales, but more on this later! Here are some other amazing facts about that dark green, hard-shelled culinary delight!

  • Worldwide avocado sales peaked over 6 billion in 2020 and is on track to be even higher in 2021.
  • The average person in the US eats 8 ½ lbs of avocados in each year.
  • Avocados contain more protein and fiber than any other fruit.
  • Avocados are versatile and can be used to make guacamole, soup, ice-cream, and brownies; or applied to skin and hair to moisturize and treat wrinkles.

Bring your curiosity and appetite in celebration of the quirky and trendy avocado in our monthly unit study!

Considered to be a healthy vegetable, you may be surprised to learn that avocados are a fruit grown on trees. It is true! As a fleshy fruit with one large seed, botanists identify them as a berry, which scientifically is different than foods commonly considered berries. However, the USDA has classified avocados as a vegetable, as do many avocado lovers, primarily because of how we prepare and eat the avocado. Science with Mr. Harris on YouTube® offers a fun look at the great debate Is Avocado a Fruit or Vegetable? Learn more from the US Forest Service about fruit classification and the USDA’s decision on classifying the avocado (and other fruits-like tomatoes). Ask your children if they agree with the USDA’s decision. Older children should summarize the reasons for their answer.

Avocado trees grow wild in Mexico and South America, but through the past several decades, have become a valuable resource and are farmed and distributed to grocery stores across the world. While Mexico grows and ships more avocados than any other country, they also grow in California, Florida, and Hawaii, as well as in South Africa, Israel, Brazil, Spain, and Australia. Learn more about avocado trees in Mexico. Sprouting Interest for Kids has a great explanation of avocado trees, while older kids can explore avocado farming at Nature’s Pride, who distributes the fruit across Europe.

On a world map, have your children identify where avocados are grown. How are the climates of these areas similar? Ask your children to share what they know. What can they learn about climate from Climate Types for Kids? (They may note avocados grow wild in moderate, humid conditions.) Ask them to explain how the farmers cultivate them in other climates -for example: irrigation, protection from frost, hybrid avocado plants). Avocados require warm temperatures and moderate humidity. Growing and producing fruit requires a large amount of water, a process that may take 6-10 years! While mature avocado trees require approximately 40 to 50 inches of rain per year, younger trees need even more water to develop a strong root system! Avocado trees have a long lifespan, with the oldest discovered wild avocado tree in Mexico around 400 years old! Growing an avocado tree is a fun, easy activity to do at home. Generation Genius explains the life cycle and gives step-by-step instructions for growing an avocado tree from seed.

While there are hundreds of varieties throughout the world, the Hass avocado is the most popular in the United States. Research shows that 80% of avocados consumed in the world are Hass, so the hundreds of other varieties make up only a small part of the remainder. In the US, Hass popularity rises to 95%! Primarily grown in Mexico and the California (US), Hass avocados have a smooth, creamy texture, and richer taste which is perfect to eat raw. Unlike other avocados, with smooth green skin, the Hass avocado has dark green bumpy skin that gets darker as it ripens after picking. Would you be surprised to learn that the Hass avocado was patented in 1935? If your children do not understand patents, American Enterprise Institute’s What is a Patent on YouTube® and Science News for Students are great resources. Why would it be important for Mr. Hass to patent his avocado tree and fruit? Learn more about the history of the Hass avocado, and see the original patent here.

Even though California is the number one producer of avocados in the US, Florida and Hawaii also grow and distribute avocados. While we won’t take time to dig into this, avocado loving families may want to dig deeper into the differences (pardon the pun!). Here are some websites to get you started: Avocado 101; the Case for Florida Avocados and Hawaii’s varieties from the Hawaiian Avocado Association. Fun fact: the Sharwill avocado is the only Hawaiian avocado allowed to be distributed in the US mainland.

Enjoying raw avocado is a tasty snack, whether eaten in slices, with crackers and chips, or smashed on a sandwich. More than a delicious snack, avocados are also loaded with nutritional benefits for adults and children. One serving (or one-third of a medium) avocado contains nearly 20 nutrients including vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and phytonutrients. Best of all, they are sodium and sugar free! But don’t limit your taste buds to eating avocado straight-up or in guacamole! Yummy recipes abound that you and your children will enjoy! Here are some of my favorites: Avocado Banana Ice cream, Creamy Sweet Potato-Avocado Soup (the Avocado Soup for Babies looks tasty for your littlest ones), and the Gluten-Free Blueberry-Avocado Muffins for Kids. Not ready to go all-out avocado? Introduce healthy changes using one of these Avocado Brownie recipes that add nutritional value to boxed mixes: Fudge Brownies or Dark Chocolate Brownies. The ideas are limitless! You can find more helpful recipes at Avocados from Mexico and California Avocado.

Thank you for joining our exploration into the world of avocados! I would love to hear from you. Do you have a favorite avocado recipe to share? Drop me an email at dcrawford@rainbowresource.com.

~Blessings,

Deanne