Healthy Guacamole With Lemon and Cilantro

Just pure vegan guacamole-y goodness.  I love the intense lemony flavor of this guacamole and the slight heat it has from the roasted red pepper chili flakes.  But don’t worry, its not too spicy.  My friends and family have been asking for this healthy guacamole recipe for years.  So I finally had to share it!

Load this guacamole onto tacos, serve it as a party dip.  My favorite way to eat guacamole is on lettuce tacos.  For a guide on how to make great lettuce wraps check out this Fresh Garden Salad  Use individual whole leaves from romaine hearts.  The leaves have a perfect “V” shape for holding guacamole.  These leaves are also sturdy enough to hold guacamole and other toppings without falling apart.  

Guacamole is one of the healthiest foods you can eat! Most of the health benefits can be credited to “healthy” guacamole’s main ingredient, avocados!  Avocados are high in monounsaturated fats, which are easy to digest.  Monounsaturated fats are great for our brain, nervous system and skin.  The fact that they are easy to digest means that our bodies will be able to easily absorb nutrients from the avocados and secrete the waste.  Including lemon with avocado boosts it’s digestibility even more.  The acids in the lemon juice help your body break down the fat in avocados.  

The fats in avocados help us maintain healthy cholesterol levels and keep us full after meals!  So eating avocados could help prevent you from over eating or getting hungry in between lunch and dinner.  Having guacamole for dinner is also a great idea if you have trouble sleeping.  The fats from the avocado will help your body feel full (but not heavy).  This will help you avoid getting hungry in the in the middle of the night and stumbling into the kitchen for a snack.  Eating in the middle of the night is not good for you because it messes with your natural Circadian rhythms.  

Along with dozens of guacamole recipes on the internet, you’ll find just as many ways to make it!  I make guacamole a few different ways depending on the consistency I want (creamy or chunky), and the tools I have available.  My favorite way to make guacamole is with a mortar and pestle.  But it’s just as easy to make healthy guacamole  by mashing the avocado with a fork in a bowl.  

The most important part of this healthy guacamole recipe is its ingredients.  With just a few household ingredients you’ll have beyond amazing guacamole.. in minutes!  Here’s what you’ll need…

1. Ripe Avocados




2. Lemon Juice – without the pits!




3. Fine Grain Sea Salt 




4. Cilantro




5. Red Pepper Chili Flakes




6. Dried Oregano

Making healthy guacamole that tastes great starts with ripe avocados.  If the avocado is under ripe (too hard), then you won’t be able to mash it into a tasty guacamole.  If it’s too soft or mushy the guacamole will have a slight bacon flavor.  The perfectly ripe avocado will be hard with a slight give when you press on its flesh, like a hard memory foam mattress.  

Pro Tip for Picking Perfect Avocados:  When an avocado is picked, the stem is trimmed, leaving a small nub that looks like a tiny brown button.  The best way to know when an avocado is perfect for making guacamole is when the nub on the top of the avocado pops off easily.  When the avocados are under ripe the nub will not come off.  But as soon as it’s ripe and ready to go, the nub will fall off with the flick of a finger.  The nub is just another word for the stem of the avocado.  

If you’ve ever had leftover guacamole – before you know it, it turns brown.  This is due to a process called Oxidation.  When an avocado is cut open and exposed to open air, the oxygen reacts with compounds called polyphenols.  This damages the avocado’s green flesh and turns it brown.  Even though brown guacamole looks unappetizing it doesn’t mean that it’s spoiled.

1. Use the Pits:  Don’t throw out the pits from the avocados, and place them back into the guacamole when its done.




2. Use Plenty of Acid: The natural acids present in citrus fruits like lemons inhibit polyphenols from reacting with oxygen, slowing down the rate of oxidization.  using lime will help guacamole last up to 3 days in the fridge.  This Healthy Guacamole with Lemon and Cilantro uses plenty of lemon juice so it stays fresh longer than other guacamole recipes.




3. Water Lock:  This method sounds weird and gross but it works.  Put water on top of your guacamole when storing it in an airtight container and in the fridge.  The water acts as a barrier between the air and avocado.  This watery blockade prevents oxygen from reaching the guacamole.  Simply dump off the water before serving your guacamole.  I’ve done this in the past, but I prefer combining method one and two.  I can usually get about 4 days out of my guacamole this way.

No matter what method you use to store your guacamole, ALWAYS store it in an airtight container.  Glass is best!

There are thousands of ways to make guacamole.  Of course, I prefer the healthy versions.  Only whole food plant based or vegan guacamole recipes for me!  Here are a few other tasty guacamole recipes. 

1. Eating Works Classic Guacamole 




2. Guacamole with Roasted Red Peppers and Cumi n

This tasty guacamole goes well with almost any Mexican dish like these… 

1. Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos 




2. Tomatillo Salsa




3. Vegan Ceviche with Vine Ripe Tomatoes 




4. Shrimp Ceviche with Tomatoes