Southwest Wheatberry Avocado Salad Recipe

Hey guys! I hope your week is going well! I’m so bummed I didn’t get get to post yesterday. I was so excited to talk about the Victorias Secret fashion show and share my favorite outfits and talk about body image. We’re having our winter meetings at work this week and my mind has been pretty preoccupied with that. I give a presentation in front of everyone today, please wish me luck!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the Hass Avocado Board.

With life getting busier one of the things Josh and I have been working on is preparing our meals on the weekend so that during the week we can grab and go. It’s easy to get snack-ish at work and find yourself reaching for a piece of chocolate or candy because there’s nothing else to eat. Our goal is to have lots of filling, nutritious snacks pre-made so that we can make smart snack choices.

Josh and I have food staples  that we cook with routinely. We love them for their taste,  the health benefits they provide, and the staying power they offer. Those foods are Greek yogurt, nuts, quinoa, and avocados.

I wanted to talk to you guys a little bit more about avocados. I don’t know about you but I used to think that avocados sole purpose was to make guacamole. And don’t get me wrong, guacamole is the bomb.dot.com, but there are so many other uses for avocados in food. Josh and I oftentimes find ourselves slicing up fresh avocado and putting it on our veggie burgers. We also love using it in recipes. Avocados have more potassium than a banana, and are full of fiber, folate, Vitamin C and Vitamin K. They are also chock full of unsaturated fats, the kind of fat that is key for heart health and good blood pressure.

When the Hass Avocado Board asked me to write a post about avocados I was so excited. Avocados are one of those things that taste like they should be an indulgence, but they’re not. They’re nutrient dense, cholesterol-free, sodium-free, and have less than 1 gram of sugar per 1 ounce serving. They’re also super easy to cook with and taste delicious in a meal. Josh and I had a lot of fun making the following recipe.

Southwest Wheatberry Avocado Salad Recipe

1 cup wheatberries
1 poblano pepper
1 small red onion
1 red bell pepper
1 avocado
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt pepper, and cilantro to taste

Soak wheatberries overnight in 3 cups water.

Drain and rinse the wheatberries the next day.

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil.

Add wheatberries and cook on medium heat for 45-60 minutes. (Or until tender.)

Drain and chill the wheat berries.

Once chilled, add diced onion, red pepper, and poblano pepper.

Add olive oil, salt, pepper, cilantro, and lime juice. Mix thoroughly.

Add diced avocado gently to the rest of the mix. You want the avocado to still hold some of its shape and not get thoroughly mashed up into the salad.

Serve immediately or chill for later

This tastes just as delicious as it looks! I’ve been snacking on it throughout the week and find it just keeps getting better as the flavors marinate with each other. Lime juice is also key to keeping avocados from browning. They stay green for days when sprinkled with a little lemon juice.

If you have a delicious recipe featuring avocados or a story about how you and your family love using avocados you’ve got an exciting opportunity to win some big prizes! The Hass Avocado Board created the MY WAY to Love One Today™ Recipe Contest and Sweepstakes for avocado fans to share their stories and recipes. They’re running two separate contests and would love for you to enter one or both!

If you have an original avocado recipe that fuels your healthy lifestyle submit it for a chance to win the following:

• Grand Prize Package: $2,000 cash, a personal online coaching session with Harley Pasternak (celebrity fitness trainer, nutrition expert, and author) and fresh Hass Avocados gift baskets
• Second Place: $1,000 cash
• Third Place: $500 cash
• Finalists: 7 finalists will receive fresh Hass Avocados

If you have an inspiring story about getting your loved ones to add fresh avocado to their diet enter for a chance to win the following:

• 1 of 4 prize packs including $100 and fresh Hass Avocados delivered to your door
• Plus an additional package of fresh Hass Avocados delivered to someone you love

To enter simply visit the Love One Today™ site and submit your recipe or story.

Question of the Day: What are your cooking staple foods? What is your favorite way to eat avocado?

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the Hass Avocado Board.