Ultimate Healthy Guacamole (vegan, reduced fat, low-sodium)

Say hello to the Ultimate Healthy Guacamole recipe that’s vegan, high-nutrient, reduced fat, low-sodium and chock full of good-for-you fiber!  Nothing beats the cool, creamy deliciousness of fresh guacamole dip.  And this recipe takes it all to the next level with good-for-you add-ins and surprise natural-food flavor boosters that will leave your guests asking “What is the recipe for this dip?”

The addition of super-foods like kale and legumes (peas or edamame) sets this healthy guacamole recipe apart.  These add-ins bulk things up enabling you to enjoy more guacamole with fewer calories and fat while boosting your health and longevity at the same time.

Whether you’re nutritairan or just looking to get more good-for-you ingredients into your diet you’re going to be amazed at this dairy-free and delicious dip!

What ingredients are in this healthy guacamole recipe?

1. avocado
2. kale (fresh or frozen)
3. edamame or peas (fresh or frozen)
4. red onion
5. lime juice and zest
6. garlic
7. cilantro
8. raw hemp seeds
9. white miso paste

I’m always looking for ways to increase the nutrient content in a recipe.  This Ultimate Healthy Guacamole recipe delivers by using readily available whole food ingredients that just so happen to pack a high-nutrient punch.

You may have heard of “kaleamole” as I sometimes see it at certain Whole Food supermarkets in my area.  Well this recipe takes that idea and dials it up a few notches…

How many GBOMBS can we get into this guac? (or, in other words: What makes this recipe nutritarian?)

Nutritarians emphasize eating as many dark leafy greens, cruciferous veggies, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries and raw seeds as we can.  We use the acronym GBOMBS to help us remember to prioritize these high-nutrient “superfoods” daily.

I’m thrilled to report that in this healthy guacamole recipe I was able to get four out of the six GBOMBS categories in there:

• dark leafy greens
• beans
• onions
• seeds

The addition of legumes to the guacamole brings the benefits of resistant starch (those are calories that are not actually digested) and the second meal effect.  The second meal effect means that the beans will help control your blood sugar levels hours, or even the next day, after eating them.

By adding chopped kale we are leveling up the phytochemicals in this healthy guacamole.  Kale is a cruciferous veggie that has specialized anti-cancer chemical compounds.  These include glucosinolates, polyphenols, quercetin and lutein.

I mean who doesn’t appreciate a side of longevity and cancer prevention with their chips and guac?

What are the two flavor boosters that make this healthy guacamole so delicious?

• lime zest
• white miso paste

I first fell in love with using citrus zest to boost my recipes when I attended Dr. Fuhrman’s Culinary Getaway in 2017.

Citrus zest contributes incredible depth of flavor and that signature zing without using salt or sugar.  But it wasn’t until I attended Dr. Fhurman’s longevity retreat in 2019 that I learned it’s unique property of protecting us from skin cancer!

And using white miso paste instead of the typical salt to flavor your guacamole also benefits your gut microbiome as miso’s fermentation process results in protective beneficial bacteria.

Not only do these good-for-you boosters deliver an exceptionally unique depth of flavor but they are contributing in protecting your health on multiple fronts!

This is all to say don’t skimp on adding these details.

Two versions to try!

I’m really over-the-moon excited about the versatility of this Ultimate Healthy Guacamole!

You can use edamame or green peas (either can be previously frozen) and you can use fresh or frozen kale.  This flexibility makes this recipe perfect for cleaning out your fridge or freezer and making something party-worthy along the way.

I truly tried to make up my mind on which version of this recipe I preferred more the edamame or the pea version.  But after rigorous and highly-enjoyable testing I just couldn’t make up my mind.

So, instead I’ll tell you the key differences:

• pea version: smoother, looser and creamier consistency with a brighter green color and a slightly sweet but still delicious flavor
• edamame version: thicker and more rustic texture with a lighter green color; the edamame compliments the avocado flavor nicely and it made me feel fuller after eating it (I’m assuming that’s because of the higher-protein content in the edamame)

I promise that you can’t go wrong with whichever version you try!

Is this guacamole recipe easy to make?

You bet!

It comes together easily in a food processor.  You’ll start by adding some of the avocado to the cooked and defrosted edamame or peas.  Then you’ll add those flavor-boosting add-ins: miso paste, lime zest, lime juice, garlic cloves and raw hemp seed.

Process this together until everything is smooth and then you’ll add in the fresh or frozen (and well-drained) kale.

Give that a quick pulse to combine and then empty everything into a mixing bowl.

You’ll add the reserved chopped avocado, diced red onion, chopped cilantro and spices and mix together to form a chunky dip.

At this stage you can serve immediately or let it chill and allow the flavors meld in the refrigerator.  You can even prep this dip the day before by following some of my storage tips below…

How do I store healthy guacamole so it doesn’t get brown and gross?

One of my best friends when I was in law school had a husband who was from Mexico and he taught me that the best way to prevent your guacamole from turning brown was to reserve the avocado pit and keep it inside the finished guacamole.

I have followed this advice for may years and I love using these silicone bowl covers for an eco-friendly guacamole storage technique.

Your other storage option is regular plastic cling wrap, paying special attention to pat the wrap down against the tightly-packed guacamole (as shown above).  There will be a thin layer of brown discoloration that you can easily scrape off (as seen in the top picture above).

I don’t recommend storing this recipe for more than one day before serving it and don’t save leftovers for more than 3 days after serving.

If you’re someone who likes to experiment with freezing I’d love to know in the comments below if this recipe works well being stored in the freezer!

What are the healthiest things to dip in guacamole?

• cucumber slices
• bell pepper slices
• carrot chips or slices
• oil-free corn tortilla chips
• sliced radishes
• naked beet chips (dehydrated, one ingredient)

For super-quick oil-free chips take one or two corn tortillas (make sure they don’t have oil listed as an ingredient) and cook them in your air fryer at 375° F for 5 to 7 minutes or until crisp.

How much guacamole should I have if I’m following a nutritarian lifestyle?

Nutritarians get their fats from raw nuts, seeds and avocado.  These fats are preferential to oils because they have their fiber intact and have additional phytochemicals that highly refined oils don’t have.

If you’re following the Aggressive Weight Loss nutritarian plan you want to stick to 1/4 Hass avocado daily.

This healthy guacamole recipe uses two medium Hass avocados, which means you would want to have no more than 5 tablespoons of this guacamole when following the Aggressive Weight Loss protocol.

If you’re in maintenance, which means you’re at a BMI under 23, you can have more avocado.  I’d recommend starting with 1/2 Hass avocado daily and see how this impacts your weight.  Depending on your activity level you could go up from there.

If you’re in maintenance you can enjoy 10 tablespoons of this healthy guacamole dip, that’s about 2/3 cup.  

Is this guacamole low sodium?

Yes!

A low sodium food must have 140 mg of sodium or less per serving.

I’m happy to report that this Ultimate Healthy Guacamole recipe comes in at 64.4 mg per 5-tablespoon portion when using edamame.

When using peas the sodium goes up just a bit to 77.8 mg per 5-tablespoon portion.

How does this sodium content fair against store bought guacamole?

Well, let’s use Trader Joe’s Avocado’s Number Guacamole as a comparison.  For a 2 Tbsp. portion the sodium is 520 mg!  I’m no math surgeon, but that’s a substantial difference.

5 from 1 vote

Print

Ultimate Healthy Guacamole (vegan, reduced fat, low-sodium)

Take your guac game to the next level with good-for-you add-ins and surprise flavor boosters like lime zest that will leave your guests asking "What is the recipe for this dip?"

Course Appetizer, Sauce

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword low sodium, no cook, nutritarian

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 8

Calories 95.6 kcal

Author Kristen Hong

Ingredients

• 2 medium Hass avocados, divided (~310 grams whole weight with pit and skin)
• 1 cup green peas or cooked edamame beans defrosted & drained if using frozen
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 Tbsp. white miso paste
• 1 Tbsp. raw hemp seeds
• 1/2 Tbsp. lime zest
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 cup fresh curly kale, packed (or sub with 3/4 cup thawed & drained frozen kale)
• 1/2 cup diced red onion (about 1/2 medium red onion)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro (about 1/2 bunch)
• pepper to taste
• finely diced jalapeno, de-seeded optional, to taste

Instructions

1. Cut avocados in half and remove pit and skin. Add one avocado to your food processor bowl. Chop the remaining avocado into bite-sized chunks and reserve.

2. Add peas or edamame, lime juice, lime zest, miso paste, hemp seeds and garlic cloves to the food processor bowl and process until the edamame/peas are finely chopped (scrape down the sides as needed).

3. Add the kale and pulse 2 to 5 times to incorporate into the avocado mixture.

4. Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl and add the reserved chopped avocado, red onion, cilantro, ground fresh pepper and optional de-seeded jalapeño if using.

5. Mix together well until a chunky dip is formed.

6. It can be served immediately but I like to allow to chill for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator before serving.

Recipe Notes

 

Makes eight 5-tablespoon portions.  

 

You can make this recipe up to 24 hours before serving.

 

STORAGE: Store leftovers tightly packed in a container (you don't want air pockets). If you can keep one of the avocado pits to store in the dip (this helps with preservation). Cover with a silicone bowl cover or plastic wrap spread tightly across the surface of the dip. The less air between the dip and the wrap the better. Leftovers will keep for up to 3 days depending on how well they are stored.   

 

NUTRITION NOTES: 

The nutrition fact label below is calculated using edamame in the recipe. If you're using peas instead of edamame the nutritional content will be modified as follows per 5-Tbsp. portion:

• calories reduced to 87.2
• total fat reduced to 5.8 g
• saturated fat reduced to .8 g
• sodium increased to 77.8 mg
• total carbohydrates increased to 7.8 g
• dietary fiber decreased to 3.6 g
• total sugar increased to 1.7 g
• protein decreased to 2.5 mg

 

Nutrition Facts

Ultimate Healthy Guacamole (vegan, reduced fat, low-sodium)

Serving Size

 

5 Tbsp.

Amount per Serving

Calories

95.6

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

6.8

g

10

%

Saturated Fat

 

0.9

g

6

%

Sodium

 

64

mg

3

%

Potassium

 

303

mg

9

%

Carbohydrates

 

6.7

g

2

%

Fiber

 

3.8

g

16

%

Sugar

 

1.3

g

1

%

Protein

 

3.9

g

8

%

Vitamin A

 

118

IU

2

%

Vitamin C

 

69

mg

84

%

Calcium

 

32

mg

3

%

Iron

 

0.9

mg

5

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

I’d love to know what you think if you give this recipe a try.

Your comments and recipe ratings motivate me so much to keep creating memorable and delicious recipes while helping the website get rankings in search engines.