avocado

Full of omega-3s and vitamin E, avocados taste perfect when thinly sliced on a salad or paired with salty sunflower seeds. Yet another way you can incorporate the ever-versatile avocado into your culinary life: as a substitute for butter.

When baking, substitute half the amount of butter in your recipe for mashed avocado. If you substitute the whole amount, you'll end up with flatter results. To help you figure out how much you'll need, it helps to know that one avocado yields about three-quarters of a cup. Substituting butter with avocado not only lowers the calorie content but also yields a softer, chewier baked good. While this fruit is high in fat, avocados contain heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. These kinds of fats can actually lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and maintain HDL (good) cholesterol and help decrease belly fat.

Per quarter-cup serving, avocados have over 300 fewer calories than butter, but also offer less saturated fat and cholesterol. This green fruit also offers more protein, added fiber, and it's rich in B vitamins, as well as folate, potassium, vitamin E, and vitamin K. You can't say that about butter.

Here are some recipes you can try with this butter substitute:

• Chocolate Chip Cookies: instead of two sticks of butter, use one stick of butter (or Smart Balance) and three quarters of an avocado
• Banana Bread: in place of one stick of butter, use half a stick of butter (or Smart Balance) and one third of an avocado
• Cocoa Brownies: instead of one stick of butter, use half a stick of butter (or Smart Balance) and one third of an avocado

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health here on FitSugar.

By Maridel Reyes

Get excited: You can burn calories and combat fat by eating yummy food. "If you choose the right picks, studies show you can torch up to 300 extra calories a day," says Pamela Peeke, MD, author of The Hunger Fix. Whole, unrefined foods are your heroes. Your metabolism has to work harder to break them down than processed ones, so you're zapping more calories—and storing less as fat. These recipes double up (even triple up) on foods with serious metabolism-boosting power. Take that, dastardly fat!

Salmon
What a catch! Research suggests the omega-3s in salmon and other fatty fish help build muscle—and the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. Omega-3s may also help reduce fat storage by lowering cortisol levels (scientists have yet to confirm how).
Go for: Two 3-oz servings of fatty fish per week.
Try this recipe: Salmon Noodle Bowl

Yogurt
Calcium-rich foods have slimming superpowers. Get too little of this mineral and your body's more likely to pack away calories as fat, according to a review of studies. With up to 50 percent more calcium per ounce than milk, yogurt is a potent source. Better yet, its probiotics may help keep belly fat under control.
Go for: At least two servings a day.
Try these recipes:

• Creamy Bean Dip
• Cooling Raita

Keep reading for five more foods that fight fat.

Happy National Guacamole Day! In honor of the creamy green dip, we're sharing some of our favorite guacamole-based recipes — sweet, salty, savory, and all the combinations in between. Thanks to tasty, creative add-ins and clever toppings, these recipes give the classic guacamole dish a delicious upgrade. From fruity versions with mango and pineapple to spicy types with jalapeno, here are six must-try guacamole recipes for avocado lovers.

Bacon-and-tomato guacamole	Roasted garlic guacamole	Pomegranate-mango guacamole
Spicy tuna with guacamole	Basic guacamole	Spicy shrimp with avocado

Don't let those heirloom tomatoes fade into the Summer without trying this simple salad that Yum reader senorita submitted to Savory Sights.Simple salads are always my favorites since it shouldn't be a fussy meal. My friend recently made this tomato, avocado and onion salad topped with fresh parsley and champagne vinaigrette. Super simple and super delicious just as salad should be!

Snap photos of your favorite tomato dishes before the season is over and share them in our Savory Sights group. We might just feature your fantastic food photo!