If you’re not eating avocado toast every morning, chances are you’ve at least seen it in your social media feed.

For a few good reasons, millennials are obsessed with this creamy green fruit, and dietitians are, too. Here’s why we hope this trend is here to stay.

1. Avocados contain monounsaturated fat, the kind that helps promote heart and brain health.

2. One-third of an avocado provides 3 grams of fiber, a nutrient that most Americans don’t get enough of.

3. They have nearly 20 vitamins, including potassium, which is good for blood pressure.

4. They’re easy to slice, dice, or spread, giving them the chameleon-like ability to go on or in just about everything—including ice cream.

5. Bakers can get away with using less butter or oil by replacing half of it with mashed ripe avocados. (Just remember to reduce the baking temperature by 25 degrees.)

How to deal with avocados

•When buying avocados, gently press the fruit. It should yield to the pressure but be slightly firm.

•If the avocados are too hard, place them in a brown paper bag and store at room temperature. The paper bag will trap the natural release of ethylene gas, which helps ripen the fruit. To speed up the ripening process even more, add an apple to the bag — apples also produce ethylene gas.

•To store cut avocados, squeeze some lemon or lime juice onto the exposed flesh.

This prevents discoloring from oxidation. Then wrap in plastic or store in an airtight container.

Not just for toast and guac

Besides being a healthy addition to sandwiches and tacos, here’s a few more things to do with avocados.

•Puree and toss with pasta, rice, or cauliflower rice

•Blend into smoothies

•Grill halves and stuff with grilled shrimp

•Mix with hummus

•Blend with milk, honey and coco powder to make pudding.

Chocolaty Avocado Pudding

Serves 4

Courtesy of Hy-Vee.com

A dairy-free and vegan way to enjoy a rich, chocolaty pudding.

Ingredients

•2 ripe avocados, seeded, peeled and halved

•½ c. Dutch processed cocoa

•½ c. agave nectar

•½ Hy-Vee vanilla almond milk

•1 tsp. Hy-Vee vanilla extract

•Chopped pistachios, if desired

Directions

Place avocados, cocoa, agave nectar, almond milk, and vanilla in a blender. Cover and blend until smooth. Divide mixture among four dessert dishes. Garnish with pistachios, if desired.

Nutrition per serving

Nutrition facts per serving: 330 calories, 17g fat, 3g saturated fat, 49g carbohydrate, 30mg sodium, 11g fiber, 31g sugar, 4g protein

For more great avocado recipes and ideas, visit Hy-Vee.com/recipes.