Half of an avocado is an easy ingredient to help boost fruit and vegetable intake. All variations have more soluble fibre than other fruit and contain a number of useful minerals such as iron, magnesium and potassium. They are a good source of vitamin A and the B vitamin folate.

Bananas have a reputation as the go-to source of potassium, but avocados actually have more of this essential nutrient. 100g of avocado has 485mg of this mineral, while the same amount of banana has 358mg.

Avocados can also make other foods healthier. Because some nutrients need to mix with fat in order to be used by the body, eating avocados along with other fruits and vegetables means certain vitamins and antioxidants are more likely to be absorbed.

The seed of an avocado—also known as the pit or the stone—can be tricky to remove, especially if the avocado isn’t perfectly ripe. Many cooks recommend driving a knife into it and twisting the bulbous seed out, however you should only try this with a very sharp knife. Avoid an unsafe situation by trying to squeeze avocado halves lightly until the pit slides out on its own. Failing that, a wine opener or corkscrew can be your best friend. Twist the sharp end into the stone to gain purchase, then wiggle it until the seed comes loose.

Avocados shouldn’t be frozen whole, but the flesh can be. Before sticking it in the freezer, remove the seed and lightly mash the light-green flesh, put it in an airless plastic bag and mix with a squirt of lemon juice.