Your Cold-Weather Upgrade
- The World Avocado Organisation is sharing simple, nourishing, seasonal recipe inspiration to help UK households stay healthy, satisfied and on track as winter draws to a close.
As winter lingers and the days still remain short and chilly, many people are still looking for simple ways to stay nourished and on track with healthier routines.
With February bringing colder days and a renewed focus on healthy habits, the World Avocado Organisation (WAO) is encouraging UK households to embrace comforting, warm meals that still support everyday health and wellbeing. By spotlighting cosy avocado recipes that fit around busy routines while supporting healthier choices this winter.
A simple way to support physical health this winter
As part of a balanced diet, avocados provide a mix of nutrients that can support physical health and well-being during the colder months and peak flu season. They contain fibre, which supports digestive health, as well as improving satiety, which helps maintain a healthy body weight 1. The UK government recommends adults to eat 30g of fibre per day, however, most people only consume around 17g. One standard avocado has 14g of fibre, which contributes to nearly half of the daily intake 2.
Supporting wellbeing during flu season
Including a variety of nutrient-rich foods at mealtimes can help support the immune system during flu season, and adding avocado is an easy way to boost everyday winter meals with extra goodness. By combining avocado with ingredients like leafy greens, wholegrains, lean proteins and colourful vegetables, it becomes even easier to create meals that feel comforting while still providing a broad range of nutrients. This kind of balance can be helpful in Winter, when schedules are tight, energy levels can dip, and people may be more likely to rely on quicker, less nutritious options. Avocados provide vitamins and minerals, including folate and potassium, which play roles in normal body functions, helping people across the UK feel nourished and supported through winter 3. 54% of the global population do not consume enough folate 4, and it is essential for aiding tissue growth and repair when your body is under extra seasonal stress during the darker months 5.
A simple winter upgrade to everyday meals
While avocados are often linked to summer and lighter meals, they also work brilliantly in warm dishes, adding creaminess and texture to breakfasts, dinners and bakes. These February-friendly recipe ideas aim to help people enjoy seasonal comfort food while keeping meals balanced and fulfilling.
This month, build nourishing routines that help you feel your best because when you feel good physically, it’s easier to feel good mentally. Adding avocado to warming, everyday meals is a simple way to bring more goodness and satisfaction to your plate all season long.
1 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/avocado-nutrition#nutrition
3 https://www.eatingwell.com/article/8026117/avocados-benefits/
Avocado Pancakes with Pumpkin Cream
Serving: 2 people
Ingredients
For the pancakes:
1 ripe avocado (flesh only)
120g flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
160ml milk (or oat/almond milk for a dairy-free option)
1 egg
1 tbsp coconut oil (plus extra for cooking)
½ tsp vanilla extract
For the pumpkin cream:
¼ of a cooked pumpkin,
1 clove of garlic
1 cream cheese (or plant-based yoghurt)
Salt
Paprika
Toppings:
Pumpkin seeds,
1 soft-boiled egg (cooked for 5 minutes)
Method
- Prepare the pancake batter:
Blend the avocado, milk, egg, coconut oil, and vanilla extract in a blender until smooth.
In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the avocado mixture to the dry ingredients and beat until you have a smooth batter.
- Cook the pancakes:
Heat a frying pan or griddle over medium heat and lightly grease it with coconut oil.
Pour small amounts of batter into the pan to form pancakes. Cook for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Prepare the pumpkin cream:
Blend the cooked pumpkin with the cream cheese, garlic, salt and paprika until you get a smooth cream.
- Assemble the dish:
Serve the pancakes and add a spoonful of pumpkin cream on top.
Garnish with pumpkin seeds, a soft-boiled egg, and optionally, avocado slices for added flavour and texture.
Avocado Cookies
Serving: 10 people
Ingredients:
160 g ripe and soft avocado flesh (about 1½ small avocados)
150 g ground almonds
140 g soft light brown sugar
Zest of 3 tangerines
3 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp cornflour
2 tsp ground coffee
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp fine sea salt
200g roughly chopped dark chocolate
Flaked sea salt, to serve
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 175C (conventional, not fan-assisted temp). Line a large, flat tray with parchment paper.
- Add 160g of avocado flesh to a large bowl and mash very well with a whisk, then mix together until as smooth as possible (some small lumps are fine).
- Add all the remaining ingredients (except the chocolate) and whisk together, then switch to a spatula and fold until everything is well incorporated. Fold in three-quarters of the chopped chocolate.
- Spoon the mixture onto the lined tray to create 10 cookies (approx 70g mixture per cookie). Ensure they’re spaced apart- if your tray is too small, you may need to bake in batches. Use the back of a spoon to gently spread each portion into 8cm-wide circles. This dough doesn’t spread much during baking, so shape it as you’d like them to look once baked.
- Place the remaining chocolate chunks on top of each cookie. Sprinkle a little brown sugar and drizzle with a little maple syrup.
- Bake for 30 mins, until golden-brown and crisp around the edges.
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle with flaked salt and rest for at least 1 hour before serving. This is important! They’ll still be quite soft when they come out, so don’t try moving them off the tray. They’ll set as they cool.
Pumpkin Lasagna with Marinated Avocado
Serving: 4 people
Ingredients:
2 avocados
8 tbsp avocado oil
800 g pumpkin, in 1 cm cubes
3 garlic cloves
6 basil sprigs
1.4 litre tomato passata
250 g lasagna sheets
1 mozzarella ball (125 g)
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Dried chilli flakes, to taste
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 220ºC. Toss the pumpkin cubes with 2 tablespoons of avocado oil and spread them out over the baking sheet. Roast the pumpkin cubes in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes.
- Finely chop the garlic and the leaves of 4 basil sprigs. Heat 2 tablespoons of avocado oil in a frying pan. Sauté the garlic with the finely chopped basil for 1 minute.
- Add the passata and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Take the pumpkin cubes out of the oven. Lower the oven temperature to 200ºC.
- Spoon a layer of tomato sauce into the ovenproof dish and cover with lasagna sheets. Add the roasted pumpkin cubes to the rest of the tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
- In the ovenproof dish, make more layers with the lasagna sheets and the pumpkin sauce. Finish with a layer of sauce. Tear the mozzarella into pieces and divide over the lasagna.
- Bake the lasagna in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes until golden brown and done.
- Halve the avocados, remove the stones and peel off the skin. Dice the avocado. Mix the avocado cubes with the lemon zest, the lemon juice and 4 tablespoons of avocado oil. Add chilli flakes to taste.
- Take the lasagna out of the oven. Top with the marinated avocado and the leaves of the last 2 sprigs of basil.
About the World Avocado Organisation
The World Avocado Organisation is a non-profit organisation founded in 2016 whose members are avocado growers, exporters and importers from around the world - including the top four grower supplier countries to the EU and UK. The World Avocado Organisation promotes the consumption of avocados based on their nutritional value and recognised health benefits. It also shares information and insights on avocado production, supply chains and sustainability with the public.
For the website, please go to: www.worldavocadoorganisation.com
For further information, contact: info@worldavocadoorganisation.com
For press-related queries please contact: waouk@marco.agency
