WASHINGTON — Almonds and avocados routinely top lists of 鈥渂est superfoods鈥� and are superstars at the grocery store. But that could soon change, as the ongoing drought in California threatens聽the availability of the two popular foods.
The end result may have an impact on your cupboards and your diet.
It鈥檚 difficult to , peruse Pinterest or browse blogs without seeing a post that features avocados. The fruit (yes, avocados are a fruit) is trendy, and the avocado鈥檚 rise to stardom has a lot to do with recent research.
, a registered dietitian and food scientist in the D.C. area, says science in the 鈥�80s and 鈥�90s advised people to limit or avoid fat in their diets. The low-fat foods that were high in carbohydrates, preservatives and additives, which, ironically, left Americans fatter.
In the last decade, however, emerging research has disproved earlier claims, finding that some fats are actually beneficial to health.
鈥淲hat we found is that the fats that are contained in nuts, particularly almonds, as well as avocados, really are great for protecting your heart. And so no longer do we advise people to avoid these types of products or worry about the fat content,鈥� Dubost says. 鈥淏ecause we know that those types of healthy fats 鈥� the mono-unsaturated, the poly-unsaturated fatty acids 鈥� are actually protective.鈥�
In fact, have shown that eating nuts decreases mortality rates by 20 percent, and that daily nut consumption is associated with a decreased risk in heart disease. Almonds and avocados also supply a number of nutrients to the body, such as vitamin E, vitamin C, magnesium and calcium.
In addition to research, Dubost credits the restaurant industry with elevating the avocado. She says interest in the avocado spiked when restaurants started preparing guacamole tableside for customers.
鈥淧eople really liked that; they like to get involved in the preparation of their food,鈥� she says.
Prepared in person or not, guacamole was the gateway to America鈥檚 avocado obsession. In 1999, Americans consumed 1.1 pounds of guacamole per capita. In 2014, that amount rose to 5.8 pounds, .
Almonds have seen a similar increase in demand. The global population is eating over 1,000 percent more almonds than they did a decade ago, . And sales of almond milk in the U.S., a $738 million business, .
But the explosion in almond and avocado consumption could soon slow, and California鈥檚 climate is the culprit.
The drought鈥檚 impact on food production
The Golden State is responsible for producing 82 percent of the world鈥檚 almond supply,, and more than 80 percent of avocados grown in the U.S. . However, just like all food, both avocados and almonds require water to grow 鈥� something that鈥檚 increasingly scarce in California, thanks to multi-year high temperatures and little rainfall.
On average, it takes about a gallon of water to grow one almond; it takes about 72 gallons of water to grow a pound of avocados. Those numbers may sound like a lot, but other commodities, such as beef, dairy, alfalfa and chickpeas, require even more. California鈥檚 drought is even , due to a drop in the state鈥檚 rice crop.
So why are almonds and avocados at the center of the drought鈥檚 controversy? It鈥檚 because of their popularity. When a recent that increased prices caused by changes in climate conditions could one day lead to a suspension of the chain鈥檚 sales of guacamole, the world started paying attention to the climate鈥檚 effect on food.
鈥淗aving only just recently become a tattoo-worthy symbol of foodie obsessiveness, the avocado could become the symbol of a pre-climate-change era, when we could reasonably expect anything, from anywhere, at any time, to appear on our dinner plate,鈥� reporter Adam Sternbergh writes in .
From the farm to the fridge
Will California鈥檚 drought trickle down and affect food prices? The answer is up for debate.
Some experts predict that聽聽as a result of the drought; others predict almond prices are more likely to spike. Still others聽believe that steady production from countries such as Mexico and Chile will help keep costs from rising.
However, the rising cost of water in California will likely increase the cost of production over time, and that slight increase will eventually make its way to the grocery store shelves.
If that happens, registered dietitian Dubost has some advice for finding sources that offer nutritional benefits similar to almonds and avocados 鈥� but nothing will fully replace these foods.
鈥淎ll foods are unique, and that鈥檚 why registered dietitians also talk about balance and moderation, as boring as that may sound,鈥� she says. 鈥淓ach food has its own components that are essential to the diet, in the case of almonds and avocados; they have very unique nutrition profiles.鈥�
However, Dubost says other nuts, such as walnuts and pistachios, supply protein and essential vitamins and minerals. And think outside the shell: Many nut butters contain the same nutritional qualities as their whole counterparts. Just be wary of added sugars.
鈥淭hat can hike up the calories, with little nutrition coming in from the sugar,鈥� Dubost says.
Avocados are a little more unique, especially from a cuisine standpoint, since many cooks use them for their creamy, butter-like texture. However, qualities from avocado鈥檚 good fats are present in a variety of cooking oils, such as canola oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil and olive oil.
鈥淭hose will give you the mix of the fatty acid profiles along with the vitamin E,鈥� she says.
The overall message, she says: Continue to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, proteins and natural sources of poly-unsaturated the mono-unsaturated fats, while limiting your saturated fat intake.
