Avocado Nutrition: Calories, Fiber and California vs Florida Avocados

An avocado is an unusual fruit: creamy instead of juicy, low in sugar, and rich enough in fat that most of its calories come from it. USDA data show that a cup of avocado cubes supplies more than a third of the Daily Value for fiber along with potassium, folate and vitamin K. USDA also lists California and Florida avocados separately, and they differ more than most shoppers expect. Below is avocado nutrition from the USDA SR Legacy database, how the two types compare, what heart research actually found, and allergy and medication notes.

Peptide Labs does not sell avocados. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.

What is an avocado?

The avocado is the fruit of Persea americana, a tree that a 2019 genome study described as a crop of immense importance to Mexican agriculture. Growers and botanists traditionally sort avocados into three botanical races: Mexican, Guatemalan and West Indian, a group a 2023 study notes is now also called Lowland. Hass, the most commercially popular cultivar, is a hybrid; the 2019 study found that about 39% of its genome comes from Guatemalan sources mixed into a Mexican background.

Botanically it is a fruit, but US dietary guidance files it elsewhere. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 place avocado in the “other vegetables” subgroup of the USDA food patterns, and the same edition notes that oils are naturally present in nuts, seeds, seafood, olives and avocados. The 2025-2030 edition lists avocados, with nuts, seeds, olives and seafood, among whole foods that supply fats.

Avocado nutrition: USDA data per serving

The table uses the USDA SR Legacy entry for raw avocados of all commercial varieties (FDC 171705). The 50-gram row is the standard label serving, about a quarter of the 201-gram whole avocado in the same entry. %DV uses FDA Daily Values.

A few patterns stand out in the USDA numbers. Of the 8.5 grams of carbohydrate in 100 grams of avocado, 6.7 grams are fiber and less than 1 gram is sugar, which is why avocado shows up on lists of high fiber foods and low carb foods alike. Our fiber guide explains the Daily Value. A cup of cubes also provides 728 milligrams of potassium in USDA data, 15% of the Daily Value; our potassium foods list puts that in context.

Avocado calories and fat

Avocado calories come mostly from fat. Using the USDA values, fat supplies roughly four-fifths of the 160 calories in 100 grams. About two-thirds of that fat is monounsaturated, about 15% is saturated and about 12% is polyunsaturated. The saturated share is small: a full cup of cubes lists 3.2 grams, 16% of the Daily Value. That profile is why avocados sit alongside olives, nuts and seeds in our guide to high fat foods.

Portion size drives the totals. USDA lists 80 calories for the 50-gram label serving and 322 calories for a whole avocado. Our avocado oil guide covers the oil pressed from the fruit, which keeps the fat but loses the fiber, and our olive oil guide covers another mostly monounsaturated fat.

California vs Florida avocados

USDA keeps separate SR Legacy entries for California and Florida avocados. It does not name the varieties behind each entry, so this guide does not equate either one with Hass. Per 100 grams the difference is clear: the Florida avocado entry lists more water, less fat and fewer calories.

The last row changes the picture. A Florida avocado is lighter per bite, but USDA weighs the edible part of one fruit at 304 grams, more than twice the 136 grams listed for a California fruit, so a whole Florida avocado carries more calories and fat in total. The Florida avocado entry also lists more sugar and vitamin C per 100 grams. In the kitchen, the lower fat content gives it a lighter, more watery texture, which suits salads and salsas; the richer California type mashes into a creamier guacamole. Note that the California entry repeats the all-varieties fatty-acid values.

Is avocado healthy? What heart research found

Avocado’s fiber, potassium and folate show up clearly in USDA data. Claims that go further deserve a closer look, because the research is mixed and mostly observational.

• Large cohort study, 2022: researchers followed 68,786 women and 41,701 men in two US health studies for up to 30 years. People in the highest avocado-intake group had a 16% lower risk of cardiovascular disease than people who ate none, after the authors adjusted for other diet and lifestyle factors. No association was seen for stroke. Because this is an observational study, it shows an association, not cause and effect.
• Habitual Diet and Avocado Trial, 2022: 1,008 adults with a large waist measurement added avocado to their usual diet every day for six months or kept eating as usual. The trial’s main outcome, fat stored around the organs measured by MRI, did not differ between groups, and the authors reported minimal effect on heart-related risk factors, with modest reductions in total and LDL cholesterol. A 2026 summary describes the trial as privately funded.
• Reviews of trials: a 2018 meta-analysis of 18 studies found higher HDL cholesterol with avocado but no difference in total cholesterol, LDL or triglycerides, and noted that no study reported heart attacks or strokes. A 2024 review found a small drop in total cholesterol overall, no significant difference in LDL, and graded the certainty of its findings as low.

One smaller finding is useful in the kitchen. In two crossover studies of 11 people each, published in 2005, adding avocado to salsa or salad increased how much of the carotenoids in those foods, such as beta-carotene and lutein, the participants absorbed. Avocado pairs naturally with tomatoes, carrots and leafy greens.

Avocado allergy and latex-fruit syndrome

Avocado is not one of the nine major food allergens that US labels must declare, but FDA notes that more than 160 other foods have been reported to cause allergic reactions. Avocado matters most for people allergic to natural rubber latex. A 2024 review of 30 years of research describes latex-fruit syndrome as cross-reactivity between latex allergens and certain fruit allergens, and found that the fruits most often involved are banana, avocado, kiwifruit and papaya. Researchers have identified an avocado class I chitinase, along with the latex protein hevein, as allergens tied to the syndrome. Reported rates among latex-allergic patients vary widely between studies.

Swelling of the lips or throat, hives or breathing trouble after eating avocado needs urgent care. For milder or unclear reactions, see an allergist, and read our elimination diet guide before cutting foods on your own.

Avocados and blood-thinning medicines

USDA lists 31.5 micrograms of vitamin K in a cup of avocado cubes, 26% of the Daily Value; the Florida avocado entry has no vitamin K value. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements explains that people taking warfarin or similar blood thinners need a consistent intake of vitamin K, because sudden changes can increase or decrease the medicine’s effect. The point is consistency rather than avoidance, so talk with the prescriber before a big change in how much you eat. Our vitamin K foods list compares other foods.

How to choose, ripen and store avocados

• Checking ripeness: a ripe avocado yields to gentle pressure, especially near the stem end.
• Ripening: firm avocados soften at room temperature. Many cooks put them in a paper bag, sometimes with a banana or an apple, to speed things up.
• Storing ripe fruit: once an avocado is ripe, the refrigerator slows further softening.
• Preventing browning: cut flesh darkens in air. A squeeze of lime or lemon juice and plastic wrap pressed against the surface slow the color change.
• Cutting: slice around the pit, twist the halves apart and scoop out the flesh.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last reviewed October 2026.

Related guides: Jabuticaba: The Brazilian Fruit That Grows on the Tree Trunk, Avocado Oil: Nutrition, Benefits, Olive Oil Comparison and Quality, Olive Oil Benefits: Research, Nutrition and Types of Olive Oil, Guacamole: USDA Nutrition, FDA Safety Testing and Browning Tips, Types of Avocados: West Indian, Guatemalan and Mexican Races.