Guacamole: USDA Nutrition, FDA Safety Testing and Browning Tips

Guacamole is mashed avocado seasoned with lime, onion, chile, cilantro and salt. This guide covers what goes into it, guacamole nutrition from USDA data on its main ingredient, a fair answer to whether guacamole is healthy, what FDA testing has found on avocados and packaged guacamole, tips for homemade guacamole, and how to keep guacamole from turning brown.

Peptide Labs does not sell guacamole or produce. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.

What is guacamole?

Guacamole starts with ripe avocado, mashed with a fork or in a stone mortar until chunky or smooth. The classic seasonings are lime juice, finely chopped onion, fresh chile and cilantro, plus salt; many cooks add diced tomato or garlic. Our guides to avocado, limes, onions, jalapeno peppers, cilantro and tomatoes cover each ingredient on its own.

Guacamole is usually served cold as a dip, a topping for tacos and grilled foods, or a spread. Store-bought versions come refrigerated or frozen, and FDA notes that high-pressure processing is often used in making processed avocado and guacamole, which matters for the testing discussed below. Our salsa guide covers the other classic sauce that shares many of the same ingredients.

Guacamole nutrition: USDA numbers

USDA SR Legacy (April 2018 release) has no entry for guacamole, so the table below shows the raw avocado entries, clearly labeled as the nearest match, using USDA’s own portion weights. Because guacamole is mostly avocado, these rows give a fair picture; lime juice, onion and chile add little in USDA data, while salt can add a lot. Percent Daily Values (%DV) use FDA reference amounts.

A few points follow from the USDA data. Fat supplies most of the calories, and in the all-varieties entry about two-thirds of that fat, 9.8 of 14.66 grams per 100 grams, is monounsaturated. Fiber, potassium and folate are notable, with a cup of puree supplying more than half the Daily Value for fiber. The richer California entry and the leaner Florida entry differ by about 100 calories per cup of puree. USDA also lists 48.3 micrograms of vitamin K, 40% of the Daily Value, in a cup of all-varieties puree.

Sodium is where homemade and store-bought guacamole part ways. Avocado lists only 16 milligrams in a cup of puree in USDA data, while USDA lists 2,325 milligrams of sodium in a single teaspoon (6 g) of table salt, FDC 173468. FDA says the Daily Value for sodium is less than 2,300 milligrams a day and that 20% DV or more per serving is high, so check the label on packaged guacamole and salt homemade guacamole to taste. Our low-sodium foods guide explains how to compare labels.

Is guacamole healthy?

Is guacamole healthy? Its base is a whole fruit that brings fiber, potassium and folate along with its fat in USDA data, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 note that oils are naturally present in foods such as nuts, seeds, seafood, olives and avocados. It is also calorie-rich for its size compared with salsa: USDA lists 80 calories for 50 grams of avocado versus 10 calories for 2 tablespoons of ready-to-serve salsa. The same guidelines’ burrito bowl example swaps guacamole and jarred salsa for sliced avocado and fresh salsa or pico de gallo, as one of several slight changes to the meal.

What you scoop it with matters as much as the dip. FDA cites CDC data that savory snacks such as chips are among the foods that supply about 40% of the sodium Americans eat. Sliced cucumber, bell peppers or carrot sticks, or a spoonful on black beans and eggs, keep the sodium to what is in the bowl. One small 2005 crossover study of 11 healthy adults found that adding avocado to salsa increased how much lycopene and beta-carotene participants absorbed, which the authors attributed mainly to the fat in avocado.

Two groups should read our avocado guide before eating much guacamole. People who take warfarin will find its section on vitamin K and blood thinners, based on NIH guidance, and people with a latex allergy will find its section on latex-fruit syndrome, a topic worth raising with an allergist. A rash, swelling or breathing trouble after eating guacamole needs urgent care and a visit to an allergist.

Guacamole and food safety: what FDA testing found

FDA tested 1,615 samples of whole fresh avocados starting in May 2014. It found Salmonella on 0.74 percent of samples, all on the skin of domestically grown fruit. It found Listeria monocytogenes in 0.24 percent of pulp samples and 17.73 percent of skin samples. FDA notes that at low levels Listeria does not cause severe illness in healthy adults, but pregnant women, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are susceptible to small amounts.

• Wash before cutting: FDA repeats the Foodsafety.gov advice to wash all produce under running water before eating, cutting or cooking, even if you plan to peel it, so a knife does not carry germs from the skin into the flesh.
• Scrub and dry: FDA says firm produce, which includes avocados, should be scrubbed with a clean produce brush and dried with a clean cloth or paper towel.
• Packaged guacamole: from November 2017 to September 2019, FDA tested 887 samples of processed avocado and guacamole. It found Salmonella in two samples of the same brand of domestically made guacamole, neither of which had gone through high-pressure processing (HPP), and Listeria monocytogenes in 15 samples from nine firms.
• Why HPP matters: FDA describes HPP as a kill step validated to eliminate pathogenic microorganisms in food, often used for processed avocado and guacamole, and found pathogens more often in samples that had not gone through it.

Outbreak data point to handling rather than the fruit alone. The 2013 CDC analysis of outbreaks from 1973 to 2008 found 136 in which salsa or guacamole was reported as a possible vehicle, 84% of them from restaurants or delis, and its authors note that both are often made in large batches and often poorly refrigerated. FDA’s rule for home kitchens is simple: do not leave foods that need refrigeration at room temperature for more than two hours, or one hour above 90 degrees F, and keep the refrigerator at 40 degrees F or below. FDA adds that food can make you very sick even when it does not look, smell or taste spoiled.

How to keep guacamole from turning brown

FDA notes that avocado pulp tends to brown quickly once exposed to oxygen. The color change affects looks and flavor; it is not a safety signal either way, so the two-hour rule still applies to a bowl that looks bright green. These kitchen tips slow browning:

• Add acid early: stir lime juice into the avocado as soon as it is mashed, and squeeze a little more over the top before storing.
• Block the air: press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the guacamole so no air pocket is left, rather than stretching it over the bowl.
• Downsize the container: pack leftovers into a small airtight container with as little headspace as possible, and refrigerate them.
• Skip the pit trick: a pit pressed into the bowl only covers the spot it touches; the surface around it still darkens.
• Fix a dull top: if the surface darkens in the refrigerator, scrape off the thin top layer or stir it in before serving.

Tips for homemade guacamole

• Pick ripe fruit: a ripe avocado yields to gentle pressure; our avocado guide explains ripening and choosing.
• Season in layers: mash the avocado with lime juice and salt first, then fold in the onion, chile and cilantro so they stay crisp.
• Rinse the onion: soaking chopped onion in cold water for a few minutes softens its bite.
• Control the heat: chile heat varies a lot; add it gradually, and see our jalapeno guide for handling hot chiles.
• Serve it small: set out a small bowl and refill it from the refrigerator, which keeps both color and safety in check.

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: Salsa: USDA Nutrition, Sodium, Pico de Gallo and Food Safety Facts, Avocado Nutrition: Calories, Fiber and California vs Florida Avocados, Limes: Nutrition, Lime vs Lemon, Key Limes and Safety.