Basketball Fans Will Eat 30 Million Avocados During National Championship

IRVINE, Calif. - As college basketball fans gather to watch their favorite teams compete in March’s College Basketball National Championship Tournament, they’ll be looking for championship-level snacks to munch on. Easy and delicious dishes featuring fresh California avocados are sure to be fan favorites. In fact, according to the California Avocado Commission, so many fans include avocados in their “starting lineup” of tournament snacks that more than 30 million California avocados, equaling 15 million pounds, will be consumed during tournament festivities.

California avocados add a creamy and delicious flavor to a variety of tournament-time dishes. Whether fans are craving the ultimate championship snack – guacamole – or foods such as sandwiches, burgers, pizza or nachos, avocados are a “slam dunk” ingredient.

“Basketball fans want tasty foods that are quick and easy to assemble, so they don’t have to miss a minute of the college tournament action,” said Scott McIntyre, chairman of the California Avocado Commission. “By adding California avocados to their tournament-time party foods, fans instantly can give their dishes a delightful flavor that will be the superstar of their party – without having to spend a ton of time sidelined in the kitchen.”

The California Avocado Commission has a number of delicious tournament-time recipes, to help basketball fans create championship-worthy dishes that will make them the “Most Valuable Player” of their Men’s College Basketball Championship Tournament parties. Recipes sure to please basketball fans from around the country can be found on the California Avocado Commission’s Web site at www.avocado.org.