California Fruit Salad

Except for the avocados you may cut the fruit up to six hours ahead, cover & chill.

3 tablespoons toasted almond slivers.
4 oranges, half pound each
2 ruby red grapefruit, peeled
2 firm-ripe avocadoes (1 lb total)
Large leaves of butter, green or red-leaf lettuce
1 firm-ripe papaya peeled, seeded, and sliced
2 cups red or black seedless grapes rinsed.
Poppy seed dressing

Cut the peel and white membrane from oranges and grapefruit.
Over a bowl to catch citrus juices and segments, cut between membranes to release the fruit from the segments.
Peel, pit, and slice the avocadoes, coating the slices with citrus juices.
Line a large platter with the large lettuce leaves.
Arrange oranges, grapefruit, avocadoes, papaya, and grapes on the leaves.
Sprinkle with almonds.
Moisten with a little poppy seed dressing.
Leave bottle out for guests to add more. Provide salt and pepper for taste.
8 to 10 servings

Wow! An avocado contains 731 calories and over 30 grams of mono-saturated fat. Yet a sliver of avocado in the daily diet has benefits that far outweigh the calories and fat.Mono-saturated fats of avocados contain oleic acid, found to improve fat levels in the body and help control diabetes. With avocados as their primary source of fat in the diet, diabetes sufferers can lower their triglycerides by up to 20%. In addition to being helpful to those with diabetes, the mono-saturated fats in avocados help lower cholesterol. As for fiber, there are 10 grams per avocado. Avocados contain 30% more potassium than a banana.
If you still fret about fat, then shop for Florida-grown avocados. They contain about 2/3 the calories and half the fat of California-grown variety. Also, stick with those harvested between November and March; they contain 1/3 the fat of those picked earlier in the growing season.