A gardening influencer named Amy Chapman has shared how to grow a cheaper alternative to avocados that is perfect for spreading on toast – and it’s also easy to do yourself
Alice Sjoberg Social News Reporter
06:35, 27 Mar 2026
A gardener has shared how you can get an alternative to avocado to grow in your garden (stock image)(Image: Getty Images)
Avocados are a great and delicious superfood that’s also a source of healthy fats which go amazingly on toast or in a guacamole dip. However, many will know they can be expensive to buy in supermarkets, and also don’t last for very long once ripe.
But now, one gardening influencer has encouraged people to abandon the avocado completely and instead grow an inexpensive alternative in their own gardens instead, as she claims they’re ‘super easy’ to grow yourself. Amy Chapman, known across social media as ‘IntheCottageGarden’, boasts a combined following of half a million across Instagram and TikTok, where fans eagerly embrace her practical advice on successful garden cultivation.
In one video, Amy encouraged avocado enthusiasts to experiment with a different option for their breakfast toast by growing another ingredient that thrives better in cooler temperatures.
“You can grow your own avocado alternative, here’s how,” she announced at the beginning of the Instagram clip.
She explained: “If you love avo on toast, but, like me, you live in a cooler climate where avocados just wouldn’t grow, try growing broad beans instead.”
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While it may seem an unusual substitute, Amy defended her suggestion by adding: “I know they might now sound that exciting, but hear me out because they taste amazing blitzed up with a little oil and garlic and spread onto toast. And they’re also super easy to grow.”
How to grow broad beans
For those keen on growing their own broad beans, Amy elaborated: “You can start the seeds off in spring or autumn, either by poking the seeds straight into the ground where you want them to grow, or for a little bit of extra protection from things like mice, you can start them off indoors in pots or a nice deep root trainer like this one.
“They’re pretty low maintenance, just make sure you plant them in a nice sunny spot and remember to water them now and then so they don’t completely dry out.”
Growing broad beans isn’t just an enjoyable way to access this avocado alternative – it can also enhance your soil quality. Amy explained: “Broad beans help to fix nitrogen into the soil from the air, so growing them could actually make your soil better.”
“And other than that, you can pretty much just leave them to do their thing and you’ll be harvesting an abundance of these vibrant beans from early summer,” she added.
Viewers were quick to share their reactions to the unusual suggestion of swapping avocados for broad beans in the comments section.
One person remarked: “So you’re proposing… Beans on toast. love it.”
“If we all just grew broad beans maybe we’d be able to afford houses,” a second viewer quipped.
A third person enquired about which broad bean variety she would recommend, to which Amy responded: “I’ve never had a bad broad bean variety! I’ve had good luck with the Sutton, aquadulce Claudia and red epicure.”
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