World Egg Day

Did you know that today is World Egg Day?  Unfotunately, eggs have gotten a bad rap over the years, but they’re actually incredibly nutrient dense and good for you!  People have been eating eggs all over the world for decades!

Egg-cellent Nutrition

Did you know that 1 egg contains 6 grams of high quality protein? The protein is of such high quality that scientists often use it as the standard for measuring the protein quality of other foods. The protein can help you build muscles and allows you to feel fuller for longer.

The egg white is often a “fan favorite” part of the egg as it’s is lower in fat. It also:

• Contains more than half of the protein found in an egg
• Great source of selenium, vitamin D, vitamin B6, vitamin B12
• Good source of minerals like zinc, iron and copper

The egg yolk gets a bad rap simply because it is higher in cholesterol, but it has so much more to offer!

• Rich in vitamin A, D, E and K, all of which are essential fat-soluble vitamins
• Contains lecithin, which is what is used to make mayonnaise and hollandaise

Choline is also an essential nutrient that is found in the egg yolk.  It contributes to better neurological function and reduced inflammation.  More importantly, choline is essential for pregnant woman to ingest because it is linked with fetal brain development and prevents birth defects.

Finding Your Egg Type

When you go the supermarket, you may see more than just “regular” eggs in the refrigerator section, but what do they all mean? What type of eggs should you be buying?

Let’s review:

• Regular: Hens are usually confined to a small space with little room to move around.
• Cage-Free: Hens are simply raised in bigger cages, so they have more room to move around (not actually free of cages like the name suggests).
• Free Range: Hens are given free range on the farm where they are raised. There are no cages.
• Organic: Hens are raised in a free-range setting and are also only provided feed that is certified organic.
• Omega-3: Hens are provided a feed that contains extra flax in it, which leads them to lay eggs with more omega-3 fatty acids in them.
• White Eggs: Eggs laid by white haired hens.
• Brown Eggs: Eggs laid by brown haired hens.

4 Egg-tastic Meals

1. Hard-boiled eggs are aclassic and easy way to get your egg fix. You can prepare a couple and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days for a quick and easy breakfast. Or, you can cut up a hard-boiled egg and throw it in a salad. The possibilities are endless!

2. Scrambled eggs are a fan favorite and another classic way to prepare an egg. If you want to make them a bit more interesting, toss in some spinach, mushrooms, peppers or any other vegetable you like to increase the nutrients and spice them up a bit!

3. Omelets are super easy to prepare and make for a deliciously filling meal! You can put virtually anything in an omelette – so don’t hold back! You can enjoy your omelete alone or have it with toast or vegetables as a side.

4. Sunny side up, over easy, over medium or over hard are other ways you can make your eggs! Each referes to how runny you want your yolk. Sunny side up and over easy will be the runniest! You can enjoy these eggs with toast or in homemade ramen or rice!

Before I go, I do want to touch upon egg’s cholesterol content as this is a question I hear all the time from my clients. Yes, eggs contain 185 mg cholesterol per egg, but the American Egg Board (and 40 years of research) has shown that healthy adults can enjoy eggs without significantly impacting their risk of heart disease.  In fact, studies show saturated and trans-fat play a bigger role in raising your blood cholesterol levels than dietary cholesterol.

If you still worry about eggs and their cholesterol content, you can opt for one whole egg with two egg whites.  The combination of whole eggs and egg whites will still give you a filling breakfast.  Be aware that if you choose to only eat egg whites you will be missing ~40% of the protein content and fat-soluble nutrients, such as vitamin D, E, A, choline and the carotenoids.

Your Turn to Take Action:How will you celebrate World Egg Day? Let me know in the comments below!

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