Eggs: Misunderstood?

By: Tanya Taylor, PhD | May 4, 2006

Eggs have earned a slightly bad reputation - but is it really deserved? I have been eating a lot of eggs lately. Eggs are like the ultimate cheap food. You can get a dozen - even 18 for under $2.00 and there are so many ways to prepare them to get a complete meal. My favorite is to make an omelette - whisk 2 eggs, add cheese (lots of it), diced tomatoes, green onions - and of course, salt and black pepper. Then you can also make scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, fried eggs, deviled eggs ... so versatile.

So what's the real deal about the nutrition of eggs? Well, 1 large egg has 75 calories, 5 grams of total fat, and 1.5 grams of saturated fat, both of which are 8% of daily recommendations, and 6 grams of protein. But there's also 210 mg of cholesterol, which is 70% of what's recommended daily. Almost perfect! But not everybody has to be too concerned about the high level of cholesterol. Saturated fat impacts your blood cholesterol level more than cholesterol from foods. However, if you have high cholesterol or known risks to heart diseases, the NCEP and AHA recommends not eating more than 2 yolks per week.

Eggs are also a good source of some micronutrients. One egg provides at least 22% of an adult's daily requirement of choline, which plays an importantrole in brain development and memory functions. Eggs are also an important dietary source of both lutein and zeaxanthin (antioxidants) which may be important in reducing the risk of serious eye disease.

There's more to eggs these days than in the past:-
Omega-3 enhanced eggs are from hens fed a diet containing 10 - 20% flax seed. Omega-3 enhanced eggs contain ~10 times omega 3 fatty acids than the classic eggs, but the cholesterol and the total fat contents are about the same.

Organic eggs have the same nutritional content, fat or cholesterol as classic eggs, but are produced by hens fed certified organic grains.

Free Run eggs are produced by hens that are able to move about the floor of the barn and have access to nesting boxes and perches and have the same nutrient content as regular eggs.

Free Range eggs are produced in a similar environment as free run eggs but hens have access to outdoor runs as well. The nutrient content of these eggs is the same as that of regular eggs.

Processed eggs such as liquid egg whites or dried egg whites are shell eggs broken by special machines then pasteurized before being further processed and packaged in liquid, frozen or dried form. Process egg products may also contain preservatives and flavor or color additives.

In my diet, eggs are here to stay. I eat eggs at least once a week, and I love the ease of preparation, the nutrition, and the cost effectiveness!

Rating

Taste:

Nutrition:

Price:

Overall:

See more on: Miscellaneous , eggs   comments (3)