Incredible and Edible: 5 Reasons Why You Should Eat More Eggs| Recipes Articles

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Incredible and Edible: 5 Reasons Why You Should Eat More Eggs

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Adding something that's both nutritious and tasty to this vital daily routine can have some pretty great benefits. We're talking about none other than the incredible, edible egg. This American Egg Board slogan for this nutritional delight reflects just how many nutrients are packed into this small product.

Portion Control
Measuring out meals is no fun, but with the egg, the work has been done for you. Mitch Kanter, Executive Director of the Egg Nutrition Center (ENC) in Park Ridge, Illinois, explains how this small portion-controlled package is only 72 calories and contains 13 vitamins and minerals.

"Eggs are an excellent source of choline, a nutrient needed for nerve conduction and fetal brain development, as well as a good source of high quality protein," Kanter said. "[They also contain] vitamin B12, vitamin B2, selenium and are a natural source of vitamin D."

An Egg a Day
We're not saying to make eggs benedict every morning, but according to a WebMD article, Egg: Dietary Friend or Foe, eggs are part of a protein-rich group on the Food Guide Pyramid. Two to three servings from this group are recommended each day, and one egg a day would be equal to one-third to one-half of a serving from this group.

"Several large population studies have shown that eating an egg everyday is a good way to get many of the nutrients lacking in our daily diets without causing any health risks," Kanter said. "Recent recommendations put forward by a group of nutrition experts to the dietary guidelines committee suggested that an egg-per-day in the diet is okay."

Easy and Healthy to Prepare
Not only are eggs healthy on their own, but they provide a canvas to combine other essential daily nutrients. Surrounding eggs with other foods, like an omelet with your daily serving of vegetables, is an easy way to enjoy eggs and get your veggie serving for the day.

"Because dietary guidance suggests that most people need more fiber and nutrients from fruits and vegetables, a vegetable omelet with low fat cheese, spinach and red peppers would be a good start to ensuring that the day's nutrient needs are met," Kanter explained.

Don't Forget the Yolk
Even though egg whites seem to be a health food fad, it's important not to forget the nutritional benefits of the egg yolk. For people with heart problems, yolks should be eaten in moderation because of the cholesterol content, but for others, don't forget that the egg yolk contains 40% of the eggs' protein and the 13 vitamins and minerals.

"Since the medical community began focusing on dietary cholesterol the nutritional benefits of the nutrient - rich egg yolk have not gotten enough attention," Kanter said.

Safety First
Even though it might be tempting to eat raw dough right out of the bowl, and people frequently say its harmless, according to the American Dietetic Association never eat anything with raw eggs, which includes raw cookie dough and cake batter. They also suggest using a pasteurized egg substitute when preparing recipes like Caesar salad dressing or others that call for raw eggs- it's much safer and prevents the risk of food-borne illness.