An “Eggceptionally” Perfect Food
Eggs, I love them. Eggs are an excellent source of a very high-quality protein and the best is they are inexpensive.
The whole egg is amazingly good for you. Proteins, vitamins, minerals, cholesterol, essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins. They are very important in many recipes and extremely versatile. People have used them for centuries for food. I had the chance to visit Orvieto, Italy and what I found fascinating about this town high up in the mountains were the birds. There were hundreds of them, I was never that high up in the mountains! The people who founded this town hundreds of years ago did too. They carved out parts of a stone cave and made shelves and windows, the birds would fly in and make nests and they would harvest the eggs. They knew how good they were for them.
Eggs are very popular at this time of the year for dying and decorating. After I share all of the benefits of these beauties you will want to make sure you eat every one. Remember there are all kinds of eggs besides chicken. Emu, ostrich, duck, goose or quail can also be eaten with the same benefits and are delicious.
Eggs are a complete source of protein as they contain all nine essential amino acids; these are the ones that our bodies cannot manufacture and must be obtained from the foods that we eat.The egg white contains more than half of the protein in the egg. The egg white also contains B12 and less fat and cholesterol than the yolk has. Besides B12 the white also has abundant sources of selenium, vitamin D, B6, B12 and contains the minerals zinc, iron, and copper. It is the egg yolks that contain more calories and fat and they are the source of cholesterol, fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and lecithin.
Eggs have really received a bad reputation. Years and years they have been looked at as unhealthy because they were regarded as a high cholesterol food and especially if you had high cholesterol you were told to avoid them Scientific study has now proven that the cholesterol found in food has much less of an effect on our blood cholesterol than the amount of saturated fat we eat. If you are worried about this check with your physician.
All eggs are not created equal. Please, when choosing eggs look for range free, not cage-free eggs. Cage-free means that the chickens are stuffed in a barn tightly and can barely move. Range free means that they are outside eating what nature intended them to eat. Check to make sure that they are antibiotic and GMO-free. They are much healthier for you.
Eggs provide much needed Vitamin D. Vitamin D is important in protecting our bones and helping to prevent osteoporosis and rickets. These round little gems are a delight! Make eggs a part of your diet knowing how good they are for you. Fried, hard-boiled, scrambled, omlets or frittas, experiment with the possibilities and enjoy.
