Eggs So Fine

The egg has regained its rightful place as a protein-packed health food, chock-full of essential vitamins and nutrients. Once eggs were frowned on for high cholesterol but recent studies suggest that it’s our consumption of some saturated fats and man-made trans fats that has a more negative influence on blood cholesterol levels than overall dietary cholesterol intake. Since an all-natural and shapely large egg weighs in at a slim 70 calories and five grams of fat, it’s once again a recommended part of a balanced diet. And since the egg can be prepared in a myriad of ways, there’s sure to be one that will appeal to even finicky members of your household. See www.eggs.ab.ca for recipes.

Half the Fun: The white contains more than half of the egg’s total protein and riboflavin and no fat or cholesterol. If your doctor has advised that you are hypersensitive to dietary cholesterol, you can skip the yolk and safely eat the white. But most nutrients are found in the yolk.

Omega Project: Omega-3 is a polyunsaturated fatty acid that may reduce the risk of heart disease. Eggs enriched with omega-3s come from hens which have been fed a flaxseed-rich diet and contain about 0.4 grams of omega-3s, compared with about .04 grams in other eggs.

Burst of Sunshine: The yolk’s colour depends on the hen’s diet. An Alberta hen’s wheat-based diet usually produces a light yellow yolk. A corn or alfalfa-based diet produces a dark yellow yolk.

Spotty Times: A red spot in the yolk occurs when a blood vessel in the hen ruptures while the egg is forming. It’s OK to eat but if it offends your aesthetic sensibilities you can remove it easily with the tip of a fork.

Beautiful Barrier: The shell protects the inside from bacteria and other contaminants.

Cracked Up: The Alberta Egg Producers recommend you cook an egg with a cracked or broken shell thoroughly, in a cake or casserole for example, instead of using recipes that won’t thoroughly cook the egg, such as meringues or icings.

Colourblind: Shell colour has no bearing on nutritional content. White-shelled eggs usually come from hens with white feathers. In Alberta, these hens are usually White Leghorns. Brown-shelled eggs usually come from hens with brown feathers.

Centrepiece: The yolk contains many essential nutrients, including phosphorous, iron, vitamin D and folic acid. It has 190 mg of cholesterol and five grams of fat, of which only 1.5 grams is saturated fat. None is trans fat.

Double Good: You may find an egg with a double yolk. This usually happens when a hen is at the very beginning or near the end of her reproductive life. Double-yolk eggs are safe to eat, but their additional volume may affect the outcome of the recipe.