Eggs are not just for Easter egg hunts! Read 5 eggs-celent reasons why you should eat more eggs, and which eggs are healthier for you.
I have a confession to make on this Easter eve weekend. I hate hard-boiled eggs. I have never liked these round and easy bundles of goodness.
Partly because they smell like something your dog would dig up from your yard.
Partly because the texture of the yolk on my tongue makes me feel like scrubbing it with a Brillo brush.
And, partly because everyone in my family loved eggs.
Regardless of my earlier feelings about eggs, I have learned to embrace them in their nutritional glory.
In fact, when I went vegetarian a few years ago, eggs were my saving grace (and practically a daily meal).
Today, my kids prefer eggs for our weekly Meatless Monday, and there are many delicious ways to prepare them that have nothing to do with boiling. And, we can prepare them as a sweet -or- savory meal.
Why Easter eggs?
Before I share easy ways to boil eggs as well as some of my favorite recipes, I wanted to dive a bit into why Easter involves eggs. After all, the point of Easter was to celebrate the rebirth of Jesus Christ. A less Christian view might see Easter as a herald to spring. Yet, how do eggs fit into that theme?
According to History.com, decorating eggs for Easter dates back to at least the 13th century, and the custom could have originated from the egg being a forbidden food during Lent. Hence, we bust out the eggs to celebrate the end of Lent.
The incredible, edible egg is also a an ancient symbol of new life, and has been featured in numerous pagan festivals.
If you want to learn how to boil the perfect egg for your Easter egg hunt, watch this quick video.
Nutritional benefits of eggs
Now that we know a bit about why eggs are part of Easter, are eggs actually healthy for us? You may have heard myths that eating eggs every day for breakfast is not good for you, or that you should skip the yolk and eat only the white.
Maybe you have heard that eggs increase your cholesterol.
Medical News Today shares that there is little connection between eating cholesterol and having high cholesterol.
As for the yolk, most of the fat in eggs is found there. While some popular diets would stress the importance of reducing fat, research supports that high fat diets can be better for your health (and especially weight loss). Dr. Mark Hyman is a good resource for how a high fat diet is good for you.
Another macronutrient besides fat that eggs are high in is protein. Eating enough protein helps you avoid hunger and cravings. Plus, per serving size, protein has the least amount of calories of all the three macros.
What else do eggs do for your body?
Eggs are a good source of vitamin D, selenium, and Omega 3 fatty acids.
Did I mention that eggs are also one of the cheapest sources of protein you can find in the grocery store? If you are looking to eat healthy on a budget, don’t look further than the humble egg.
Egg recipes you can love
You already know that I dislike boiled eggs. Which rules out deviled eggs, egg salad, and egg curry.
The best news is- eggs are one of the most versatile food on the planet!
They can be fried, scrambled, poached, baked, stir-fried, or even eaten raw. (Note: please be very cautious when eating raw eggs, and know where they come from!)
[bctt tweet=”What is your favorite way to eat #eggs? Check out #healthy egg #recipes you can love! @medicalnewstoday @drmarkhyman” username=”jegoswam”]
One of my all-time favorite ways to eat eggs is the Tortilla Espanola. My German roommate used to cook this up for an easy and simple dinner. Plus, the combo of onion and potato results in a very savory treat. Pin the recipe here.
I frequently bake with eggs– everything from pancakes to waffles to flour-less muffins, and you can even try cloud “bread” if you’re gluten-free.
By the way, eggs are also a great way to re-imagine veggies. I discovered the power of unfried “fritters” that are bound together with eggs. This includes sweet potato corn cakes, carrot cauliflower fritters, zucchini fritters and even squash fritters.
Finally, eggs are the ultimate in portable hand-helds. Since I spend the majority of my day in my car driving kids to and from school, meeting with coaching clients, and speaking for local organizations, I need food that can travel with me.
Here are some fun portable and healthy egg recipes to take on your next trip or commute! Even your kids will like some of these. Click the image below to pin the recipes, courtesy of Buzzfeed.
Which eggs are healthier?
When you walk down the egg aisle at the grocery store or your local farmer’s market, you might be a bit puzzled by what you see.
After all, you will see labels that say pasture raised, cage-free, vegetarian fed, antibiotic-free, free range, certified organic or natural.
What do all of these things mean?
First of all, any time a company makes some sort of nutritional claim on a label, it is typically a marketing ploy to get you to buy #buyerbeware
Second of all, some of these claims have meaning (and government regulation) and others are pure rubbish.
Let’s go through these designations in order of least important to most for you (information provided from Takepart, though I am ordering by importance)
- Natural– this means nothing in terms of nutrition or safety.
- Cage-Free- chickens are allowed to roam, but not necessarily in sunlight. Feed and antibiotic-use are not prohibited.
- Free range– prohibits cages and hens must have access to outdoors, but feed is not regulated.
- Vegetarian-Fed– prohibits animal byproducts in feed. Some possible byproducts in non-vegetarian fed hens include bone meal, pork offal, and beef/poultry fat (per extension.org)
- Antibiotic-Free– prohibits the use of antibiotics in feed or water in chicks or hen-laying eggs, and documentation must be provided to back this claim up.
- Pasture-Raised– requires hens to hunt, peck and graze outdoors on their natural diet, eggs tend to have more vitamins and minerals and lower cholesterol. This is not regulated or enforced by government agencies, nor is there a common standard for this. Typically found at farmer’s markets.
- Certified Organic– prohibits cages and antibiotics, hens are required to have access to the outdoors and be fed organic feed. To find certified organic egg brands near you, check out this article from Rodale’s Organic Life.
All in all, you know that eggs have a long tradition of providing decorating fun for Easter (and why), why they are good for you, and what those darn labels actually mean.
Here are your 5 Eggs-Celent Reasons to Eat More Eggs:
- Great for both Easter fun and breakfast
- Great source of protein, vitamins, and minerals
- Budget-friendly
- Versatile- can be prepared a variety of ways
- Friendly to a variety of diets– from Paleo to vegetarian
Do you like eggs? What is your favorite way to enjoy eggs? Share with us in the comments!