Who Knew Eggs Were So Complicated?

Ever since obesity and high cholesterol have begun to ravage the United States, eggs have come under a lot of scrutiny. Why? Because the yolk in an egg is like a stomach punch to your arteries. People are positing more and more that we should limit our intake of eggs, or at least egg yolks. This may or may not be a good thing, but at least we have options! See, while no one can deny that egg yolks are high in calories and unhealthy fat, studies have also proven that these same yolks pack a nutritional punch of their own. According to burnthefat.com, “Egg yolks contain a highly bioavailable source of lutein and zeaxanthin, which are carotenoids that protect against cataracts and macular degeneration.” Plus, if you’re in need of protein, the yolk is a pretty dense block of it. It’s really a case of taking the good with the bad. If you can get your protein, lutein, and zeaxanthin (if you even know what that is, ha) from another source on a regular basis, you could likely benefit from minimizing the yolk.

What else is out there? Well, people are catching onto egg-white recipes. Doing so is beneficial in many ways. First, you take away perhaps 80 percent of the calories in an egg, leaving behind mostly protein, so this can still benefit those who are looking to build muscle or simply looking to lose weight. If you don’t feel like buying eggs only to throw away half of every one, there are Egg Beaters, which are ready-to-go egg whites that are often enriched with vitamins and minerals. If you’re making eggs en masse and you just love the taste of yolk, consider recipes that contain proportions like five egg whites/substitutes to one egg. However, be careful with egg substitutes, because some companies add things like vegetable oil to Egg Beaters for taste and consistency. While it’s unlikely they’ll ever include something like butter (full of unhealthy, saturated fats), and there is an argument to be made for the healthy aspect of unsaturated fats in vegetable oil, you’re still consuming fat. People who go to the effort of buying egg substitutes did so for a reason, so it’s likely they’ll want to know if they’re consuming more than just egg whites. Lastly, don’t forget that these recommendations are largely for those who eat a lot of eggs. If you get up for breakfast with the family every day, it’ll behoove you to consider what everyone’s eating. On the other hand, if you only eat eggs on special holiday brunches, don’t stress about it!