Cracking the Egg Myth: The Nutritious Powerhouse for Your Plate

Published on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 by Kelly Velting

Egg-cellent Nutrition: Debunking Myths and Embracing Benefits

Do you believe the old myth that eggs are unhealthy? Cast that aside, my friends! Push past that cholesterol hype! We’re unveiling the nutritious gems in eggs. Eggs are packed with essential vitamins like B12, choline, and vitamin D, along with minerals like iodine, iron, and selenium. Learn how they contribute to weight management and overall well-being.

Protein and Lipids in Eggs: The Secret to Sustained Energy

Did you know your body thrives on fat and protein in a meal for you to really feel satiated? (That’s that delightful feeling of fullness.)

Eggs contain protein and lipids, which provide excellent slow energy. I like to think of these as “slow energy” because we don’t digest and absorb these calories as quickly as carbohydrates alone, which means we can utilize the energy longer.

The protein in eggs is high-quality, meaning it contains all the nine amino acids essential to get in your diet. That puts them right up there with other animal sources of protein like meat and cheese, but less saturated fat. (Reminder: saturated fats are the ones that can increase cholesterol in our bodies.) One egg contains far less saturated fat than an equal portion of cheese.

Dispelling Cholesterol Myths: The Good and the Bad

Cholesterol is usually brought up when there is a problem, but not today! While eggs do contain some LDL (often labeled “bad” cholesterol), they also contain some HDL (“good” cholesterol). HDL is the cholesterol that moves around the blood, cleaning up the bad cholesterol and taking it to the liver to remove it from the body. Eggs have some of that, too! Some studies have shown that eating eggs helped increase HDL vs. people who ate an egg substitute or no eggs at all. Besides, I think the real problem with cholesterol and eggs isn't the eggs. It’s the side dish everyone likes to eat WITH eggs. When was the last time you went out to breakfast and ordered fried eggs with crispy bacon, shredded hash browns, and sourdough toast? It’s the side dishes that will affect your cholesterol before those eggs will. That’s my professional opinion anyway.

Let’s get back to all those happy thoughts about eggs.

Eggs are a good source of vitamin B12 and choline. If you are an ovo-vegetarian, that should be great news. In fact, two eggs in the morning will get you over half of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for B12. Vitamin B12 is commonly found in only animal foods, so it can be difficult for vegetarians to get enough depending on the animal foods (if any) they are willing to eat. Choline is important for neurological function, the structure of our body’s cells, and so much more.

Eggs also contain iodine, iron, and selenium. These minerals are important for healthy thyroid function, brain health, our energy, and immunity. Eggs have the power to turn a mediocre snack into a mineral and protein-packed energy sustainer.

Creative Ways to Enjoy Eggs Beyond Breakfast

Don’t just serve them at breakfast. There are so many ways to use eggs in your meals and snacks. Here are a few different ways to serve up eggs for the next time you’re craving something delicious and filling:

Deviled eggs topped with chives for a healthy appetizer.
Scramble one into cooked cabbage and sausage with ginger and sesame in a bowl for your own egg roll-style dish.
Make a quiche for dinner.
Egg salad with curry seasoning
Add a hard-boiled egg to your potato salad.
Stir a raw egg right immediately into your hot spaghetti noodles for a simple pasta carbonara from Clarie Saffitz at bonappetite.com.
Make your own egg noodles like an easy 5-ingredient recipe by Linda at allrecipes.com.

How do you fit eggs into your day? Tell us in the comments.

_{Iodine. Linus Pauling Institute. (2024, January 2). https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/iodine}
_{Micronutrients. Micronutrients | National Agricultural Library. (n.d.). https://www.nal.usda.gov/human-nutrition-and-food-safety/food-composition/micronutrients}
_{Myers, M., & Ruxton, C. H. S. (2023). Eggs: Healthy or Risky? A Review of Evidence from High Quality Studies on Hen's Eggs. Nutrients, 15(12), 2657. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15122657}
_{Réhault-Godbert, S., Guyot, N., & Nys, Y. (2019). The Golden Egg: Nutritional Value, Bioactivities, and Emerging Benefits for Human Health. Nutrients, 11(3), 684. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11030684}
_{Vitamin B12. Linus Pauling Institute. (2024, February 15). https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/vitamins/vitamin-B12}