Diane's Dish On... Eggs

Eggs are so much a part of our everyday lives that some of us may have forgotten their many benefits — they're a nutrition powerhouse, economical source of protein, culinary necessity, and, not to mention, delicious! Here's some fun and helpful info about this wonderful little ellipsoid.

Click here to see What Are Heirloom Eggs?

Nutritional Noshes

Eggs contain the highest quality protein with just the right mix of essential amino acids needed by the human body to build tissues; they are second only to mother's milk for human nutrition. Eggs have 13 essential vitamins and minerals, most of which come from the yolk, including naturally occurring vitamin D.

Eggs are good for your eyes due to a high quantity of carotenoids and lutein, which may help prevent age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.

Eggs are also rich in choline, which helps to boost brain health; one large egg contains more than half of a woman's daily requirement for this essential nutrient. Eggs are rich in B vitamins as well, especially riboflavin and vitamin B12.

One large egg contains only 70 calories and 5 grams of fat; one egg white has just 17 calories and zero grams fat.

Click here to see Recipe SWAT Team: Everyday Eggs

Culinary Corner

• Replace one whole egg with two egg whites in most recipes to save some calories and fat.
• Whipped egg whites contain tiny air bubbles. When this mix is added to other ingredients, it makes dishes light and fluffy.
• The best breading technique takes three steps: first dip in flour; then in a mixture of whipped milk, whole eggs, and egg whites; and finally, breadcrumbs.
• When baking, brushing beaten whole egg or yolk onto baked goods before placing in the oven will give them a gloss or glazed finish.
• Whipped egg yolks can hold other ingredients together that do not normally mix, like oil and vinegar.

Click here to see What to Do with Leftover Eggs

Fun Facts

• The most expensive egg ever sold was the Faberge "Winter Egg," sold in 1994 for $5.6 million.
• In France, the bride breaks an egg on the threshold of their new home before stepping in — for luck and healthy babies.
• By the time of the French Revolution, the French already knew 685 different ways of preparing eggs (including, of course, the omelette).
• In the Guinness Book of World Records for omelette-making, 427 two-egg omelettes were made in 30 minutes by Howard Helmer.

Click here to see A Guide to Alternative Eggs

"Eggs-Clamations"

"I have had, in my time, memorable meals of scrambled eggs with fresh truffles, scrambled eggs with caviar, and other glamorous things, but to me, there are few things as magnificent as scrambled eggs, pure and simple, perfectly cooked and perfectly seasoned."

— James Beard

"A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg."

— Samuel Butler

"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows you are slightly cracked."

— Bernard Meltzer

"This recipe is certainly silly. It says to separate the eggs, but it doesn't say how far to separate them."

— Gracie Allen

 
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Diane Henderiks is a personal chef and culinary nutritionist on a mission to teach America how to cook and eat well. Follow her on Twitter @dhenderiks, "Like" Diane on Facebook, or visit her website.