Eggs: Eggceptionally Tasty and Healthy

By Marina Aagaard, MFE

Eggs are nutritious. Eggs are healthy. Eggs are tasty. Eggs are filling.
Eggs are ‘superversatile’. Eggs are super. Eggs are my kind of food.
Eggs are more than Easter food, eggs are for (almost) everyday and party food.
… but some eggs are healthier and tastier than others …

Organic eggs are healthier and tastier than other eggs, because the diet of the hens is healthier (for them and for you) (however, even organic eggs may contain salmonella).

Eggs from free-range hens has a better nutritional content
Egg testing has demonstrated differences between eggs from free-range pastured hens and commercially raised hens; an inevitable result from the diet of the hen laying the egg.
Compared to official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient data for commercial eggs, eggs from hens raised on pasture may contain (Dr. Mercola):

• 1/3 less cholesterol
• 1/4 less saturated fat
• 2/3 more vitamin A
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 2 times more omega-3 fats
• 7 times more beta caroten

Egg Nutritional Value (100 g)
650 kJ/155 kcal (medium sized egg 324 kJ/78 kcal):

32 % protein (ca. 12 g protein, primarily in the egg white)
3 % carbohydrate
65 % fat (ca. 11 g fat, only in the egg yolk).

Vitamins of the egg yolk are primarily vitamin A, D, E, and K, and the minerals calcium, phosphorus, iodine and selenium.
The protein of eggs are primarily found in the egg white, which mainly consists of water (approx. 90 %). Vitamins in the egg white are primarily vitamin B2 and folate, and primary minerals are potassium, calcium and iodine (Moeller A., 1996).

Raw eggs may contain salmonella, but the risk is relatively low (in fresh pastured eggs). You may use pasteurized eggs in dishes with no heating, eg. icecream, vanilla cream and certain desserts.
According to Dr. Mercola, nutrition expert, raw eggs are the best choice; they are tastier and healthier than cooked eggs; heating, according to him, may be the reason, that eggs can cause allergies, because the heating proces changes the chemical shape of of the egg proteins.

Cooked eggs: The (small) risk) of salmonella is eliminated, if the egg is cooked/heated. Raw eggs or a dish containing eggs should be heated to min. 167 F / 75 C (as a hard-boiled egg), this kills posible salmonella bacteria and the risk of infection.
According to Dr. Mercola scrambled eggs is one of the worst ways to eat eggs, because it oxidizes the cholesterol in the egg yolk and if you have high cholesterol this may be a problem. A much better choice, after raw eggs, is a soft-boiled egg.

Pasteurized eggs are eggs that are cooked briefly at a high temperature and then cooled. The yolk must reach a temperature of about 138 F.
Pasteurized raw eggs in dishes like ice cream and desserts do not pose a salmonella infection risk.

Fresh eggs
Check if your egg is fresh by cracking it on a flat plate.
A fresh egg: The yolk has a round and compact appearance. The white will be thick and stay close to the yolk.
Fresh and healthy eggs have bright orange yolks.
Fresh egg white has a cloudy colour, because of carbon dioxide, which is present, when the egg is laid. Over time the egg white becomes transparent as the carbon dioxide dissipates.
Check is your egg is fresh without cracking it: Fill a bowl with water and lower the egg carefully into the water:
“A fresh egg will immediately sink to the bottom and lie flat on its side. This is because the air cell within the egg is very small. The egg should also feel quite heavy.
As the egg starts to lose its freshness and more air enters the egg, it will begin to float and stand upright. The smaller end will lie on the bottom of the bowl, whilst the broader end will point towards the surface. The egg will still be good enough to consume, however, if the egg fully floats in the water and does not touch the bottom of the bowl at all, it should be discarded, as it will most likely be bad” (helpwithcooking.com).

Eggs are best, when they are fresh, so always check the date.

Eggs and cholesterol
For many years eggs had a bad name in general, because of the high cholesterol content.
No more: Because every cell of the body need cholesterol and “numerous studies support the conclusion that eggs have virtually nothing to do with raising your cholesterol anyway. For instance, research published in the International Journal of Cardiology showed that, in healthy adults, eating eggs daily did not produce a negative effect on endothelial function, an aggregate measure of cardiac risk, nor an increase in cholesterol level” (Dr. Mercola).

So go ahead: Enjoy your egg; organic egg from free-range pastured hens.
More expensive? It is better, healthier and tastier, to eat less food of a better quality …

Ten tips about eggs (Karolines Koekken)

1. Only buy eggs, which are kept refridgerated
2. Check the date (use only fresh eggs)
3. Wash your hands after touching raw eggs or the shell of raw eggs
4. Keep raw eggs apart from other foods
5. Prepare dishes with eggs as close to serving as possible
6. Put dishes with eggs in fridge immediately after preparing, if not served straight away
7. Crack your eggs on a plate to avoid spreading bacteria
8. Check the egg – the white should be thick and the yolk round and compact
9. Cook or bake dishes with raw eggs with a temperature that exceeds 167 F / 75 C
10. Use pasteurized eggs for cold or lukewarm dishes (temperature below 167 F / 75 C).