Let’s talk eggs.
Eggs are one of my favorite things to eat. They’re a cheap source of protein, they’re super easy to make when you want a quick meal, and they fit easily on top of most breads (tortillas, rice, toast, pasta) and most veggies (potatoes, asparagus, beans, peppers, and MORE).
Unfortunately, I still hear people hating on the egg because of the rhetoric we’ve heard in recent years – mainly along the lines of the yolk is bad for you and you should only eat the white part.
Thanks to comments like that, I was inspired to throw the egg some love and talk about all the goodness that eggs provide.
What do eggs give us?
Protein. Eggs are considered a complete protein. This means they provide the subset of amino acids (protein building blocks) that humans cannot make on their own and in the amounts that we need them. In this way, eggs contribute to healthy growth and building of new, functional cells and muscle.
Choline. Choline is a precursor to the building blocks of our cell membranes called phospholipids. This makes choline essential for building healthy, functioning cells. Choline is also a precursor for some of nervous system communicators, like acetylcholine, making it essential for effective muscle movement and other nervous system functions.
Cholesterol. Cholesterol gets a bad rap but it is essential in proper body functioning. Cholesterol helps maintain the structural integrity of our cells and helps build many hormones like our sex hormones (testosterone and estrogen). Additionally, recent studies have refuted the previous belief that dietary cholesterol plays a significant role in cardiovascular disease, and as a result the dietary guidelines have eased up on advising people to limit cholesterol.
Vitamins. Eggs are unique in that they contain all the fat-soluble vitamins – vitamins A, D, E, and K. That just means you’ll need some fat in your diet to properly absorb them (eggs have you covered there – they’re a good source of fat!). These vitamins are crucial for eye and immune health (vitamin A), bone health (D), antioxidant function (E), and proper blood clotting (K). Eggs also provide B vitamins like vitamin B7. Vitamin B7 serves a variety of body functions mostly related to growth, including DNA synthesis. This makes B7 important for creating new healthy cells.
Minerals. Eggs are a great source of iodine, selenium, and zinc. Iodine and selenium are critical for proper thyroid function, and selenium and zinc have a whole host of jobs, not the least of which is working in your body’s antioxidant defenses.
Keep in mind that the egg white is primarily protein and water. Protein is of course important, but the egg yolk is where most of those nutrients will come from. I’m biased, but the egg yolk is also where allll that yummy flavor is.
Eggs are an excellent source of protein and fat (from the choline and cholesterol), but they lack carbohydrate so they might not be a satisfying meal for you by themselves. Pair them with a piece of toast or a starchy vegetable like potatoes for that “carby” factor and see if that works for you. Or if you just like the egg white, you do you and keep enjoying just the egg white!
Eggs – so wonderful and so misunderstood.
Even though I love them, as with any food, I wouldn’t recommend subsisting on only or mostly eggs. In general, our bodies are happiest when we feed them a variety of nourishing foods. But hopefully this has convinced you or validated your choice to enjoy eggs on the reg.
#notsponsored I just love eggs.