Posted Mar 13, 2010
When Sheri Caldwell cooks meals for her family, her goal is to make something they’ll like to eat. But she also wants to keep costs down and nutrition up.
With four children, that’s not easy. Fortunately, as a dietician with Hy-Vee, she has learned some ways to do that. And one is by using the incredible edible egg.
“They call them incredible because eggs are so high in nutritional value,” she says. “They’re what we call nutrient dense, with a high proportion of nutrients to calories.”
Eggs have high-quality protein, only 70 calories, healthy unsaturated fats, plus 13 essential vitamins and minerals, such as Choine, which aids brain function in adults and helps prevent birth defects. Eggs also contain lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants found in yolks that help prevent macular degeneration.
Did you know eggs can even help you lose weight? That’s because their high-quality protein helps you feel full longer and stay energized. Plus they are inexpensive. You can buy a dozen eggs for around a dollar, although Ms. Caldwell says to get eggs from free-range chickens for the best value.
“I do recommend the organic and cage-free eggs. The diet those hens are fed is much healthier,” she says.
The eggs are usually a dollar or two more per dozen, but the difference in nutrition is significant. And it’s still a very economical source of protein.
Further, Ms. Caldwell says, you can even see the difference: Yolks from standard eggs are a very pale yellow compared to the vibrant orange yolk of an egg from a free-range chicken. According to a study conducted by Mother Earth News, eggs from free-range chickens have a third less cholesterol, two-thirds more vitamin A, two times more omega-3 fatty acids, three times more vitamin E and seven times more beta carotene.
Omega Plus eggs take nutrition a step further, Ms. Caldwell says. These eggs — produced by hens fed a diet that includes flax seed, a rich source of Omega 3 fatty acids — contain less saturated fat than conventional eggs.
But wait — what about cholesterol? Isn’t it supposed to be bad to eat eggs?
“The American Heart Association still is saying to keep cholesterol to 300 milligrams a day, so if you eat one egg, you’ve already eaten that up,” Ms. Caldwell says. “But there are some new studies.”
A 2007 study of 9,500 people reported in the Medical Science Monitor showed that eating one or more eggs a day did not increase the risk of heart disease or stroke among healthy adults and that eating eggs may be associated with a decrease in blood pressure.
“People should feel secure with the knowledge that the literature shows regular egg consumption does not have a measurable impact on heart disease risk for healthy adults,” says Stephen Kirtchevesky, Ph.D, director of the J. Paul Sticht Center on aging at Wake Forest University. “In fact, many countries with high egg consumption are notable for low rates of heart disease. (Learn more by reading “Cracking the Cholesterol Myth” at www.incredibleegg.org.)
For Ms. Caldwell’s children, the bottom line is taste. If they don’t like the taste they won’t eat it, no matter how good it is for you. A big hit with them has been her recipe for sausage and egg muffins.
“Usually one or two of them aren’t too crazy with what I make,” she says, “but with this recipe all four of them like it.”
Lifestyles reporter Sylvia Anderson can be reached at sylviaanderson@npgco.com.
Recipes
Sausage and egg
breakfast muffin
1 1/2 cups hash brown potatoes, thawed
1/4 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage, crumbled and browned
2 tablespoons sliced green onion
6 tablespoons shredded 2 percent mild cheddar cheese
3 large eggs
1/4 cup skim milk
Dash ground mustard
Divide hash browns among six well-greased jumbo muffin cups. Gently press hash browns onto the bottom of each muffin cup. Divide sausage, green onions and cheese among muffin cups. Whisk together eggs, milk and mustard. Slowly pour about 3 tablespoons of egg mixture into each muffin cup. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of the muffin is set. Cooled muffins may be frozen. To reheat, microwave for two to three minutes at 50 percent power or until hot. Note: You can also substitute Canadian bacon, ham or reduced-fat bacon for the sausage.
— Hy-Vee
Oriental rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 beaten eggs
3 1/2 cups rice, cooked
1 cup chicken breast, ham or pork, or soy alternative, cooked and chopped
1 cup mixed vegetables, cooked and chopped
2 sliced green onions
Soy sauce or hot sauce to taste (optional)
Heat pan. Add 1 teaspoon of oil. Add eggs and scramble. Removed cooked eggs and set aside. Add remaining oil (2 teaspoons) to pan. Stir-fry rice, breaking up lumps by pressing rice against pan. Add meat and/or vegetables. Stir-fry until heated. Add green onions, reserved eggs and sauce to taste. Serve hot. Serves four.
— The Tight Budget Cookbook
by Heidi Smalheiser
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