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There is no better representative of how crazy nutrition information has made us for the last few decades than the way we view eggs as a health food. Just look at this simplified summary.
Up through the 1980's it was assumed that eggs were a nutritious, filling, and easy way to eat breakfast.
Then we learned about cholesterol, and eggs suddenly became the main suspect in the rising heart disease statistics.
Except we realized we were missing out on a great protein source, so we were told eggs were healthy after all but only if you separate the egg white from the yolk (a tedious and messy process if you did it by hand) to get the protein benefits while avoiding the cholesterol.
Wow.
Today we continue to live in a world dominated by egg-white omelettes, breakfast cereals and a still rising heart disease trend.
Oh, and we also now have a much clearer view of the health benefits of eggs. Consider these 4 key findings that were highlighted in a recent Time magazine article:
1. Dietary cholesterol does not raise blood cholesterol levels.
The original reason people turned to cereal instead of eggs as the centerpiece of a healthy breakfast turned out to be incorrect. Study after study has found no correlation between the two whatsoever.
2. Almost half of the protein in an egg is found in the yolk.
By separating out the egg white you lose a bunch of the building blocks to repair worn down muscle, tendon and ligament tissues.
3. The yolk contains most of the vitamin and mineral value of eggs.
Yolks contain a good amount of Vitamins A, D and E, not to mention they are a great source of iron and other minerals.
4. A recent study found that eating eggs daily may LOWER your risk of heart disease.
A prime example of why you shouldn't rush to jump on the latest nutrition fad.
Here's the link to the article - Can Eggs Lower Heart Disease Risk?
I cannot recommend eating eggs strongly enough to everyone, but in particular to kids who play sports and want to become the fittest, fastest, most athletic kid on the team. Your nutrition plays a big role in those things, and eating eggs (ideally for breakfast) will help you to achieve all of those goals.
An ideal breakfast would include eggs with some fruit and/or vegetable intake.
“Omelets are a great way to include more veggies in your diet while getting in a rich source of protein,” says registered dietitian Ryan Maciel
“The combination of protein and fiber will keep hunger pangs at bay for a longer period of time,” says registered dietitian Brigitte Zeitlin.
Besides omelets with veggies, you can eat fresh fruit with hard boiled eggs (if you're tight on time since you can make these the night before), or scrambled eggs.
However you wish to create that healthy combination, remember that for generations eggs were considered one of the healthiest foods available, and the most recent research is telling us that our grandparents may have been right all along.
