Recently, a client who had begun eating eggs for breakfast more
regularly told me that her sister-in-law was fearful of eggs. Yes, the word
"fear" was used. She felt her sister-in-law could benefit from the
protein contained in eggs and wished she had a more favorable opinion of them. I
could not agree more with my client! In fact, I am amazed that many people
think eggs are either too heavy, unhealthy for the heart, too expensive,
fattening, high in cholesterol or require too much preparation. I can dispel
all theses "fears".
1) First, eggs are full of protein and they contain the nutrients
necessary to start life. They also rate high on the satiety
index (an index developed to determine how full one feels after a meal).
2) Many worry about the cholesterol contained in eggs
but many resources
are debunking that fear. The cholesterol contained in eggs doesn't raise cholesterol
in the body-- it actually counteracts this as the liver produces less
cholesterol when receiving it through the diet. The benefits of eggs also
outweigh the amount of cholesterol received from the egg. If you don’t believe
me and want to read more about this, then please contact me and I’ll
provide you with additional resources. In general, avoiding eggs due to the
fear of cholesterol is just not a good enough excuse.
3) Due to the idea that the fattening part of the egg is
contained in the yolk, many people think it’s healthier to eat only egg whites.
Avoiding egg yolks negates many of the reasons cited above as to why you should eat eggs. The yolk of the egg is
the prize-- it is where life is created and it carries all of the vitamins and
minerals necessary for building a working system. The yolk contains B vitamins
for energy, folate for brain development, lutein for eyesite, biotin for skin,
hair growth, metabolism, and more. In fact, when I was pregnant, eating high
quality eggs (organic, pasture raised or from a local farm) was at the top on
my list of food choices. Eating eggs assured me that I was receiving a boost of
B vitamins, folate, selenium and protein-- all vital for the start of a human
life and pivotal in preventing birth defects.
Even today, my husband and I start our mornings 90% of the time with eggs and I
can tell a difference when I don't.
4) What about the cost? Egg prices can range from $2.50 to $7
for a dozen depending on location, type, origination, omega-3 boosted and more.
Figure out what your priority is and invest in them. One egg or maybe two a day
may be enough for you. That equates to spending $7 on breakfast roughly every
1- 1.5 weeks. Have you considered how much that Au Bon Pain or Panera egg white
"healthy" sandwich is? What about that Starbucks latte and cage free
egg spinach wrap? Those items average $5 - $8 A DAY. Making and eating eggs at
home is a healthier and more economical approach.
5) What about the excuse that preparing eggs take too much
time, especially on busy weekday mornings? Or, the opinion that plain eggs
taste bland and that you have to eat them in a greasy, heavy, fattening format
with many additions in order for them to taste good? Eggs are high in the
monounsaturated fats. I personally do eat real fat in small
portions thus, the amount in an egg doesn't concern me. Eggs don't need to be
overwhelmingly rich with cheese, cream, and bacon to taste delicious. If your diet
is full of highly processed, fried and sugary foods, a hard boiled egg would
taste bland.
Try adding....
fried egg over hummus, arugula and tomatoes and
then add a little salt and pepper. Spice it up by adding an avocado and/or
cheese to it.
OR....add leftover black or pinto beans from a Mexican dish the
night before. You could even add some lentils and creme fraiche.
Chopped up
hard-boiled eggs over rice with a dash of cinnamon is also a tasty option. Below I even scrambled eggs into oatmeal topped with tomatoes and sour cream.
There are so many combinations that you could have eggs 5 days in a row with different tastes and textures and you would never get bored or sick of them! Short on time? Try making an egg frittata with veggies and chicken sausage on Sunday, cut it into pieces and reheat it throughout the week. Below is my summer squash and ricotta galette that is a delicious dinner side or refreshing breakfast!
Like Deviled eggs.?
This one was inspried from my husband's recent boredom with
fried eggs (note this was after three months of the same fried egg with all the
aforementioned combinations).
Other options include:
Scrambled eggs with leftover veggie
Tortilla Breakfast Cups are a hearty way to
start the day while also providing some carbs, veggies and extra protein.
How I vary it up is by eating eggs in various combinations
four days a week and then one day a week, I might have a banana and peanut
butter, or oatmeal or quinoa mixed with fruit. The weekends are usually devoted
one larger, slowly savored breakfast of scrambled or socuklu
yumurta (Turkish
dish) along
with tomatoes, cheese, and cucumbers. The seventh day may even be eggs, too.
It's a no brainer for my family!
I devote a whole portion of my coaching services to meal
planning, in which I help those who want to loose weight and fight cravings by
helping them choose better options to eat for breakfast. Adding eggs to your
diet is a simple and cost effective practice that ensures you are getting
enough protein at the start of the day. Consuming an adequate amount of protein
in the morning minimizes the tendency for post meal cravings and sets you up
well for more balanced eating throughout the day. By eating eggs when I was
pregnant, I was able to stave off morning sickness and after my daughter was
born, eating eggs helped me loose the 20lbs of my pregnancy weight. Eating eggs
saved me - let them save you, too!
