Happy Easter everyone! Although Easter is about much more than bunnies, baby chicks and eggs - nutritionally, eggs seem to be the obvious choice for a nutrition education piece :)
Egg Types
Standard Eggs – Come from hens kept in cages, usually indoors with artificial lighting. Fed a high protein diet and are given antibiotics to help prevent disease.
Barn-Laid Eggs – Hens live indoors in a barn but are kept in pens rather than enclosed cages. Same high protein diet and antibiotic use depending on the farmer.
Organic Eggs – Hens have outdoor access to natural vegetation during the day and are fed an organic grain diet. No antibiotics or hormones used and will usually have a lighter colored yolk.
Free-Range Eggs – Hens have access to natural vegetation outdoors daily and spend night time in open barns without cages or pens.
Omega-3 Eggs – Hens are fed a special omega-3 rich vegetarian diet that consists of canola, linseed and flax seed. Their eggs contain higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids than other types of eggs. These hens still may be kept in cages with artificial lighting, depending on the farmer.
Colored Eggs – Brown, White, Blue, Green, Tie-Died, egg-cetera. The color of egg has nothing to do with the nutritional quality; the color does not indicate more or less nutrients. The color of the egg shell comes from the breed of chicken that lays it. Some American chickens will lay dark brown or white eggs, where most Mediterranean breeds will lay white eggs. “Easter Egg Chickens” can lay blue, pink, green and even multicolored eggs. But the shell has nothing to do with the nutritional quality.
Size and Grade
Straight from the USDA Guidelines
AA – The shell must be clean, unbroken, and practically normal. The white must be clear and firm so that the yolk is only slightly defined when the egg is twirled before the candling light. The yolk must be practically free from apparent defects.
A – The shell must be clean, unbroken, and practically normal. The white must be clear and at least reasonably firm so that the yolk outline is only fairly well defined when the egg is twirled before the candling light. The yolk must be practically free from apparent defects.
B – The shell must be unbroken, may be abnormal, and may have slightly stained areas.
Eggs having shells with prominent stains or adhering dirt are not permitted. The white may be weak and watery so that the yolk outline is plainly visible when the egg is twirled before the candling light. The yolk may appear dark, enlarged, and flattened, and may show clearly visible germ development but no blood due to such development. It may show other serious defects that do not render the egg inedible. Small blood spots or meat spots (aggregating not more than 1/8 inch in diameter) may be present.
Eggs come in 6 different sizes as well, according to ounce weight:
Jumbo, Extra large, Large, Medium, Small and Peewee
Nutrition Fast Facts:
*A large egg provides 6 grams of protein: 3.6 g from the White and 2.7g from the Yolk
*Eggs have the highest quality protein in the food supply with the amino acid pattern almost matching the human requirement for essential amino acids
*Digestibility of egg protein is 97%. This means that 97% of the egg protein is absorbed as amino acids, which are available for new protein synthesis and replacement of lost protein
*Cooked egg protein is more digestible than raw egg protein. Cooked=90.9% and Raw=51.3%. (So stop drinking raw eggs and trying to be like Rocky…)
*The biological value of egg protein is 94%. Biological value is a measure of the rate at which the protein in food supports growth. Eggs and milk have the highest biological value and provide more amino acids for growth and tissue maintenance than even meat, including beef, chicken, pork and fish.
So…to Yolk or Not to Yolk?
Those with high cholesterol (you know who you are) need to be careful of their daily intake of dietary cholesterol. Our bodies make cholesterol as it is, so we technically don’t need to eat it, however there are lots of food that do contain cholesterol, all of which are animal based foods (meat, dairy, fish, eggs). The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) recommends consuming less than 200 mg of dietary cholesterol each day. An egg yolk from a large egg contains about 210 mg, where the White doesn’t contain any. So you have a choice, you can eat your whole egg as long as you watch other sources of dietary cholesterol, or you can avoid egg yolk until you get your blood cholesterol levels back to normal. The choice is yours!
Standard Eggs – Come from hens kept in cages, usually indoors with artificial lighting. Fed a high protein diet and are given antibiotics to help prevent disease.
Barn-Laid Eggs – Hens live indoors in a barn but are kept in pens rather than enclosed cages. Same high protein diet and antibiotic use depending on the farmer.
Organic Eggs – Hens have outdoor access to natural vegetation during the day and are fed an organic grain diet. No antibiotics or hormones used and will usually have a lighter colored yolk.
Free-Range Eggs – Hens have access to natural vegetation outdoors daily and spend night time in open barns without cages or pens.
Omega-3 Eggs – Hens are fed a special omega-3 rich vegetarian diet that consists of canola, linseed and flax seed. Their eggs contain higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids than other types of eggs. These hens still may be kept in cages with artificial lighting, depending on the farmer.
Colored Eggs – Brown, White, Blue, Green, Tie-Died, egg-cetera. The color of egg has nothing to do with the nutritional quality; the color does not indicate more or less nutrients. The color of the egg shell comes from the breed of chicken that lays it. Some American chickens will lay dark brown or white eggs, where most Mediterranean breeds will lay white eggs. “Easter Egg Chickens” can lay blue, pink, green and even multicolored eggs. But the shell has nothing to do with the nutritional quality.
Size and Grade
Straight from the USDA Guidelines
AA – The shell must be clean, unbroken, and practically normal. The white must be clear and firm so that the yolk is only slightly defined when the egg is twirled before the candling light. The yolk must be practically free from apparent defects.
A – The shell must be clean, unbroken, and practically normal. The white must be clear and at least reasonably firm so that the yolk outline is only fairly well defined when the egg is twirled before the candling light. The yolk must be practically free from apparent defects.
B – The shell must be unbroken, may be abnormal, and may have slightly stained areas.
Eggs having shells with prominent stains or adhering dirt are not permitted. The white may be weak and watery so that the yolk outline is plainly visible when the egg is twirled before the candling light. The yolk may appear dark, enlarged, and flattened, and may show clearly visible germ development but no blood due to such development. It may show other serious defects that do not render the egg inedible. Small blood spots or meat spots (aggregating not more than 1/8 inch in diameter) may be present.
Eggs come in 6 different sizes as well, according to ounce weight:
Jumbo, Extra large, Large, Medium, Small and Peewee
Nutrition Fast Facts:
*A large egg provides 6 grams of protein: 3.6 g from the White and 2.7g from the Yolk
*Eggs have the highest quality protein in the food supply with the amino acid pattern almost matching the human requirement for essential amino acids
*Digestibility of egg protein is 97%. This means that 97% of the egg protein is absorbed as amino acids, which are available for new protein synthesis and replacement of lost protein
*Cooked egg protein is more digestible than raw egg protein. Cooked=90.9% and Raw=51.3%. (So stop drinking raw eggs and trying to be like Rocky…)
*The biological value of egg protein is 94%. Biological value is a measure of the rate at which the protein in food supports growth. Eggs and milk have the highest biological value and provide more amino acids for growth and tissue maintenance than even meat, including beef, chicken, pork and fish.
So…to Yolk or Not to Yolk?
Those with high cholesterol (you know who you are) need to be careful of their daily intake of dietary cholesterol. Our bodies make cholesterol as it is, so we technically don’t need to eat it, however there are lots of food that do contain cholesterol, all of which are animal based foods (meat, dairy, fish, eggs). The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) recommends consuming less than 200 mg of dietary cholesterol each day. An egg yolk from a large egg contains about 210 mg, where the White doesn’t contain any. So you have a choice, you can eat your whole egg as long as you watch other sources of dietary cholesterol, or you can avoid egg yolk until you get your blood cholesterol levels back to normal. The choice is yours!
Enjoy your Easter egg coloring, time with friends and family and always be thankful for what you have.
Blessings,
Ashley
Sources:
United States Standards, Grades, and Weight Classes for Shell Eggs
AMS 56 - July 20, 2000
Egg Nutrition Center, Park Ridge, IL, enc@enc-online.org
Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, West Lafayette, IN. Animal Sciences, Choosing a Chicken Breed: Eggs, Meat, or Exhibition. Doug Akers, Pete Akers and Dr. Mickey A. Latour
United States Standards, Grades, and Weight Classes for Shell Eggs
AMS 56 - July 20, 2000
Egg Nutrition Center, Park Ridge, IL, enc@enc-online.org
Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, West Lafayette, IN. Animal Sciences, Choosing a Chicken Breed: Eggs, Meat, or Exhibition. Doug Akers, Pete Akers and Dr. Mickey A. Latour
Good fast breakfast protein: MorningStar Veggie Sausage Patties
Awesome with some peanut butter on them: Lundberg Brown Rice Cakes
