6 Reasons to Eat Eggs
Eggs are pretty much a perfect food for many reasons—here are our six favorite things about them. We've got recipes too: Avocado and Chipotle Deviled Eggs and Egg Salad Sandwich with Rosemary Ravigote!
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
It’s a few days after Easter, and your refrigerator is crammed with chocolate bunnies and baskets of eggs, reminders of festivities past. What to do with them? We can’t help you with the bunnies, but we’ve got lots of simple and delicious ways to use up those eggs, as well as a half-dozen healthful reasons to eat them all up-before next Easter. Start with these:
A Half-Dozen Reasons to Eat Eggs
1. Eggs Are Cheap
Money’s tight, and meat is costly. A 4-ounce serving of salmon will set you back about $4; the same amount of steak runs anywhere from $2 to $5. The cost of two eggs? 50 cents.
2. Eggs Are a Source of Iron
Two eggs supply about 14 percent of a woman’s daily iron requirements, about 22 percent for men—important news, since many Americans are deficient in this essential nutrient. Iron needs vary from person to person—i.e., women who are still menstruating need more than those in menopause. [Editor’s note: To find the right iron dosage for you, read our article, Who Should Take Iron?
3. Eating Eggs for Breakfast Boosts Weight Loss
According to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity, people who ate two eggs for their morning meal lost almost twice as much weight as those who ate the same number of calories, but started their day with a bagel. And a large egg has only 75 calories, about the same as an apple.
4. Eggs Have High-Quality Protein Power
Two eggs supply 13 grams of protein, twice the amount in ½ cup of beans and about the same as 2 ounces of meat. And eggs have a biological value of 100, a measure of the proportion of absorbed protein from a food.
5. Eggs Reduce Inflammation
Along with liver and peanuts, eggs are the richest source of choline, a hard-to-get nutrient that reduces inflammation. A study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who had the most choline and betaine (a plant compound found in spinach, quinoa, sweet potatoes, and other foods) in their diets showed 20 percent lower inflammation.
6. Eggs Are Serious Brain Food
The choline in eggs is also a key component of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter in the brain that’s responsible for sleep, memory, attention, intelligence, and mood. It’s especially important for pregnant women, since choline plays a crucial role in fetal brain development.
Try our egg recipes:
• Avocado and Chipotle Deviled Eggs
• Egg Salad Sandwich with Rosemary Ravigote