Scrambled, boiled, fried, chicken eggs serve as delicious "entrées" or healthy breakfasts. Here is an objective breakdown on 5 things you need to know about eggs:
1. Composition of an egg
An egg consists of the yolk, the white and the eggshell. One egg is the least expensive source of protein.
Yolk: The yolk is extremely high in cholesterol, containing more than two-thirds of the recommended daily limit of 300 mg! It contains good amounts of B Vitamins, Vitamin A, iron and riboflavin all which are essential nutrients for immunity, healthy skin, nerves and vision.
The yolk contains all the fat and approximately half of the protein of the egg. It also contains choline, an extremely important nutrient for the brain development. A large egg yolk contains approximately 60 Calories (250 kilojoules).
Egg White: Also known as albumen, egg whites are very low in calories, little fat, no cholesterol, and are loaded with protein. The egg white contains about 15 Calories (60 kilojoules).
Egg shell: Egg shell has little nutritional value. It is just a build up of a calcium compound.
Fried Egg 92 calories
Hard-Boiled Egg 76 calories
Poached Egg 76 calories
Scrambled Egg 100 calories (includes addition of milk in recipe)
2. Health Risks of Eggs
Cholesterol: As mentioned above, an egg contains about 200 mg of cholesterol all which are found in the yolk of the egg. Most people prefer not to eat the yolk because of the high cholesterol content. Two ways of countering this problem is firstly to use egg beaters, a product sold in the United States as a substitute for whole chicken eggs. It is composed of egg whites separated from their yolks and fortified with vitamins and other nutrients. By eliminating the yolk, Egg Beaters has significantly less food energy than whole eggs, but has no fat or cholesterol.
Another simple method I mentioned in a previous article on how to decrease cholesterol is instead of an egg, better use the egg white with 2 tsps of oil or 2 egg whites.
Fat: About 60% of the calories in an egg come from fat; Chicken egg yolks contain about 10 grams of fat. This may not pose a health risk though because most of the fat are unsaturated fat. Unsaturated fat helps lower the bad cholesterol (LDL).
Salmonella Infection: Salmonellosis is one of the most common bacterial infections. More than 95% of cases of Salmonella infection are food-borne. Bacteria can be on the outside of a shell egg. That's because the egg exits the hen's body through the same passageway as feces is excreted. That's why eggs are washed and sanitized at the processing plant. Bacteria can be inside an uncracked, whole egg. Contamination of eggs may be due to bacteria within the hen's ovary or oviduct before the shell forms around the yolk and white. SE doesn't make the hen sick. It is also possible for eggs to become infected by Salmonella Enteritidis fecal contamination through the pores of the shells after they're laid.
Researchers say that, if present, the SE is usually in the yolk or "yellow." However, they can't rule out the bacteria being in egg whites. So everyone is advised against eating raw or undercooked egg yolks and whites or products containing raw or undercooked eggs.
Young children, older adults, pregnant women (the risk is to the unborn child), and people with a weakened immune system are particularly vulnerable to SE infections. A chronic illness weakens the immune system, making the person vulnerable to foodborne illnesses.
No one should eat foods containing raw eggs. This includes "health food" milk shakes made with raw eggs, Caesar salad, Hollandaise sauce, and any other foods like homemade mayonnaise, ice cream, or eggnog made from recipes in which the egg ingredients are not cooked. However, in-shell pasteurized eggs may be used safely without cooking.
3. Refrigeration and Hard-Cooked Eggs
Temperature fluctuation is critical to safety. With the concern about Salmonella, eggs gathered from laying hens should be refrigerated as soon as possible. After eggs are refrigerated, they need to stay that way. A cold egg left out at room temperature can sweat, facilitating the growth of bacteria. Refrigerated eggs should not be left out more than 2 hours.
When shell eggs are hard cooked, the protective coating is washed away, leaving bare the pores in the shell for bacteria to enter and contaminate it. Hard-cooked eggs should be refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking and used within a week.
4. Safety Guidelines for handling eggs
* Wash utensils, equipment, and work areas with hot, soapy water before and after contact with eggs.
* Don't keep eggs out of the refrigerator more than 2 hours.
* Raw eggs and other ingredients, combined according to recipe directions, should be cooked immediately or refrigerated and cooked within 24 hours.
* Serve cooked eggs and dishes containing eggs immediately after cooking, or place in shallow containers for quick cooling and refrigerate at once for later use. Use within 3 to 4 days.