Dietitian Gavelienė pointed out the product that is necessary for the daily diet: the most important thing is to prepare it properly

The health benefits of eggs are undeniable.

An egg, depending on its size, contains approximately 7 grams of protein. E. Gavelienė, physician and health nutrition consultant, emphasizes that the nutritional value of eggs is an extremely valuable commodity, which simply must be included in the daily diet.

“Eggs are a food of animal origin with important nutritional benefits. They are valued for their high biological value as a protein rich in all essential amino acids. Eggs contain all the minerals and trace elements that humans need: iron, magnesium, selenium, zinc, copper, calcium, potassium, phosphorus. Eggs are also rich in fat and water soluble vitamins: vitamin A, which is important for vision, vitamin D for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, and vitamin B for all groups, for example, vitamin B4, also known as choline. This substance is necessary for the development of the brain, the maintenance of the nervous system and the transmission of nerve impulses. Vitamin B4 is especially necessary for women during pregnancy, so it is important that this product is included in the diet ”, says the dietician.

According to E. Gavelienė, eggs also contain these nutrients, which are generally only found in foods of plant or marine origin: “Eggs can contain carotenoids: lutein and zeaxanthin. These are antioxidants that are mainly found in plant-based foods and are necessary to prevent the development of cataracts. Eggs are also rich in other nutrients necessary for the human body to function, such as omega-3 fatty acids. There are about 70 milligrams of them in an egg. Considering that a person needs about 1 gram of these fatty acids a day, eggs are a great source of this substance. “

The diet must be varied

An egg is generally made up of protein and yolk, and in terms of the nutritional value of eggs, it is not only a food with all the substances necessary for the human body, but also a relatively low-calorie food. “An egg, depending on its size, contains about 60 kilocalories. That is very little. Even more so when those calories come together with the necessary nutrients ”, says E. Gavelienė.

Although eggs also contain cholesterol, the dietitian says this is not to be feared.

“An egg, depending on its size, contains around 200 milligrams of cholesterol. Cholesterol is a part of fat that is associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases, when these substances are found in excess in the human body. It is said that people with a predisposition to cardiovascular disease and people with impaired lipid metabolism should consume foods that are moderately high in cholesterol.

These people should not receive more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol per day with food, but people with these health problems should not exclude eggs from their diet, since consuming eggs in moderation will not exceed the recommended daily amount of cholesterol ”, explains E. Gavelienė.

According to the expert, eggs should be strictly avoided unless you are allergic to them, and the number of eggs that can be eaten per day is measured by the amount of protein consumed.

“The individual needs of each person are different, but it is important that the amount of eggs consumed is not excessive. It is normal to eat one egg a day in an adult’s diet.

However, it must be taken into account that the diet must be varied, and only when we eat a variety of foods and other proteins that the body needs, both meat and fish or dairy, will this diet be the healthiest ”. says the dietitian.

The healthiest way to prepare eggs.

Although eggs are a healthy and nutritious product that is recommended to be consumed almost daily, it is worth doing not only in moderation, but also with a focus on proper egg preparation.

Nutritionist E. Gavelienė says it is best to use raw, un-fried eggs. Also, due to their more difficult digestion and higher risk of contracting salmonellosis, eating raw eggs is not recommended.

“The most favorable preparation method is one that does not require an excessive and adequate intervention of the digestive system in the digestion of the egg. Egg yolk favors the excretion of bile, so when we eat an egg, depending on how it was prepared, more or less bile is excreted into the digestive tract.

Hard-boiled or fried eggs can be longer and difficult to digest. In addition, boiling or frying an egg reduces the amount of useful nutrients and vitamins, so the best way to prepare eggs is semi-hard eggs, prepared for about 5-7 minutes.

I also wouldn’t recommend eating raw whole eggs. I couldn’t pinpoint a health condition that would improve by consuming raw eggs. For a healthy person, to diversify their tastes and dishes, this can be done, but the risk of getting salmonellosis always remains.

By the way, raw eggs are more difficult to digest because the proteins are not broken down, which happens during the heat treatment of the eggs ”, adds the nutritionist E. Gavelienė.

However, the specialist says that shelf life and freshness are more important than whether the eggs are cooked or fried – their shelf life. Cooked eggs should be eaten within three days of cooking. Also, before consumption, the eggs should be checked for damage and washed. It is popular to check the freshness of an egg by dipping it in a glass or bowl of water; the older the egg, the harder it sinks. The color of the fresh egg should not change and it should not give off any odor. “

Buyers prefer free-range organic chicken eggs

The eggs of different birds vary in size and may differ slightly in their nutritional properties. Still, according to the dietitian, there is no significant difference between eating chicken, quail or duck eggs. Most importantly, choose quality eggs and enrich your diet with them. If a variety of eggs is tried, the diet will be richer and this variety and the health benefits will be greater.

“The concentration of beneficial substances in the eggs of different birds may differ, but not so significantly that the composition or health effects of different eggs can be assessed. As for the nutrition of eggs, all the beneficial substances that I have mentioned are found in the eggs of hens raised in various ways. It should be noted that these proportions can vary depending on what the chickens eat. Whether they are raised freely or in captivity, these are ethical and animal welfare issues, but there are a few other nuances here as well. First of all, a free-growing bird chooses its own food and therefore its egg composition is likely to be the most nutritious, ”says E. Gavelienė.

The retail chain warns that more and more buyers, when choosing eggs, take into account the product category indicated on the package and prefer Lithuanian, free-range or organic eggs. “Buyers appreciate Lithuanian products, their freshness and the benefits for the country’s business sector. We constantly review and update the product range, expanding cooperation with local producers and farms, including small-scale farmers in the country, such as BIAŪKIS, with whom we have cooperated for more than a year, ”says quality expert Aurelija Choružaja.

Edgaras Mankus, co-founder of the organic chicken farm located in Kelmė district, says that the greatest uniqueness of organic eggs is the priority for quality and better living conditions for chickens: “Our farm is dominated by absolute naturalness. and manual work. We create conditions in which the bird must live in the wild. While we get fewer eggs, we focus on quality. Because we raise relatively few chickens, their quality of life and well-being are significantly better, they do not experience stress, so the quality of the egg changes. A stress-free animal produces a higher quality product that customers have already liked. “