And now, a word from the eggsperts

An egg a day keeps the doctor away. So goes the solid prescription of supervising science research specialist Adoracion Mondala of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Philippines.

Eggs have probably been a part of our daily diet longer than we can remember – what’s breakfast without a fried egg or two? It’s the most convenient food to whip up and eat when there’s nothing else in the ref or if you don’t know how to cook (the only thing you know is how to fry an egg). But did you know that eggs are nutritional, functional, and designer foods as well?

Chicken eggs are the most widely consumed food in Filipino households, from Forbes Park to Tondo. After chicken eggs come the duck (itlog na maalat and balut) and quail eggs (they’re great with sotanghon soup and seafood pancit). Our local egg producers are aplenty, from Batanes to Jolo. Our imported eggs probably come from China, the US, Japan, Russia, and India.

According to Mondala, eggs are functional because they have health benefits beyond their nutritional value: They contain lutein and zeaxanthin that reduce the risk of cataracts (now, you can see clearly why eggs are healthy). They’re designer foods because they have been modified by biotechnology to enhance their nutritive value – as designer foods, they contain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E.

Eggs are perhaps the cheapest source of high quality protein, essential amino acids, vitamins (like vitamin D, which aids in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus needed in keeping bones strong) and minerals. They contain folate essential for the prevention of birth defects in infants and heart diseases in older people. Egg is an excellent source of iodine and provides significant amounts of zinc, selenium, and iron.

And do remember this: Eggs contain choline that develops memory function and aids in memory retention.

How much egg do we need a day?

Your Guide to Good Nutrition (YGGN) recommends 1-3/4 to 2 servings of meat/fish/poultry; 1/2 cup cooked dried beans, and 1/2 piece egg to meet the average daily allowance for protein, iron, calcium, and B-vitamins of a normal adult.

What about the cholesterol in eggs?

Recent studies show that the culprit behind heart disease is saturated fat, not cholesterol. Mondala notes, "Dietary cholesterol has only a small effect on blood cholesterol. Consumption of one egg per day has no detectable effect on heart disease in healthy people. Components present in egg such as antioxidants, folic acid, B-vitamins and unsaturated fats counterbalance the adverse effect of the egg’s cholesterol count.

Note that egg substitutes, made from egg whites and vegetable oil, may be low in cholesterol, but they’re not always low in fat.

Urging Pinoys to develop the daily egg habit, the Food and Nutrition Research Institute gives some eggspert advice:

Purchasing

• Do not buy dirty, cracked or outdated eggs.

Storage

• Store at 45°F or below.

• Store in closed container.

To Prevent Contamination

• Store away from strong odors.

• Refrigerate leftover egg dishes in shallow containers.

• Do not allow drippings to contaminate eggs.

Preparation/Cooking

• Keep refrigerated before and after cooking.

• Use only clean, uncracked eggs.

• Cook thoroughly. Avoid eating raw eggs or foods that contain raw eggs.

• Wash container used for egg thoroughly.

• Use egg separator.

Are you an eggspert when it comes to cooking eggs (actually, even an egghead will tell you it’s not all that simple)?

You can be – here are tips to a perfectly cooked egg:

• Scrambled: A good scrambled egg must neither be tough nor burned, but completely coagulated.

• Poached: A good poached egg has a compact, glossy, tender white, and unbroken, thickened yolk.

• Omelet: A perfect omelet is fluffy, moist and tender, soft in the center, yellow in color with no brown at all (maybe just a hintof it), oval in shape, and all in one continuous piece.

Please pass the omelet!