4 things to know about this versatile ingredient in the kitchen

Boiled eggs, tea eggs, fried eggs, scrambled eggs, egg custard... Which one do you like best? Eggs are the most common and versatile ingredient in the kitchen. After all, even a novice in the kitchen can use them to make a simple dish.

But do you know how to eat eggs healthily?

Image source: pixabay

01 4 tips for eating eggs healthily

1. Eat both the yolk and the egg white

Many people throw away the egg yolk when eating eggs and only eat the egg white, thinking that the egg yolk tastes too dry and is stiff, and is also high in fat, which will make you fat.

In fact, egg yolk is more nutritious than egg white. It has a higher protein content and can also provide B vitamins, zeaxanthin, phospholipids, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin A, calcium and other nutrients.

As for the fat in egg yolk, the fat content of one egg yolk is only about 4 grams, and the calories are about 49 kcal, which is not even as high as the calories in a small apple. There is no need to worry about gaining weight by eating one egg yolk.

2. It is best not to eat raw eggs

Eating raw eggs directly has become a popular way of eating in recent years, but it is not recommended.

First of all, the nutrition of raw eggs is not easy to absorb. Secondly, raw eggs are likely to be infected by bacteria, especially salmonella. If infected by salmonella, it can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting, and even death. However, salmonella is not heat-resistant, and eggs will die after being cooked.

3. It is recommended to eat 1 egg per day

Many people worry that eating too many eggs will have a bad effect on blood lipids, after all, the cholesterol content of egg yolks is not low. In fact, egg intake has nothing to do with abnormal blood lipids in healthy people. People with a history of cardiovascular disease need to consume them in moderation. Healthy people eating one egg a day will not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. [2]

Therefore, healthy people can eat one egg a day without worrying about it. If you like to eat meat, animal offal and other foods with high cholesterol content, you should reduce the intake of eggs appropriately.

4. Eggs and soy milk can be eaten together

There is a rumor that eggs and soy milk are incompatible. Soy milk contains trypsin inhibitors, which will inhibit the digestion of protein. They cannot be eaten together as it will affect the absorption of nutrients.

In fact, you can eat them together. As long as the soy milk is thoroughly cooked, the trypsin inhibitor will be completely destroyed and will not interfere with the absorption and utilization of egg protein.

In addition, eating bean protein and animal protein together can complement each other and improve the absorption and utilization rate of protein. Therefore, you can drink soy milk with eggs without worry, but it is best not to add sugar to soy milk.

02 How to store eggs?

When buying eggs in the supermarket, choose clean eggs with intact shells. Cracked eggs are easily contaminated by bacteria, so it is best not to buy them.

After you buy it home, you can store it in a cool and dry place, preferably in the refrigerator, and keep it separate from fruits, vegetables, meat, etc. to avoid cross contamination. It can generally be stored for 3 to 5 weeks.

Generally, you don’t need to wash the eggs you buy, because there is a protective film on the surface of the egg shell that can reduce the entry of microorganisms into the egg. If you wash it too much, the protective film will be damaged, and the eggs will easily go bad even if they are placed in the refrigerator. However, if there is a lot of chicken manure and dirt on the surface of the egg shell, you can wash it. The washed eggs should be eaten first.

Finally, I’d like to share a little trick for boiling eggs: If you want the egg yolk to prevent it from turning dark green, put the eggs in cold water, start timing for 3 minutes when the water boils, then turn off the heat, cover the lid and simmer for 5 minutes.

The article is produced by Science Popularization China-Starry Sky Project (Creation and Cultivation). Please indicate the source when reprinting.

Author: Xue Qingxin, member of Chinese Nutrition Society, registered nutrition technician, health manager, public nutritionist

Reviewer: Zhang Na, Associate Researcher, Doctoral Supervisor, Peking University School of Public Health