News Taffy

People often ask me if my family eats eggs regularly or whether we avoid them. Not only do we eat eggs, but I consider them to be little power houses of nutrition. In the past, eggs got a bad rap from scientists who felt they were full of cholesterol which in turn contributed to an unhealthy level of cholesterol in those who ate them. This led to egg substitutes, discarded egg yolks and other efforts to make eggs healthier by controlling what chickens eat (think Egglands Best).

Just the other day, my husband showed me a newly published study which concluded that eating eggs daily as opposed to egg substitutes led to a greater reduction of problems related to heart disease than being on a low carbohydrate diet alone. Notably, study participants had a greater reduction of inflammation of their arteries (which leads to heart attacks) than those on a low carb diet who didn’t eat eggs or ate egg substitutes. Those who ate eggs for breakfast also reported feeling full longer. So there you have it. Enjoy your eggs, every day, in any way.

If you need more encouragement, consider that one large egg has about 70 to 78 calories, 6 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat, 11% of vitamin D, 10% of vitamin B-12, 5% of vitamin B-6 and 6% of vitamin A. Eggs contain choline, a nutrient which helps brain function and lutein which helps prevent macular degeneration or age related blindness. All that nutrition comes at a really low price! Because eggs are easy to cook and versatile, you can whip up a vegetable filled omelet for dinner in no time or add a couple of boiled, chopped eggs to a green salad for protein.

I can personally testify that a couple of eggs for breakfast will keep you full longer than a bowl of cereal or, God forbid, a granola bar grabbed on the way out the door. If you are too busy in the morning to prepare breakfast, boil up a bunch of eggs at night and peel them so they are ready to eat. Add a banana for a great breakfast. Or chop the boiled egg, add a bit of mustard and a pinch of cheddar cheese. Spread this on toast the next morning. Here is one of my family’s favorite egg dishes, Shakshuka. This dish is very popular in Israel with many versions. Serve this with some crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

Shakshuka With Spinach and Feta

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp. olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 14 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. cumin

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1/2 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

6 eggs

1 lb. fresh spinach

4 oz. crumbled feta

DIRECTIONS:  Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add garlic and sauté one minute. Add tomatoes, spices and tomato paste. Cook partially covered for 15 minutes. Add spinach and cook 5 more minutes. Break eggs into tomato sauce and sprinkle with feta. Cook, partially covered, until egg whites are set, about 5 to 7 minutes or until eggs reach desired degree of doneness.