Eggs are considered "nature's perfect food"! However, they came under fire in the 80s and 90s because the cholesterol contained in the yolk was seen as a risk to cardiovascular health. BUT the humble egg has since been vindicated! The type of cholesterol found in egg yolk is actually beneficial! I think of it this way: an egg contains everything that a growing chick needs to survive. The yolk is a chick's food source while they are in the egg and for a couple days after they emerge, so by definition it is life-sustaining. Who am I to scoff at nature!
Some extra health conscious people only consume the egg white, which is perfectly understandable considering it is mostly water with a decent amount of protein. However, it is the yolk that contains all the beneficial nutrients including vitamin B12 and B2, among many others. I'm a bit of a weirdo and, if the egg preparation allows it, I actually prefer the yolk!
Eggs are also one of the most versatile foods! Because of their unique chemical properties, they can be used to bind other foods together, like when you're making chicken parmesan, or as a raising agent, to make cakes and meringues light and fluffy. They can help glaze, thicken, emulsify, seal, and add flavour, colour or texture. In the non-food world, eggs are actually used to produce vaccines, the calcium from egg shells is being studied as a treatment for osteoporosis, and eggshell membrane is being investigated for other biomedical applications.
Not to mention they are crazy healthy! Here's the nutritional breakdown, in an "eggshell":
Egg white or Albumen
10% protein
90% water
trace of fat (0.3%)
Egg yolk
17% protein
50% water
33% lipids (triglycerides, phospholipids and cholesterol)
14 essential vitamins and minerals including Vitamin A, D, choline, iron, and lutein
For every 2 egg serving of eggs, you get:
