Yes, Eggs can be Part of a Healthy Diet!
One of the biggest health myths out there is that eggs are bad for you. For years, folks were afraid to eat eggs because of their cholesterol” content. But as it turns out, you can eat one (or more!) egg every day and be perfectly healthy.
Moderation is key, says dietitian Paula Jahn. “Eggs have become, kind of, the symbol of the way nutrition information flip flops all the time,” she says. “There are so many factors that go into health and well-being that it’s impossible to single out a single food and say, ‘this is going to cause heart problems,’ or ‘this is going to make you healthy.’”
Jahn is registered with Nourish Northwest in Portland, Oregon. She believes that eating a variety of foods is the best way to ensure good health. That being said, eggs can definitely be part of a healthy diet. Jahn notes that eggs are a great source of B vitamins, protein, and vitamin D. And pasture-raised eggs provide lots of health healthy (omega 3) fatty acids.
Many people worry about cholesterol when it comes to eggs, but according to Jahn, dietary guidelines in America have actually withdrawn warnings that link cholesterol to heart disease and blood cholesterol.
“Yes, eggs have cholesterol, but that doesn’t mean our bodies are going to have higher cholesterol if we eat them,” she explains. Saturated fat is what you need to worry about when it comes to heart disease risk – and eggs are relatively low in it.
So how many eggs can you eat each day?
“It used to be no more than three a week when they were demonized and on the ‘bad list.’ Some people can eat four a day, and not have any issue. It really depends on the person. There’s really nothing wrong with having an egg every morning for breakfast.”
While some people will surely stick with the less flavorful egg-white-only option, Jahn believes that eating whole foods – how they were intended to be eaten – is important. “When you remove the yolk, you’re removing a lot of the vitamins and minerals that are present in the eggs.”
In the end, variety and moderation are the two most important factors when it comes to a balanced diet. “It’s completely reasonable for someone to have one or two eggs a day and not anticipate any health problems,” says Jahn.
