Extolling the Virtues of Eggs

5 Fun Questions Answered And…

… An Eggcellent Crowd Pleasing Recipe Below

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The EGG!

C’mon… it’s basic science. (See references at the bottom of page and click on ScienceASAP)

What is one of the most bioavailable protein sources for the body? The EGG!

Bioavailability is simply how much of the nutrients your body absorbs from your diet. Not to be confused with digestion which is the breaking down of what you consume so that the nutrients can become bioavailable. For example, when you eat red meat approximately only 80% of its nutrients are absorbed and utilized by your body. Whereas up to 97% of an egg’s nutrients are absorbed and utilized. The bioavailability of eggs is so high that it sets the bar for rating other foods bioavailability. To be clear, it’s cooked eggs that are the most bioavailable. It’s a waste adding raw eggs to your smoothies.

What naturally prepackaged food is also a complete protein? The EGG!

A complete protein (AKA high-quality protein) contains all the essential amino acids our bodies need. Usually complete proteins come from meats, eggs, and dairy. There are some vegetarian sources of complete proteins like chick peas, hemp seeds, and quinoa as well… but eggs are eggceptional (cringe, I know but I had to).

An egg contains all essential amino acids: arginine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, methionine + cysteine, phenylalanine (say this one 10xs fast), phenylalanine + tyrosine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.

The body uses these amino acids to build proteins. We use these proteins to build and repair virtually everything in our bodies: cells, tissues, cartilage, muscles, bones, skin, and more. Proteins also aid in digestion, regulate hormones, and oxygenate the blood.

Essential amino acids are acids we must get from our diet. Otherwise, we create our own amino acids and those are called nonessential.

What is one of the most nutrient dense foods you can eat? The EGG!

Nutrients are what we need to ingest that keep us alive, growing, and healing. Typically, nutrients are categorized as: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and water.

Whole eggs:

have 7 grams of complete high-quality protein
contain the B-vitamin complex (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B8, B9, B12)
are a good source of vitamins A, D, E, and K
are rich in choline
are a fabulous source of omega 3s (long chain fatty acids!)
offer plenty of minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, potassium, sodium
provide all of your essential trace minerals (copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, selenium, and zinc)

Of course, the nutrients vary in each egg depending on the chickens and their diet. But eggs in general are a nutritional powerhouse!

What food can make you smarter than most presidents? The EGG!

That last question was a low bar – truth be told I’d vote for an actual egg over most presidential candidates. It’s true, I love eggs that much (and don’t love most presidents that much). Presidential prejudice aside, can eggs really make you smarter? There’s a reason eggs are consistently mentioned when you Google brain health. Are they a nootropic? No. But considering eggs contain nutrients (like choline, tyrosine, and omega 3s) that help with brain development, cognition, memory, and maintenance – then yes, eggs help make us smarter!

Not only are eggs great for brain health, they’re great to eat for heart health, gut health, immune system health, metabolism, and bone health! They’re great for vanity purposes too – like the health of your hair, skin, and nails.

Eggs are badass! I’m not the only one that thinks that – there’s plenty of evidence from reliable sources about this (located at the bottom of the article). One of the best ways to showcase how badass eggs are is by sharing them in a savory recipe.

This recipe is easy, nutritious, and delicious.

Southwest Egg Bake

You’ll Need:

9×13 baking pan, frying pan, dinner plate, large mixing bowl, spatula, whisk

Ingredients:

Extra virgin olive oil	(1) 12 oz Jimmy Deans reduced fat sausage
(1) Dozen large eggs	(1) 15 oz can Black beans (low sodium)
Large onion	(1) 7 oz can Green chilis
Garlic powder	Cumin

Optional:

Add red pepper flakes when you’re cooking the sausage if you like a little heat.

Leave out the sausage for a vegetarian egg bake.

Toppings:

Top with avocado, caramelized onions, salsa, cheddar or pepper jack cheeses

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-Grease your baking dish with some olive oil (liberally coat with no pooling). Make sure you grease the inside sides of the baking dish as well. Use a paper towel to absorb the excess.

-Chop up onions and fry. I like to use a medium low heat adjusting as needed to caramelize the onions in just enough olive oil to coat the pieces.

-When the onions are 2/3rds cooked, add the tube of sausage and break into bitesize bits with your spatula. If you like a little heat add some red pepper flakes.

-When the sausage onion mixture is finished cooking transfer mixture to a dinner plate. You don’t need to drain the grease if you use the low-fat sausage. There’s just enough grease left in the pan to add flavor to the beans.

-Open, drain, and rinse beans. Add black beans to the frying pan with sausage grease. Add generous amounts of garlic powder and cumin… I probably use about 1-2 large Tablespoons of each spice.

-Open the can of chopped green chilis. DO NOT DRAIN and add to the beans. Cook at a medium to medium-high heat to meld the flavors and boil off the liquid. Once the liquid has boiled off move the pan onto a cool burner.

-Crack a dozen eggs into a large mixing bowl and add a generous amount of garlic powder (I use about 1-2 Tablespoons). Beat the eggs and garlic powder together. I personally don’t add any salt because the sausage has a high sodium content. Plus, the cumin and garlic powder add loads of savory flavor keeping the eggs and beans from being bland! Trust me, you won’t miss the salt.

-Spoon the beans and green chili mixture into the greased baking dish. You don’t have to use all the beans but cover the bottom of the dish providing a nice even layer about a half inch thick. I usually have about a cup of leftover beans that I use for other things.

-Next distribute the sausage onion mixture evenly on top of the beans.

-Give the egg mixture a refreshing beat and pour on top of the sausage bean layers. Stick the pan in the center of the oven and cook for 40 minutes to 1 hour uncovered.

-You’ll know when it’s cooked because the top won’t have any runniness to it. But to be extra sure, stick the egg bake with a toothpick and it should come out clean of egg.

-Let cool for 5 minutes then divide dish into 8 servings to keep sodium content reasonable (recommended Daily Value of sodium is below 2400 milligrams and based on a 2000 calorie diet).

-Garnish with some avocado, salsa, salt, and pepper and viola- an eggcellent brunch! (I know, I know – it’s like a twitch)

-Refrigerate or freeze left overs for later.

*Nutrition content per serving:

*Nutrition content is approximate and calculated without the topping suggestions and using all of the bean mixture.