All-Star of the Day: Eggs

After a nasty smear campaign in the early 90's that shunned it to forbidden land, the egg is finally gaining back the respect it deserves.

Eggs' bad reputation stems from the false belief that foods high in cholesterol raise our blood cholesterol. Although an egg is certainly very high in cholesterol -- a large one provides 71% of the 300 milligrams of cholesterol we are allowed on a daily basis -- this shouldn't be reason to worry. It's actually saturated fat -- found in meats and whole dairy products -- that raises our bad cholesterol.

A large egg contains approximately eight percent of the saturated fat we are permitted, which is not too high, especially considering its wealth of nutritional bonuses.

The majority of their nutrition is found in the yolk, which, ironically, is the part people fear since it contains all the fat (egg whites are pure protein). However, what many people don't know is that the yolk contains a special kind of fat that prevents fat and cholesterol from building up in our livers. Pretty nifty, huh?

The yolk also provides a tremendously high amount of choline -- a nutrient our body can not produce on its own that is vital for brain health.

And, at just 80 calories a pop, eggs provide 7 grams of protein. Even better, the protein in eggs is the absolute best (yes, even better than meat, chicken, or pork) because it is 100% bio-available. In other words, our bodies are able to use it all (for instance, we only absorb 79% of protein from chicken, meaning that 21% is considered waste and excreted).

For clarity's sake, the brown and white varieties are nutritionally identical. The color of an egg simply depends on the breed of hen that is laying it.

The best way to eat an egg is as simply as possible -- hard-boiled and chopped into a salad is a great way to add a wealth of nutrients and not a lot of calories.