(Easter) Eggs Are Better Than Their Reputation!

Eggs have traditionally been used for thousands of years to celebrate Easter because they symbolize new life. In addition to cakes and pies, brightly colored Easter eggs add a special touch to the holiday, causing egg consumption to briefly skyrocket. Around seven eggs are eaten on average per person during the Easter holidays- and they are much healthier than you think!

Eggs are rich in nutrients and vitamins. In addition, they contain iron, protein, zinc, selenium, iron, omega-3 fatty acids and lecithin (important part of any cell membrane, as well as the nerve cells). Folic acid is also included in the egg - thus the egg is especially important in a vegetarian diet.

Concretely, a medium-sized egg (60 to 70 g) has about 85 to 96 kcal (especially the egg yolks). In addition, an egg contains 74 percent water, 7 to 11 grams of fat and 8 to 13 grams of protein, the latter the highest natural value which a single food can have. From 100 grams of chicken egg whites, man can produce 100 grams of endogenous protein.

The fat in the egg yolk also has a hand in an organism's fatty acid pattern. Two thirds of the fats contained in the yolk consist of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids. This percentage, however, is highly dependent on how the chicken was fed.

Eggs are also rich in vitamins (A, B2, B12, D, K and folic acid) - making the egg one of the few natural sources of vitamin D AND essential amino acids.

But what about the problematic cholesterol that has given eggs a bad reputation negative? - Well, you've no doubt heard that the egg is one of the highest-cholesterol containing foods in our diet. Specifically, eggs contain around 200 to 300 mg of cholesterol each.

If you are healthy and your cholesterol levels are not too high, you can withstand a few more Easter eggs. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) states, for example, that a healthy individual can sustain a one-time high cholesterol intake without problems. For this reason you can treat yourself to one or two more Easter eggs with a clear conscience, even if you do have higher cholesterol.

Questions About Easter Eggs:

• Why is it easier to peel some eggshells than others? - Older eggs peel easier because there is more air between the egg shell and the egg membrane.

•Should you rinse hard-boiled eggs with cold water? - No, this reduces the shelf life enormously.

• How long does an egg stay good? - After a cooking time of 9 to 10 minutes, eggs can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four weeks.

• Are hard boiled eggs unhealthy if the yolk is green around the edge? - No, the egg is safe to consume, even if the yolk has become green or a little dry. These are simply the hazards of over cooking.

• How do you know if an egg is spoiled? - That's easy, just smell it, you will know!