The word ‘busy’ is one that definitely applies to most of us — and managing how we spend our time is a key skill. I love to cook but I’m also very short on time, so spending hours in the kitchen is not an option for me. This week I’ll chat about one of the most used, versatile ingredients in my kitchen and share a great egg recipe!
After the London Olympics in 2012 I attended Dublin Cookery School. It was one of the best experiences I’ve had. The chance to spend my days cooking and chatting was glorious! One of the main lessons I learned was about using ingredients that are high quality, versatile and tasty. Eggs are an ingredient that ticks all those boxes.
Quality
In Ireland, we are really fortunate to have very high food quality standards and that is largely down to amazing producers who have a huge passion for what they do, coupled with a great way to recognise quality. The Bord Bia quality mark can be found across a range of foods including eggs. The mark signifies that food has been produced to the highest standard and you know exactly where it comes from in Ireland. Bord Bia employs an independent company to carry out more than 80,000 checks on farms throughout Ireland each year. There are strict standards around food safety, animal health and welfare and care for the environment. All of the Bord Bia standards are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure best practices are met.
Versatile and nutritious
Eggs are one of the most nutritious ingredients you will find. A single large boiled egg will roughly contain 77 calories, 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of healthy fats, it will also contain trace elements of other nutrients. Eggs contain a little bit of almost every nutrient you need.
It is true that eggs are high in cholesterol: an egg contains a significant amount of your daily recommended intake but it’s interesting to note that cholesterol in the diet doesn’t necessarily raise cholesterol in the blood. The response to eating eggs varies amongst people so it’s important to consider your own circumstances and talk to your doctor if you feel the need.
Eating eggs can increase your ‘HDL’, which is often considered to be good cholesterol. Elevated levels of HDL may be linked to a lower risk of other diseases. Eggs are one of the best sources of choline which is a nutrient that is helpful for cell formation and brain function, I know my memory could certainly use this!
An interesting point about eggs is that they can be helpful in weight management — this is due to them being rich in protein which means that they are more filling than other foods. They score well on the satiety index, which is a measure of how filling a food is.
Tasty
Not only are eggs the ultimate convenience food but they are also super tasty. You can easily cook eggs on their own, scrambled, poached, boiled, or fried (I love a poached egg)
Or you can use them to make dishes such as omelettes, frittatas, pancakes, sauces, or cakes and breads.
When baking, use eggs at room temperature to avoid your mixture curdling. If possible store eggs in the fridge so they will last longer.
Wellness tip
You may have heard the phrase ‘laughter is the best medicine’ — well, I certainly find that is true. My wellness tip this week is to try to find ways to include laughter in your day. Rather than ‘doomscrolling’, consider consuming more humorous content. I recently started listening to the podcast My Therapist Ghosted Me and it is such a great laugh.
Movement of the week
This week’s
