While there is no clear answer to the question of how to cook eggs the healthiest way, experts may have different opinions. But in this article, we will try to share the most accepted way. No matter how you prepare them, eggs are generally very healthy. Eggs are a cheap but highly nutritious food. Eggs are packed with the following. These are
- Proteins
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Healthy fats
However, the nutritional composition of your eggs can vary depending on how you prepare them. This article explores the healthiest ways to prepare and consume eggs and how to cook the healthiest eggs.
Role and Importance of Eggs in Nutrition
A brief discussion on the importance of eggs in the diet. Foods of animal origin such as milk, meat and eggs are essential for human nutrition because they provide proteins of high biological value. Egg protein is considered as an exemplary protein among proteins with great biological value. In other words, egg protein is the protein that is best utilised by the body and best converted into body tissues.
Eggs are a rich source of calcium, phosphorus and some B group vitamins important for health, as well as the high quality protein they contain. They also contain iron, a mineral that prevents anaemia, zinc, a vitamin that helps sexual and physiological development, vitamin A, which is very important for eye and skin health, vitamin K, which reduces bleeding tendency, and sulphur, which is essential. All age groups, especially those in the age of growth and development, consume eggs daily. Since most of the products obtained from eggs can be cooked quickly, everyone can cook eggs. However, if you want to consume eggs easily and with pleasure, care should be taken when boiling. There is even a proverb that says “A good cook can be recognised by the way he cooks eggs and rice”. Although it seems simple when cooking eggs, if care is not taken, the result is not enjoyable and eliminates the desire to eat again.
Eggs are Delicious and Versatile
They are easy to prepare in a variety of ways and go well with other nutritious foods such as vegetables. In addition, cooking them kills harmful bacteria, making them safer to consume.
Some Nutrients Become More Digestible within Eggs
Cooking eggs makes them safer to eat and facilitates the absorption of some nutrients. The protein in eggs is a one example. According to research, it becomes more digestible when heated. In fact, according to one study, the body can utilize 91% of the protein in cooked eggs, compared to only 51% in raw eggs. The reason for this reduction in digestibility is suggested to be heat-induced structural changes in egg proteins. Large protein molecules are broken down and coiled into intricate, twisted shapes in uncooked eggs. The weak links holding the proteins together are broken by heat during cooking. The proteins then form new connections with nearby proteins. The new bonds of scrambled eggs make them easier for your body to digest. Egg whites and yolks exhibit these modifications, becoming rubbery and firm as a result of a thick gel.
The availability of the vitamin biotin can be influenced by the protein in raw eggs. Eggs are a good source of biotin, an essential component for fat and sugar metabolism. It is also referred to as vitamin H or vitamin B7. A protein called avidin, found raw in egg whites, binds to the vitamin biotin and prevents your body from using it. Avidin undergoes structural changes that reduce its ability to bind to biotin when eggs are cooked. This facilitates biotin absorption. The protein in eggs is more easily absorbed when cooked. In addition, it helps to increase the availability of biotin by your body. High temperature cooking can damage other nutrients. Eggs can be cooked to increase the digestibility of some nutrients while reducing others. This is a common occurrence. Most foods lose some nutrients when they are cooked, especially if they are prepared at high temperatures for a long time.
According to one study, eggs lose roughly 17-20 per cent of their vitamin A content when cooked. The amount of antioxidants in eggs can also be significantly reduced during cooking. According to one study, standard cooking techniques such as boiling, frying and microwaving reduce the amount of some antioxidants by 6-18%. In general, it has been proven that foods cooked for shorter periods of time and at higher temperatures retain more nutrients. Research shows that eggs can lose 61 per cent of their vitamin D, not just 18 per cent, when boiled, fried or cooked for less than 40 minutes. While these nutrients are reduced when eggs are cooked, they still contain significant amounts of vitamins and antioxidants.
How to Cook Eggs the Healthiest Way?
Although eggs are a healthy food, you can make them even better..
Choose a Low-Calorie Cooking Technique
To reduce calories, choose boiled or hard-boiled eggs. The dish will have fewer calories than fried or scrambled eggs or omelette, as these cooking techniques do not add extra calories. Mix eggs and vegetables. Vegetables harmonise well with eggs. This means that eating eggs is a great way to increase your vegetable intake and give your meal a fibre and mineral boost. Simple suggestions include adding your preferred vegetables to an omelette or scrambled eggs, as in this dish. Alternatively, prepare the eggs as you like and add some vegetables.
Fry Food in Oil at a High Temperature
The ideal oils for high-heat cooking are those remaining stable at high temperatures and not easily oxidised to form dangerous free radicals, similar to those used for stir-frying. Sunflower oil and avocado oil are a few examples of wise decisions. The ideal cooking temperatures for extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil are below 210° C and 177° C respectively.
Choose the Healthiest Eggs
The nutritional value of eggs can vary depending on a number of variables, such as the rearing technique and the diet of the hens. In general, pasture-raised and organic eggs are considered to have a higher nutritional value than cage-free and commercially reared eggs.
Avoid Overcooking
Nutrient loss may increase as cooking time and temperature increase. Using higher heat for longer periods of time, especially for pan-frying, can increase the amount of oxidised cholesterol they contain. Choose a low-calorie cooking method, combine eggs with vegetables, fry in heat-resistant oil and pay attention to cooking time to ensure your eggs are as nutritious as possible.
Things to Consider When Cooking Eggs in Shell
Usually, boiling eggs is a simple process. However, if some factors are ignored while cooking, the result will not be pleasant to consume. Preventing the shell from cracking is one of the factors to consider when using the shell for cooking. The air inside the egg expands when heated, but cannot escape fast enough. The shell breaks because of this. If the egg is thrown into boiling water immediately after being taken out of the refrigerator, the shell will crack. When salt or vinegar is added to the boiling water, only a limited amount of egg white will leak out because the leaked egg white will soon coagulate and stop further leakage.
The second thing to keep in mind when cooking eggs in their shells is to prevent a dark green colour from forming around the yolk. Long cooking times, prolonged cooling of cooked eggs in the cooking water and the use of stale eggs all contribute to the green colour. This green tint is not visible if the egg is cooled quickly, such as by immersing it in cold water. The staleness of the egg has an influence on how strongly the green colour develops. Intact but stale eggs can be added to various dishes and even cooked in oil. However, they should not be boiled or prepared as boiled eggs.
