Eggs are a very versatile ingredient; they can be used for many different things in the culinary world.

Eggs are an excellent source of protein and healthy fats. They actually are considered a superfood because they are rich in virtually all of the vitamins and minerals you need such as selenium, vitamin D, B6, B12 and minerals such as zinc, iron and copper. However, it’s important to note that egg yolks can be very high in cholesterol. 

There are countless ways to prepare a single egg, such as hard boiling to eat with a little salt and pepper or to make egg salad. Soft boiling for a beautiful ramen egg, or poaching for eggs benedict. Fried easy, medium, and so on. How do you like your eggs in the morning?

Another way to use eggs is to make different types of sauce, from a hollandaise sauce that pairs with asparagus or benedicts, to carbonara sauce for pasta. 

Eggs are a key ingredient for most bakers, because they add structure and height to baked goods as well as affecting the color and sometimes the flavor. The height and texture are determined by the balance between eggs and flour which give them strength, sugars and fats add tenderness.

Eggs can be separated into yolks and whites.

Yolks are higher in cholesterol, fat, and are where most of the calories come from while the whites are a better source of protein with fewer calories. Yolks are often used to make rich, creamy custards because of the yolks’ ability to thicken while staying silky smooth. The whites are quite the opposite as they are often whipped into light, fluffy meringues because they have an excellent capacity to expand and foam. Egg whites can actually increase in volume by up to 8 times. 

Due to the yolks being high in cholesterol, it is actually healthier to eat egg whites and limit the days that you eat egg yolks according to Harvard Medical Schools website. Dr. Victor W. Zhong of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine conducted a study with 29,415 men and women and found that as little as 3 large eggs a week increased a person’s chances of developing cardiovascular disease by 6 percent and of dying from any cause by 8 percent.

It’s safe to say that while eggs can be an excellent source of nutrients, it would be smart to limit the amount of eggs you are eating each week.