by Lily A. Thorns

Created on: July 02, 2007

Eggs in Low Fat Diets

Eggs can be a healthy part of any low fat diet. They contain 18 essential nutrients including Vitamins A, E, D and a complex of B's, as well as a high dose of natural iron, making them an essential part of a good diet. Eating eggs as a main dish at meal time is the best way to get those nutrients; finding substitutes for eggs as an ingredient in recipes is recommended to bring your overall egg consumption in line with current nutritional guidelines.

First, taking a look at eggs as a leavening ingredient, use just egg whites. You may need to increase the number of whites to get a good end product. On line, visit Cook's Thesaurus for the long list of possibilities on how to substitute eggs for all of your cooking and baking needs. http://www.foodsubs.com/Eggs.html The substitute most often used in baking is 1/4 cup of commercial egg substitute or 2 egg whites for each whole egg.

Second, as a binding ingredient, you have many options. To bread chicken before cooking, use egg whites, commercial egg substitute or Ener-G egg replacer [1]to bind ingredients in most recipes. Many recipes will call for brushing an egg wash to give a glossy shine to your baked goods. Here you can substitute just an egg white or milk to get the same effect with less fat.

Last, you can still enjoy a nice plate of eggs. Scramble eggs using 2 egg whites for every yolk, or use 1/4 cup of egg substitute for each egg. Experiment with seasonings and vegetables or salsa and you will never miss the yolks. When you get creative, your taste buds will be satisfied without impacting the scale. Suggestions for low fat and delicious meals are poached eggs, baked eggs, or vegetable omelets. There are many web sites you can visit for a multitude of recipes. Check out Egg Ceptional, for some ideas. [2]

Keep in mind that the key to being able to eat eggs when you have health concerns is eating a diet which is low fat, over all. When consciously lowering fat intake through out your entire diet, all day long, eating one to two eggs per day is acceptable. Wise preparation of those two eggs will allow you to enjoy both eating and the exceptional nutrition of your meal. Serve eggs with fruit salad, a mimosa, and a fat free caf au lait for a memorable meal.

Notes:
[1]Ener-G egg replacer web address: http://www.ener-g.com/store/detail.aspx?section=8&ca t=8&id=97

[2] Egg Ceptional web address: http://www.happydaycards.com/misc2/eggceptional.html

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