Eggcellent News for Egg Lovers

Tired of egg-white omelets? Are egg substitutes not all they’re cracked up to be?

Here’s some news to crow about.

It’s OK to eat eggs – as long as you’re healthy and you only eat one a day.

If you meet those standards, eating an egg should not elevate your blood cholesterol level nor put you at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, according to new federal dietary guidelines.

In fact, today’s eggs contain less cholesterol than they once did.

Researchers with the U.S. Department of Agriculture say an egg has about 185 milligrams of cholesterol, compared to 215 milligrams 10 years ago. They tested eggs from 12 different locations nationwide.

If you haven’t been to the egg section lately in the grocery store, don’t chicken out when you find a myriad of choices. Use this guide from the Humane Society of the United States to understand why some eggs cost more than others.

• Certified Organic: These eggs come from hens raised on an organic, all-vegetarian diet that does not include antibiotics or pesticides
• Free Range: Hens typically live outside of cages in barns or warehouse with some access to the outdoors but there are no government requirements for how much time. There are no rules on what the hens can eat.
• Certified Humane: Eggs come from chickens who are allowed to nest, perch and dust bathe, as they would in their natural habitat. They do not live in cages but may live indoors such as in a barn or a warehouse their entire life.
• Cage Free: Hens do not live in cages but may have no access to the outdoors.
• Free-Roaming: Sometimes called “free-range.” Hens live outside of cages.
• Vegetarian Fed: Hens are not fed animal byproducts.

The USDA recommends buying eggs only if they are refrigerated with clean, unbroken shells. Keep raw eggs in their original container on an inside shelf at 40 degrees F. Use within five weeks of purchase or the date printed on the carton. Hard-boiled eggs should be kept in the fridge and eaten within one week. There is no nutritional difference between eggs of different colors.

Sources: U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Humane Society of the United States

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Alice Warchol is a fitness instructor and freelance health writer.