Nutritious Dietary Patterns

Featured article in the Fall 2019 Issue of Nutrition Close-Up; written by Victoria Shanta Retelny, RDN, LDN

Disease prevention is the key when it comes to living a longer, healthier life. Lifestyle medicine, which focuses on prevention rather than treatment of chronic diseases, is gaining momentum. The World Health Organization estimates that, by 2020, two-thirds of all diseases will be a result of lifestyle factors.¹ The good news is that chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers, could be avoided through the adoption of healthy lifestyle recommendations.² Healthful eating is one of the main interventions in lifestyle medicine – along with active living, healthy weight and emotional resilience – the ability to handle adverse situations and bounce back to your baseline state of health.² Therefore, recognizing that a nourishing, healthy eating pattern is a vital part of disease prevention and supports an active, healthy and happy life is essential.

By: Jen Houchins, PhD

Research continues to show the value of nutrient-dense animal sourced foods as part of healthy eating patterns in the U.S. and around the world.  On World Egg Day, we highlight the incredible, nutrient-dense egg as part of a global solution to inadequate nutrition, and consider new insights of challenges of consuming healthy diets both globally and within the U.S.

Featured article in the Fall 2019 Issue of Nutrition Close-Up; written by Amy Myrdal Miller, MS, RDN, FAND and Lauren Simin

Too often, nutrition discussions emphasize single nutrients or foods. Focusing on recipes, meals, and dietary patterns are better approaches for ensuring nutrient needs are met. It is also essential to ensure recommendations focus on flavor and enjoyment. This is especially true when making recommendations to motivate people to choose foods from under-consumed categories like vegetables. Dietary intake data show overall vegetable intake is below the recommended intake for more than 80 percent of Americans.¹

By Natalie Rizzo, MS, RD

The Egg Nutrition Center partnered with Natalie Rizzo, MS, RD to write this blog post.

Surprise! Eggs aren’t just for breakfast and brunch. They also make a tasty and nutritious addition to basically any meal of the day. Since eggs are so affordable, versatile and easy to prepare, you might as well stock up and add them to your daily menu. If you need a little inspiration to think outside the box (or egg carton), this list of surprising uses for eggs is here to help. All of these suggestions are equal parts unique and delicious.

1. Add eggs to a salad

Whether you like your eggs hard boiled or poached, they make a great addition to a salad. Not only do eggs taste great when paired with veggies, but recent ENC-sponsored research has found that eggs can help you absorb nutrients found in plant foods such as vitamin E and carotenoids when they are paired with a salad¹. Specifically, the researchers concluded that vitamin E absorption was 4- to 7-fold higher when three whole eggs were tossed into a salad. This research reinforces a 2015 ENC-sponsored study, which found that the absorption of carotenoids – including alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin and lycopene – was 3- to 8-fold higher when the salad had three eggs². 

2. Put an egg on pizza

Pizza is a family favorite, but it can often be lacking in quality protein. Topping a veggie pizza with an egg is a fantastic way to add more protein to the meal. A large egg has 6 grams of high-quality protein, and it tastes great with veggies and cheese. Make a quick flatbread pizza with an egg on top if you’re in a hurry or an Egg and Mushroom pizza for a crowd-pleasing dinner. 

3. Top a pasta dish with eggs

Only have 10 minutes to make a meal? With a pot of boiling water, some frozen veggies and a few eggs, you can have a nutritious homemade meal. Throw together some whole grain pasta, cooked veggies, garlic and olive oil and top it all with a few eggs. Not only do the eggs add a nice creaminess to the dish, but they have two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, both of which are important for brain and eye health. 

4. Make savory oatmeal

This hearty breakfast food is usually paired with fruit and other sweet toppings, but it also makes a great base for savory foods. Switch up your oatmeal routine with new toppings, like veggies, eggs, cheese and a little hot sauce (if you’re daring). It will almost feel like you’re eating your favorite grain bowl for breakfast. 

5. Whip up Shakshuka

Pronounced ‘shock-shoe-kah’, this tomato egg skillet is a traditional Mediterranean dish. It’s made with a combination of poached eggs in a tomato-based sauce with chilis and onions. It’s so incredibly easy to make in one skillet, yet it comes off as elegant and complicated. Serve it with a chunk of fresh bread to sop up the delicious combination of egg yolk and tomato sauce. 

REFERENCES:

1. Kim JE, Ferruzzi MG, Campbell WW. Egg Consumption Increases Vitamin E Absorption from Co-Consumed Raw Mixed Vegetables in Healthy Young Men. J Nutr. 2016;146:2199-2205.
2. Kim JE, Gordon SL, Ferruzzi MG, et al. Effects of egg consumption on carotenoid absorption from co-consumed, raw vegetables. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;102:75-83.

By Victoria Shanta Retelny, RDN

The Egg Nutrition Center partnered with Victoria Shanta Retelny, RDN to write this blog post. 

Let’s face it, dinnertime can be hectic and that’s why simple meals that you can make in minutes are a lifesaver.  After a busy day, your body needs a nourishing meal to fuel it properly before your 7 to 9-hour slumber. Even when you are asleep, calories are needed to necessitate your body’s ability to repair and restore damaged cells, such as muscle recovery from your daily exercise routine. (1)  Steer clear of eating large, heavy meals in the evenings, and instead focus on a well-balanced dinner with high-quality protein, fiber-filled carbohydrates and essential fats to optimize your metabolic needs overnight.

If you’re looking for some new and simple dinner ideas, why not try dinner eggs? Give your last meal of the day a nourishing boost with eggs, which offer high quality protein, essential fats, a good or excellent source of eight essential nutrients, including choline plus the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin.  And with only 70 calories per large egg, you can lighten up your dinner in a tasty way – without breaking your budget, either.  For about 15 cents each, eggs are one of least expensive high-quality protein foods out there.

The beauty of eggs is that they offer tons of culinary possibilities in the evening.  Eggs pair well with a plant-based eating pattern that includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, peas and lentils, nuts and seeds. Try cracking an egg, cooking it sunny side up and placing it on top of your favorite mixed greens salad; scramble eggs with veggies and spices and spoon into a whole grain wrap or toss scrambled eggs with pesto pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese for a delightful and quick dinner.  You’ll take the hassle out of dinnertime in no time flat with eggs as part of your evening meal plans.

Here are some delicious dinner egg recipes that you can easily whip up at home.  

• Vegetarian Fried Rice
• Stuffed Quinoa Peppers with Eggs  
• Korean Bibimbap
• Scrambled Egg Tacos with Cilantro Lime Drizzle
• Mexican Rice and Beans Baked Eggs
• Diver’s Below the Sea Salmon with Egg

References:

1. How your body uses calories while you sleep. Assessed at https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/how-your-body-uses-calories-while-you-sleep.