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The truth is, eggs are nutritional superstars. The most recent studies show that regular consumption of eggs does not correlate with an increased chance of high cholesterol or heart disease. It’s now known that actual cholesterol in food is not the biggest contributor to high cholesterol. Actually, trans fats, which you find in most processed foods, have a much bigger effect on blood cholesterol levels.
Eggs are an excellent source of protein, fat-soluble vitamins, essential fatty acids, and a wide range of minerals like iron, calcium, manganese, and selenium. And before you go and let your yolk go down the drain, remember that the majority of these nutrients are concentrated in that little yellow center. Check out the chart below which shows where the nutrients of an egg can be found. Pay attention to the vitamins at the bottom of the chart. (That’s right–they’re all found in the yolk!)
If you don’t include the yolk, you’re cutting out half the protein, 90% of the calcium, 93% of the iron, 96% of the B6, 95% of the folate, 91% of the B12, and all of the carotenoids, DHA (essential fatty acid), and vitamins A, E, D, and K!
And for what? To eliminate the cholesterol and 4 grams of fat? Please. Eat the yolk.
Now that I’ve got that off of my chest, we can get right to the recipe.
Since I was a kid, I’ve loved egg salad. I love it the traditional way loaded with mayo, but made this version with avocado for a few reasons.
First, nutritionally speaking, avocados stack up a whole lot better than mayonnaise does. Second, I have a two-year-old who loves , but is afraid of eggs these days.
Meghan used to eat cheese omelets 4 times a week. Now, there is only about a 50% chance that she’ll eat it once a week. I thought if I paired the eggs with something familiar, mashed avocado, she just might go for it. Did you see all those vitamins and minerals in the chart? I want her to eat eggs!
So avocado egg salad it was, and I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t expect to like it as much as I enjoy regular egg salad, but I did. If you don’t like mayonnaise, this is a perfect compromise to give a try. You won’t be sorry.
I served Meghan this sandwich with some baked sweet potato chips.
I wish I could say she gobbled it up and it’s her new favorite sandwich. Unfortunately with Meghan, warming up to new things takes time, even with the familiarity of the avocado. (Remember the that she wouldn’t try at first and then decided she loved?)
I’ll keep offering this to her and I believe that soon she’ll like it as much as her mom.
Question: Are you afraid of eggs? How often do you eat them?
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