Eggs are economical addition to healthy meal plan

Instead of filling Easter baskets and supplying Easter-egg hunts with chocolate or sugar eggs, you may want to consider using the real thing. You'll cut out lots of fat and sugar, and -- something to consider in these budget-shattering times -- eggs are an economical source of protein.

"Eggs have a very high biological value," said Laura Kruskall, a registered dietitian and director of nutrition sciences at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

What that means to you is that when it comes to how efficiently their protein is used by the body, eggs are everything they're cracked up to be.

As the American Egg Board -- those would be the "incredible, edible egg" people -- points out, eggs have a high proportion of nutrients to calories. A large egg contains 75 calories and 13 essential nutrients, including 6.3 grams of protein, plus choline and riboflavin. While many of the nutrients are found in the yolk, which is where the fat and cholesterol also are concentrated, Kruskall said the protein content of egg whites is still high. And with large eggs available locally for less than 17 cents each, it's clear that this protein source is comparatively easy on the budget.

If you're worried about eggs' effect on your health, research during the past couple of years has found that they can be part of a healthy diet for most people.

"Eggs do contain cholesterol; we do know that," Kruskall said. But while a person with heart disease or elevated cholesterol would probably be limited in how many eggs he or she can eat, "eggs can still be part of a healthy meal plan," she said, and "not something that is restricted or forbidden anymore.

"No lipid problem? No issues."

And Kruskall points out that using eggs as a protein source reduces the amounts of other fats and cholesterol you're consuming.

"If you're having an omelet for dinner instead of a steak, let's put it all in perspective," she said.

As you might expect, eggs are a big item at The Cracked Egg, which has four locations in the valley. Suzanne Altreche, who owns the restaurants with partner Patiance Thompson, said customers at the Green Valley Parkway location consume about 13,200 eggs a week, those at the other three only slightly fewer.

"They love the eggs," Altreche said. "I think the thing that they love the most about us is that we're really flexible, and we'll do them any way they want them. There's so many different ways to have eggs."

And the restaurant's staff cracks all of those thousands of eggs, unlike a lot of kitchens that use the more economical liquid eggs in a bag -- a point of which Altreche said she's very proud.

Many of the eggs go into omelets, which she said are the most popular egg dishes at the restaurants. She didn't offer a formal recipe because omelets are so flexible, but said they mix three eggs and put them in a pan that's lightly oiled or sprayed with nonstick spray (although they'll use butter on request), and then mix most of the omelet ingredients right into the eggs. As the eggs cook, the omelet's flipped, the other side cooked, then it's folded and topped with cheese and any remaining ingredients. For a dish that's lower in fat and cholesterol, just use egg whites and load up on the vegetables.

"We definitely do have the crowd that wants to go the healthy route," she said.

Here are some more recipes for egg-based meals.

EASY LAYERED SALAD

4 cups mixed salad greens

2 tomatoes, chopped (about 2 cups)

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

3 hard-cooked eggs, sliced

2 cups cubed cooked ham

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon dried dill weed

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Place salad greens in bottom of large serving bowl. Layer tomatoes, 1 cup of cheese, peas, eggs, ham and onion over greens.

Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, dill weed and mustard in medium bowl until well blended. Spread evenly over salad. Cover. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight, until ready to serve. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese just before serving.

Serves 12.

-- Recipe from McCormick

PEPPER 'N' EGG SKILLET SUPPER

1 teaspoon cooking oil

7 cups thinly sliced sweet red, yellow and/or green peppers in rings or strips (about 5 to 6 medium)

11/2 cups thinly sliced onion

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

4 eggs

In 10-inch nonstick omelet pan or skillet over medium heat, cook peppers, onion and garlic in hot oil, without stirring, about 3 to 4 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 6 to 8 minutes, or until vegetables are soft and all liquid has evaporated, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in vinegar until evaporated.

With back of spoon, make 4 indentations (about 2 inches in diameter) in vegetable mixture.

Break and slip an egg into each indentation -- or, for flower-shaped eggs, break and slip each egg into an individual pepper ring.

Cover and cook over medium heat until whites are completely set and yolks begin to thicken but are not hard, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Serves 4.

-- Recipe from the American Egg Board

SAUCY PASTA AND VEGGIE FRITTATA

Nonstick cooking spray

1 16-ounce package frozen pasta and vegetables in sauce

Water

4 eggs

1/4 cup skim or low-fat milk

Evenly coat 10-inch omelet pan or skillet with spray. Add pasta and vegetables in sauce along with water called for on package. Over medium heat, bring to boiling. Cover. Reduce heat to low.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender, about 5 minutes. In medium bowl, beat together eggs and milk until blended. Pour over pasta/vegetable mixture. Cover. Cook over medium heat until eggs are almost set, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, until eggs are completely set in center and no visible liquid egg remains, about 2 to 3 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve from pan or slide from pan onto serving platter.

Serves 4.

-- Recipe from the American Egg Board

SEAFOOD SOUFFLE

Nonstick cooking spray

Fine dry bread crumbs, grated Parmesan cheese or cornmeal

11/2 cups skim or low-fat milk

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

6 eggs, separated

3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 can (4.25 ounces) tiny shrimp, well-drained or 1 4-ounce package tiny frozen cooked shrimp, thawed and well-drained

1 can (6.5 ounces) chopped or minced clams, well-drained or 6 to 7 ounces chopped, cooked and well-drained fresh clams

1/2 cup chopped green onions with tops

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Evenly coat 2- to 21/2-quart souffle dish or straight-sided casserole with spray. Dust with crumbs.

Make 4-inch wide band of triple-thickness aluminum foil long enough to go around dish and overlap 2 inches. Lightly spray one side of band and dust with crumbs. Wrap around outside of dish, dusted side in. Fasten with strong masking tape or string. Collar should stand at least 2 inches above rim of dish. Set aside.

In covered jar or blender container, shake or blend together milk, flour, mustard and salt, if desired, until smooth. Pour into medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and is smooth and thickened. Set aside.

In large mixing bowl at high speed, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff but not dry, just until whites no longer slip when bowl is tilted. Stir egg yolks into reserved sauce until well-blended.

Stir in shrimp, clams, onions and lemon juice. Gently, but thoroughly, fold yolk mixture into whites.

Carefully pour into prepared dish.

For a "top hat," hold spoon upright and circle mixture to make ring about 1 inch from side of dish and 1-inch deep.

Bake in preheated 350-degree oven until puffy, delicately browned and souffle shakes slightly when oven rack is moved gently back and forth, about 50 to 60 minutes. Quickly, but gently, remove collar.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6.

-- Recipe from the American Egg Board

Contact reporter Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0474.