|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NUTRISPEAK by Vesanto Melina MS, RD
People eliminate egg from their diets for numerous reasons, including its prominence as one of the top eight allergens, health concerns about fat and cholesterol, and animal rights issues.
Egg contains several proteins that cause a reaction in many people; most are in the white. Even when the whites and yolks are separated, cross-contamination can occur. Eggs from various species contain similar proteins, so anyone allergic to chicken eggs must generally avoid eating eggs from ducks, turkeys, and other birds as well.
Eggs have long been one of our protein-rich mainstays, and a featured item on weekend, breakfast menus. How do we get through the day without eggs – scrambled for breakfast, in a quiche at lunch, or custard for dessert? As ingredients, eggs perform numerous functions: 1) they provide moistness. 2) beaten eggs give baked goods their light, fluffy quality, by holding air in little bubbles. 3) egg proteins act as a binder in cakes, cookies, and burgers.
Effective and nutritious alternatives do exist, however. For moistness, we can replace eggs with a similar amount of juice, non-dairy milk, water, applesauce, or mashed banana. As a binder in baking, a tiny amount of non-allergenic xanthum gum, or guar gum, can be sifted in with the flour. Both are available at health food stores. For leavening, baking powder or soda are very effective. (Soda requires the presence of something acidic like vinegar or lemon juice to generate the bubble-making action.) Furthermore, when we simply omit an egg or two from our favourite muffin recipe, our product is likely to turn out equally as good.
For a hearty and warming breakfast, we can combine sautéed mushrooms with green onion, minced garlic, and medium or firm mashed tofu. A little turmeric or nutritional yeast provides a golden colour. As a tasty sandwich filling, mashed tofu can be combined with tamari or Bragg’s seasoning, soy mayonnaise, and parsley, celery, or other chopped veggies. (See recipes for these and other spreads and hearty entrees in Becoming Vegetarian (Wiley Canada) and Raising Vegetarian Children (McGraw Hill). You’ll find creamy puddings, and some truly divine macaroons in the recipe section of the recent Food Allergy Survival Guide, along with a wealth of information on managing very well without eggs and other top allergens.)
While it’s easy to avoid obvious egg dishes and drinks at restaurants – omelettes or eggnog – small amounts of egg are present in many manufactured foods, and people with allergies must be alert and ask. In Japanese restaurants, batter-coated vegetable tempura often contains egg, and in Chinese restaurants, egg is found in egg noodles and fortune cookies. Eggs are a staple ingredient in most baked goods, and bagels, pretzels, and pie crusts all owe their shiny appearance to egg whites. Eggs are present in sauce mixes, soups, sausages, meat loaves, marshmallows, marzipan, icings, fancy ice creams, and fresh pasta. More surprisingly, wines, soft drinks, and consommés are often clarified with egg whites.
On food labels, the following terms indicate the presence of egg protein: albumin, avidin, lipovitelin, livetin, ovamucin, ovo, and vitellin. In some cases, the ingredient itself is not listed. Instead, we are advised of egg’s functions, such as binder, emulsifier, or coagulant.
Egg contains protein, several B vitamins, and iron, yet eliminating egg from our diet poses no risk of deficiency. We can meet our requirements for protein, iron, and B vitamins with legumes, whole grains, and a variety of other plant foods. Fortified soy or rice milks, veggie “meats,” and supplements are all good sources of vitamin B12.
Vesanto Melina is a BC-based registered dietitian and author of a number of best-selling books about food and nutrition. For personal consultations, call 604-888-8325 (Fort Integrated Health Clinic) or 604-882-6782 (home office, near Fort Langley). www.nutrispeak.com
For issues related to factory farming, see the University of Toronto’s Coalition of Animal Rights and the Environment (CARE) website: http://utcare.sa.utoronto.ca/meat1.htm
For facts about free-range poultry, see www.cok.net/lit/freerange.php
 Top
|
|
|
|
|
|
