photo credit: 11950mike

The recent recall of over half billion eggs due to an outbreak of salmonella has everyone worried about the safety of eggs they buy from the store. There is quite a buzz in the media over this recall, which is once again being used to create a sense of panic so people sit up and pay attention to the so called breaking news! Sure, there is reason to be careful, but there are many ways you can protect your family without giving up on eggs completely. Eggs are a good source of complete protein especially useful for growing children.

Recently I connected with Mitch Kantor, Ph.D., who is the Executive Director of the Egg Nutrition Center (ENC). He provided answers to a few questions about egg nutrition via email:

Question: What is the benefit of including eggs in my toddler’s diet? At what age should I start?

Answer: A  primary function at the toddler  stage is growth ,  and the high quality protein in eggs is an excellent source of all the necessary amino acids  needed  to promote growth. In  addition , choline, a nutrient found in eggs  (and not found in abundance in many other food sources) , helps support the development of the memory center in the child’s rapidly growing brain.

Question: Are there any egg allergies I should be concerned about?

Answer: The American Academy of Pediatrics no longer recommends refraining from introducing eggs beyond 6 months of age. Although eggs are one of the more common food allergies, pediatricians are now suggesting introducing small amounts of known allergens into the diets of children who are suspected to have allergic reactions in order to develop a tolerance.

Question: What is the benefit of organic eggs vs. standard eggs?

Answer: Organic eggs are eggs that come from hens whose diets contain grain grown without pesticides. Nutritionally, there is no evidence to support a nutritional benefit of organic vs standard eggs.

Question: What is meant by “free range”, “antibiotics free” on the label?

Answer: Free range eggs means that the hens have access to the outdoors. Their diets are uncontrolled so the nutrient value of their eggs may vary.  The use of antibiotics in laying hens is not a standard practice in the egg industry. So, for the most part, almost all eggs in the food supply are antibiotic free.

Question: I have heard that eggs contain a lot of cholesterol. Is that true?

Answer: A  large egg contains  around  212 mg of cholesterol according to the USDA. Scientific evidence has shown that dietary cholesterol like that found in eggs does not raise blood cholesterol in most people. Our liver makes most of the cholesterol that travels in our blood and unless there is an abnormality, excess dietary cholesterol is excreted by our body , or used in various bodily processes .

Question: What is the best way of cooking eggs to preserve their nutritional value?

Answer: The best way to preserve nutrients in any food is to keep it refrigerated until ready to use and cook it for a short time in a minimum of water. Using the microwave to quickly cook an egg would be the best way to preserve the many healthy nutrients in an egg.

Do you have an egg-related question not answered above? Leave it in comments below. I will follow up with Dr Kantor and get it answered. Feel free to also share any other comments or opinions.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Nearly half a billion eggs have been recalled due to an outbreak of salmonella. Even though it is a small number compared to the total number of eggs sold and consumed in the United States, it takes only one bad egg to disturb your family’s peace! Eggs are an excellent source of complete protein. And if your child enjoys them, there is no need to panic even though the screaming headlines in the media may prompt you to completely bypass the egg aisle at the store. Here are 7 ways to ensure your child’s health and safety despite this nationwide food safety issue.

Be informed: Keep an eye on the brands and manufacturing plant numbers affected by the salmonella recall. So far, it is limited to certain farms in Iowa, but eggs produced there are distributed and sold nationwide, If you live in one of the affected states where these eggs are sold, you have to be extra vigilant so you don’t end up bringing contaminated eggs home. Monitor credible websites like the CDC and Egg Safety Center (see links below) for updates.

Look carefully before buying: Every egg carton has number beginning with the letter P, usually stamped on the short side. This is not to be confused with the expiration date, or in some cases, best if used before date. The P number is mandatory, while the others are voluntary. An example of a P number is shown below:

The 4 numbers immediately after the letter P indicate the plant where the eggs were produced. The Julian date shows the date they were packaged. Julian date represents the consecutive days of the year with 001 for January 1 and 365 for December 31. In the above example, P-1946 is the plant number and 223 is Aug 11 in a non leap year like 2010.

According to the recall list, P numbers 1026, 1413, 1946 with Julian dates 136 to 225 are affected. Keep in mind that both the P number and the Julian date should match to be sure that the eggs in the carton are affected.

Even if the egg carton you are about to buy is not included in the recall list, pay attention to how the eggs are stored. They should be kept refrigerated and the egg shells should be clean and uncracked. Compare the Julian date to the current date to get an idea about how long they have been out since they were packed at the plant. Although eggs are considered safe even after 4-5 weeks from the Julian date if kept refrigerated, it is better to buy within 1-2 weeks after they were packed to make sure they are fresh.

Look for the USDA grade shield on the carton which means the eggs  were tested to meet established quality standards.

Ask questions when eating out: Eggs are used in many different dishes, not just what you might order at breakfast. And even if the restaurant makes a fresh dish, they may use many ingredients processed with eggs. Before you order your favorite omelet, or a fried egg with the sunny side up, ask questions to make sure they are using fresh, uncontaminated eggs. Do they use shell eggs or liquid egg mix? Liquid egg mix must be pasteurized. Pay attention to the overall hygiene of the cooking environment. Salmonella contamination can come not just from eggs but from other foods too.

Avoid eating raw eggs: It does not take long for bacteria to grow inside the egg because of their high nutrient density. Even 1-2 h at room temperature or under unrefrigerated conditions may be enough for bacteria to grow and multiply inside the egg. It is often very hard to tell just by looking at the raw egg yolk or white if it is contaminated by bacteria. As a result, eating raw eggs carries a higher risk of getting sick. It is better to cook them well and keep prepared dishes refrigerated until they are served.

Use safe cooking practices: Use common sense and good hygiene as you cook eggs and other foods. Wash hands, sanitized work surfaces and counter tops, use clean cutting boards, knives and utensils. Cook at a high enough temperature and cook completely. In case of eggs, both the yolk and white should be firm when properly cooked.

Limit processed egg products: Eggs and egg products are used in a lot of processed foods. The good news is that there are strict quality standards and pasteurization requirements before egg products can be used. However, the more processed a food is, the less information and control you have about its ingredients. In general, it is better to use fresh, raw and high quality ingredients to prepare your food. This is good not only for your health and nutrition but also to minimize the risk of food based sickness. Whenever possible, limit the consumption of processed foods.

Watch out for early signs of illness: Young children are at a higher risk of getting sick from contaminated eggs. Watch out for symptoms like fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea within 12 to 72 hours of eating contaminated foods. Vomiting, chills, headache and muscle pains may also occur. Seek immediate medical attention to ensure timely treatment before it gets out of control. Serious sickness and even death can occur.

Staying alert, buying smart and using safe cooking techniques will help you keep your family safe during the current and future food safety crisis. Stay safe and healthy!

Resources:

Egg Safety Center Recall List

CDC update on the outbreak of salmonella in shell eggs

photo credit: Aaron T. Goodman

The word protein brings images of strength, muscle and high stature to mind. As such, there is a common notion that children need to eat a lot of protein to grow strong. Although, it is definitely important to include foods rich in protein, there is no need to overdo it. Chances are your child is already getting sufficient protein from a variety of foods  including dairy, meat, fish, eggs and vegetarian sources of protein.

Here are a few handy facts to know about protein:

1. Chemically speaking, proteins are made up of amino acids joined together to make a chain like structure.
2. Human proteins are made up of 22 different amino acids. 13 of these can be produced by the body. The remaining 9 are called essential amino acids which we must get from food.
3. 1 g of protein equals 4 calories.
4. The daily amount of protein your child needs depends on age, weight and activity level. In general, children 1-3 years old need 0.5 g per pound of body weight, which comes to about 13-16 g per day. Children 4-6 years old also need about the same amount per pound, but since they weigh a little more, the daily amount is about 22 g. The Institute of Medicine has a good resource for recommended daily amounts (RDA) of macro-nutrients such as fat, proteins and carbs.
5. Foods that provide all 9 essential amino acids are called complete protein foods. Animal food sources such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk and cheese fall in this category.
6. Proteins from plant sources are deficient in one or more of the essential amino acids; that is why they are called incomplete proteins.
7. It has been a common belief that vegetarians need to combine various foods to get all the essential proteins. For example, beans should be eaten with rice. Most experts now agree that there is no evidence to support this belief. As long as you are eating a broad range of foods in balance and moderation, you don’t need to worry about such rules!
8. The quality of proteins is measured by many different types of indicators which relate to how effectively the body is able to utilize the protein. Biological value is one of these indicators – egg whites are considered a standard with a biological value of 100. It means that nearly all of the nitrogen from its amino acids can be utilized by the body.
9. The body cannot store excess protein. Eating more protein than necessary will actually result in more fat!
10. Food allergies is a response to specific proteins in different foods. For example, milk allergy is a response to caesin and whey proteins in milk. Another problem protein for a lot of people is gluten, which is found in wheat and causes celiac disease.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Ask The Expert is a weekly column on Littlestomaks.com. The idea is to have a reader-submitted question answered by a nutrition expert or a pediatrician. Feel free to submit your question in the comments section below.

This week, Registered Dietitian Emma Stirling offers a few handy tips on how to get enough protein in your child’s diet.

Question: What is the best way to get protein into a diet with a child who’s fussy?

Answer:

Air and water.  Well, so the saying goes that toddlers seem to survive on air and water, as their food intake appears so minimal at times.  But when it comes to optimal growth and development, it’s important to keep an eye on key growth nutrients including the powerhouse protein.  Let’s take a closer look at where you find protein, how much kids’ need and what you can do to help them power up.

What is it?

Protein is made up of chains of smaller components called amino acids, also known as the building blocks of our bodies.  Muscles, skin, hair and blood cells as well as hormones, enzymes and antibodies, are all made up of a combo of amino acids.

There are about 20 different amino acids that, in different combinations, make up the countless millions of proteins available in nature.   And there are two broad classes of amino acids: those that can be made by the human body (non-essential amino acids) and those that can only be supplied by food (essential amino acids).   A protein’s nutritional value is judged by how many of the essential amino acids it provides and in what quantity.

Where do you get it?

Different foods contain different combos and amounts of amino acids as proteins. Generally speaking, animal protein contains all of the essential amino acids.  Plant proteins usually lack at least one amino acid. There are exceptions to this like soy products and the seed of a leafy green called amaranth (consumed in Asia and the Mediterranean).

Nutritious sources of protein include: Meat, poultry and fish, eggs, dairy products, seeds and nuts, beans and lentils, soy products, grains especially wheat and less so rice, barley and corn.

In line with dietary guidelines it’s important to choose lean cuts of meat, trim the fat and go easy on processed meats like sausages and sliced ham as these are also high in saturated fat, sodium and artificial additives.

How much is enough?

Protein needs differ by age, weight, gender and life stage.  The US Recommended Dietary Allowance for children 1-3years is 13g/day of protein. In my country Australia, the NHMRC Recommended Dietary Intakes for 1-3 year olds is 14g/day of protein.  To put this in perspective, two large eggs provide 12.7g of protein or close to a toddlers total daily protein requirements.  So it’s no surprise to hear that nutrition surveys show that protein is not generally an at risk nutrient.  It is also possible for a toddler to consume enough protein for proper growth and development by following a vegan or vegetarian style of eating.  Make sure you speak with your health professional about balancing your child’s diet and seek expert advice from a Registered or Accredited Practising Dietitian.

Top toddler tips to slip in more protein:

Keep it coming – aim to include small serves of protein at each main meal and slip in extras at snack time.  Try:
Breakfast

• Wake up to a poached or hard-boiled egg with wholegrain toast fingers
• Whip up fruit smoothies with reduced fat milk and natural, Greek style yogurt

Snacks

• Spread nut butters on celery sticks for home snacking, away from nut-free zones
• Blend up a quick hummus with canned chickpeas

Lunch

• Make a baked bean toasted sandwich for lunch
• Mix up a tiny tuna mornay with cheese sauce

Dinner

• Toss some small cubes of tofu with bite-sized veggie stir-fry
• Make mini-meat balls for homemade cheeseburgers on round dinner rolls

Chew on this – overtired toddlers can find chewing meat at dinner time challenging, so make sure you use slow cooking methods to tenderize meat or cook with a sauce like a casserole style or mince bolognaise.
Petite is sweet – don’t overwhelm your child with a huge serve of meat.  As a rule of thumb adults should stick to a portion-controlled palm size serve of steak and little kids…well, just a thumb size may do!
Add flavor – experiment with different flavours too. Your three year old may soon learn to love curry, especially if they have been exposed to the cooking aromas as a baby.
Maximize variety – if your toddler wants mince meat all the time, extend their variety by branching out into different recipes….that still look like mince.  Think tacos, spaghetti, meatloaf, shepherd’s pie or your own masterpiece.

As a general guide aim to clock up 3-4 serves of lean red meat per week for valuable iron and zinc and 2-3 serves of fish for brain boosting omega 3 fatty acids.  And remember, research shows us that young children are naturally wary of new foods (known as neophobia) so the key is to try and try and try and try again.  One of the best health head starts you can give your young child is exposure to a huge variety of different nutritious foods and dishes.

Play your protein cards right and before you know it, your toddler that lived on air and water, will become the “I just don’t know where he puts it” ravenous teenager.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com. All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer – Information provided in Ask The Expert column on Littlestomaks.com is intended to give you general guidance on a question related to toddler nutrition. It is not meant to be treated as medical advice. You are welcome to contact this expert for a detailed consultation on your specific situation to determine what actions, if any, you should take regarding nutrition and health of your toddlers. We do not recommend you to take any action based solely on the information presented in this column. Experts have agreed to provide their professional opinion on toddler nutrition related questions on a voluntary basis and no compensation is offered to them by Littlestomaks.com.

The twins got the idea of a hungry emergency from Little Einsteins, one of their favorite shows on Disney. In this particular episode, the Little Einsteins team goes on a mission to collect ingredients for a rocket soup to help their rocket out of its hungry emergency! They loved it when rocket’s tummy grumbled with hunger and its hungry emergency meter reached its highest red alert level.

As soon as the show was over, they rushed into the kitchen and got on their chairs and started yelling: Baba we have a hungry emergency! Suddenly, their breakfast this past Sunday turned into a game!

My daughter generally eats Froot Loops with milk and honey, while my son favors Raisin Nut Bran, mainly because he likes to pick out the raisin cookies! In addition to their usual cereal, we also offered some strawberries, pears, blueberries and feta cheese. They had a blast digging into all of them just so they could get over their hungry emergency!

Breakfast on weekends are special for us. This is when we get to enjoy our breakfast the Turkish way. Cut fresh fruits, vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, mint with olive oil, feta cheese, olives, toast, veggie omelette or hard-boiled eggs, beef salami are all shared in small plates laid out on the table. Although it is common to eat toasted bread with butter, strawberry or cherry jams or honey, we skip the butter these days and use cheese spreads instead. Freshly brewed hot Turkish tea and orange juice are also served. Sometimes we invite our friends over for a weekend brunch that goes on for a couple of hours!

Try this hungry emergency game with your little ones and let us know how it goes!

This post is a part of Big Words Little Foodies from Jenna of KidAppeal, who is encouraging parents to keep track of funny quotes their kids come up with at mealtime. Check her column out for stories from other parents.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Fried rice is a favorite in our household especially when we have leftover rice from the previous day. It is very easy to make and you can get very creative in terms of things to add. We try to not add any salt because most of it comes from the soy sauce anyway even if we use the low sodium variety. And although we use basmati rice, you can use jasmine rice or even brown rice.

Ingredients

1. 2-3 cups cooked basmati rice
2. 3-4 eggs, beaten
3. 1 cup carrots, grated or crushed in a food processor
4. 1 zucchini, peeled and cut into small cubes
5. 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6. 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
7. Chopped cilantro or parsley
8. Chopped green onions

Method

Saute green onions in olive oil in a large saute pan. Add egg and cook like the way you would make scrambled egg. Don’t cook it all the way, it should still be a little runny. Add cooked rice and mix well to evenly coat the rice surface with eggs. Add carrots and zucchini. Cover and lower heat. Stir occasionally. Once carrots and zucchini’s are softened, add soy sauce and mix well. Add cilantro or parsley.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Ingredients

1. 4-5 tomatoes, pureed in a food processor
2. 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
3. 4-5 eggs, beaten
4. 1-2 sweet mini-peppers, chopped
5. 2 tbsp olive oil
6. Salt and pepper to taste
7. Chopped parsley or cilantro (optional)

Method

1. Saute the onions in olive oil over low to medium heat until softened
2. Add chopped peppers
3. Add tomato puree, mix well and cook for a few minutes
4. Add beaten eggs and mix. Stir occasionally to make a uniform mixture
5. Cook for 10-15 minutes until eggs are fully cooked

©2009 Littlestomaks.com