Easter and eggs … I get it. Easter is the Christian celebration of Jesus’ coming back to life after his death on a cross. Easter eggs represent new life. Very fitting.
But what the Easter bunny has to do with Easter, I’ll never understand. That said, let’s enjoy some of the good news about Easter and eggs.
When it comes to nutrition, eggs are hard to beat. Even the yolk is now deemed favorable. Here are some facts, boiled down by the American Egg Board:
• An egg’s yellow center, or yolk, contains nearly half (43 percent) of the whole egg’s protein. Most of the essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants reside within the yolk. Egg yolks are also one of very few foods that is a natural source of vitamin D.
• Egg yolks are also a natural source of dietary cholesterol. Not to worry, though. Scientific research for the past few decades has shown that dietary cholesterol has little to no negative effects on heart health.
• The outer white portion of an egg is a rich source of high quality protein. In fact, egg protein is the gold standard by which other protein sources are measured. Egg whites contain no cholesterol and just a tiny bit of fat.
With that good news, here’s some Easter fun to enjoy this week:
Notice in a church bulletin: “This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Mulhaney to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.”
Five year-old Elmer and his family were invited to his grandmother’s house for dinner on Easter Sunday. Everyone was seated around the big dining room table as the mouthwatering food was being served. When Elmer received his plate, he picked up his fork and began to eat.
“Elmer!” his father demanded. “Wait until we say grace!”
“I don’t need to,” the youngster earnestly replied.
“’Of course you do!” his mother insisted. “You know we always say a prayer at home before we eat.”
“That’s at our house,” Elmer reasoned, “but this is Grandma’s house and she knows how to cook.”
All kidding aside, let us not forget that this is the season for hope, renewal and new life. And for many of us, the Easter egg is an important symbol of new life. May we remember that as we share a cracked egg or two with our friends and family this week. Happy Easter.