The aim of the Healthy Eating Planner is to encourage people to cook quick and easy meals using eggs and other fresh ingredients. Nutritious recipe ideas for seven days of cooking are included, along with tips on shopping lists, healthy food options for children, what to look out for on food labels and novel ideas for healthier desserts.
The Planner is endorsed by the Irish Heart Foundation and the Irish Practice Nurses Association.
Omega enriched eggs are from hens fed a healthier natural diet enhanced with Omega 3 fatty acids so the eggs they lay are rich in omega 3, these hens are also free range.
An average enriched egg contains 220 mg of Omega 3 fatty acids, which gives you just over 40% of the recommended daily intake of omega 3.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant which can help protect your body from the damage that can cause heart disease and cancer as cells decay. An average O-Megga Egg contains 5mg of Vitamin E providing you with over half of your recommended daily intake.
The brands of omega enriched eggs currently available in Ireland are:
Scientific Studies Supporting the benefits of omega enriches eggs are numerous click on these links for further information, or download these PDFs:
Riverview eggs are a nutritious concentrated source of good quality protein with a wide range of vitamins and minerals. Riverview eggs are great value, easy to cook and a very versatile ingredient for both savoury and sweet dishes. They provide meals in minutes either on their own (boiled, poached, scrambled) or added to other ingredients (quiche, pancakes, omelette). Remember, dietary guidelines do not apply to a single meal, recipe or food, but to your diet over a period of days or even a week.
An adequate protein intake is vital for the day to day working of the body. Riverview eggs are an excellent source of protein. A standard portion of eggs (two eggs) provides nearly one third of the daily protein required by an average woman and almost one quarter of an average man’s requirement.
Eggs contain substantial amounts of vitamins A, B, D and E.
Vitamin |
Function |
| Vitamin A | Maintains healthy immune system, skin and eyes. |
| Vitamin B2 | Involved in energy production. |
| Vitamin B 12 | Involved in cell replication, and healthy blood and nerves. |
| Vitamin D | Important for the development and maintenance of healthy bones. |
| Vitamin E | Acts as a powerful antioxidant – keeps cell membranes healthy. |
Eggs are a good source of the following minerals:
Mineral |
Function |
| Iron | Transport of oxygen around body. Also important for normal growth and development and good immune function. |
| Phosphorous | Important for energy metabolism and healthy bones. |
| Zinc | Involved in over 200 roles in the body including wound healing, healthy hair and skin. |
| Selenium | An important antioxidant. |
Recent scientific studies on the effect of eggs on blood cholesterol levels conclude that there is no evidence to show that eating eggs as part of a healthy balanced diet raises blood cholesterol levels and that a healthy adult can eat up to seven eggs a week4.
Today, thanks to years of research, we know more than ever about the relationship between diet, lifestyle and good health. It is becoming clear that old perceptions of some dietary issues are inaccurate. For example, research has shown that saturated fat in the diet and not cholesterol in foods has the most influence on blood cholesterol levels1.
For most healthy people saturated fat intake is a more important factor than dietary cholesterol. Although eggs do contain some saturated fat more than half of the fat found in eggs is either monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. Reduce your total intake of fat and eat a balance of the different types of fat.
For those interested in weight loss, research indicates that increased protein and reduced carbohydrate intake stabilise blood sugar between meals and reduce snacking. Eggs are a very useful low calorie food that provides large amounts of nutrients. Because they have no carbohydrates, they do not have a GI and are useful in a low GI diet.
Nutrition guidelines recommend that a healthy individual can have up to seven eggs a week2 and those on a cholesterol lowering diet can have four to six eggs a week3.
The fats found in food fall into three main groups.
Each has a different effect on your cholesterol level.
Fat Types: Where they come from, what they do.
A review by Trinity College Dublin, the Egg Scientific Research, has found that while many people are concerned about the cholesterol content of eggs and that there is a popular misconception that cholesterol in food directly influences blood cholesterol. Most recent scientific studies show that this fear is unfounded and seven eggs a week or an egg a day can play an important role in achieving nutritious diet in a healthy child or adult without having an effect on cholesterol levels5.
The review of scientific studies on eggs promotes the consumption of an egg a day provided it is part of a balanced healthy diet that is overall low in fat – with less than 11% of energy from saturated fat, high in fibre and high in fruit and vegetables.
1. Howell et al 1997, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 65(6): 1747-64.
2. Guide to Daily Healthy Food Choices, The Health Promotion Unit, Department of Health and Children, 2001.
3. Graham et al 1992, Irish Heart Foundation Nutrition Policy. Irish Medical Journal vol 84 no 4.
4. Guide to Daily healthy Food Choices, The Health Promotion Unit, Department of health and Children, 2001.
5. Note: All information taken from the study – An Overview of the Nutritional Role of Eggs in the Diet; Report prepared by Ms Edel Duffy B.Sc. (Dietetics) and Dr. Sinead McCarthy Ph.D (Nutrition) on behalf of Bord Bia (2006).
