The desire for animal protein is perhaps not universal, but certainly primal. Every cell in your body contains protein; it accounts for half the body’s dry weight. Animal foods are one-stop sources for high-quality protein, offering all the essential amino acids needed for good health. Yet not all animal proteins are equal in terms of their nutritional value. Instead of red meat, which is high in saturated fat and therefore raises LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, the focus here is on three healthier types of animal protein: eggs, yogurt, and fatty fish. Instead of saturated fat, fatty fish contain mostly polyunsaturated fats, particularly heart-healthy omega-3s. They also pack a wealth of B vitamins and minerals. Yogurt is a rich source of calcium, protein, and beneficial bacteria—and it works wonderfully in all kinds of dishes, including breakfast smoothies, dips, dressings, and desserts. Eggs contain high-quality protein as well. In fact, they are the standard against which all other protein sources are measured. At the same time, they offer valuable vitamins, and you can’t beat their versatility in the kitchen.
Long known as a foe of the cholesterol-conscious, eggs have garnered a bad rap. However, there is much to redeem this powerful protein source; in moderation, eggs—which were first recorded as food in China around 1400 b.c.—supply a wealth of nutrients in one delicate, affordable package.
Protein-rich eggs include all the amino acids—the building blocks of protein—the body needs. Not only does this kind of protein preserve lean muscle, it also creates a feeling of fullness, which is integral to weight management. If it’s protein you’re after, don’t rely on the whites alone. While they supply a little more than half an egg’s protein—as well as niacin, riboflavin, magnesium, and potassium—the yolks steal the nutritional show. Contributing to eye health and brain function, the bright yellow center contains vitamin A, riboflavin, choline (the egg is nature’s best source of this nutrient), folate, and the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which protect against macular degeneration and cataracts. The yolks do contain all of an egg’s cholesterol, but research has shown that only a little makes it into the bloodstream. If you have normal cholesterol levels, an egg a day should not adversely affect your health. For pregnant women, whole eggs can be particularly important for their abundance of B vitamins—nutrients that influence a baby’s brain and nervous-system development. Few foods other than eggs contain vitamin D, which increases the body’s metabolism of calcium and assists with proper immune function.
HOW TO BUY AND STORE
Egg color is determined by the breed of hen but has no bearing on flavor, quality, or nutrition. The egg’s grade—AA, A, or B—indicates its quality in terms of weight and appearance; usually only AA and A are found in stores, with little difference between the two in nutritive value. The weight, age, and breed of a hen determine how the egg is formed and therefore its size: medium, large, or extra-large. Check the carton for the date it was packed: Eggs stored in the coldest part of the refrigerator (not in the door, which is too warm) should last four to five weeks from the packed date. Open the carton to check for cracks before buying.
Medium eggs work well for most uses. The recipes in this book typically call for large eggs. Separate eggs while cold, but bring egg whites to room temperature before beating; this helps them achieve a fuller volume.
To hard cook eggs, place them in a saucepan; add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring water to a simmer; remove from heat. Cover, and let stand 12 minutes. Drain and rinse eggs under cold running water. Unpeeled eggs can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
A BETTER EGG?
Here’s how to decipher the labels on the wide range of specialty eggs now available, so you can make an informed buying decision.
OMEGA-3 EGGS are from chickens whose feed includes flaxseed, fish oil, or other foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. The yolks boast omega-3 levels about three to five times higher than those of regular eggs.
CAGE-FREE EGGS come from hens that live only inside, but roam free in a barn or poultry house.
FREE-RANGE EGGS are produced by hens raised outside or with access to the outdoors (but an open door doesn’t mean a hen necessarily stepped outside).
ORGANIC EGGS are laid by hens raised on certified-organic feed and who have access to the outdoors and exercise areas, according to USDA regulations. All antibiotic use is prohibited.
PASTEURIZED EGGS reduce the risk of contamination by salmonella bacteria, the most frequently reported cause of food-borne illness. (Cooking eggs thoroughly kills salmonella, so it’s a threat only if you eat your eggs raw.)
LOW-CHOLESTEROL EGGS come from chickens fed an all-vegetarian diet that’s also high in canola oil. They contain at least 25 percent less cholesterol than other types of eggs.
recipes
Egg, Kale, and Ricotta on Toast
Frittata Ranchera with Black Beans
Mushroom and Scallion Frittata
Hard-Cooked Egg Whites with Avocado
Salmon Salad and Curried Egg on Multigrain Bread
Derived from a Turkish word meaning “to thicken,” yogurt is a go-to nutritious snack. The very process of yogurt-making increases its health benefits: Milk is first heated, then fermented with bacteria. The result is a creamy, tangy treat alive with friendly microbes that aid digestion.
HEALTH BENEFITS
To boost your calcium intake, reach for yogurt: One cup provides up to 45 percent of an adult’s daily requirement. Along with the calcium comes protein, a host of B vitamins, and minerals such as potassium and phosphorus. Yogurt’s most unique health attribute, though, is its bacteria; some of these bacteria help ferment the milk, but other strains are probiotic. These live and active cultures include Lactobacillus bulgaricus or L. acidophilus and Streptococcus thermophilus (some yogurt makers add other cultures, too), and may help maintain the health of the digestive tract, boost the immune system, prevent yeast infections, and lower cholesterol.
HOW TO BUY AND STORE
Look for yogurt that contains only milk and live and active cultures—no sugar or artificial sweeteners. (Add your own chopped fruit and natural sweetener, if you want.) Skip yogurt labeled “heat treated,” which means it was heated after it was made, a process that destroys live and active cultures. Refrigerate yogurt in an airtight container, and check the sell-by date; it should be safe to eat for a few days after that. Don’t freeze it—the freezing process may destroy some of yogurt’s healthy bacteria.
DID YOU KNOW?
The lactic acid in yogurt makes its calcium easier to digest, and the cultures in yogurt ease the body’s absorption of calcium. So even if a serving of yogurt and a serving of milk contain the same amount of calcium, you get more of it if you choose yogurt.
PREPARATION TIP
If a recipe calls for Greek-style yogurt, and you can’t find it, strain regular yogurt to achieve the same creamy texture: Place it in a fine strainer over a bowl; refrigerate for about one hour. Discard liquid accumulated in the bowl.
Also known as butterfish or black cod (though it’s not related to codfish), this large cold-water fish lives in the north Pacific Ocean. Its flaky white flesh is flavorful and, yes, buttery, with an omega-3 oil content that rivals that of salmon. Sablefish tastes milder than other fatty fish, but, like them, it can be prepared by high-heat cooking methods such as grilling. Limited supplies and high demand in Japan have driven up the price of sablefish, but it’s a healthful and flavorful splurge. (And it’s an environmentally sound choice.)
Like most fish, sablefish is a great source of protein, B vitamins (especially niacin and B12), and minerals (notably selenium). It shines brightest, however, in fat content: A 5-ounce serving provides about 3 grams of heart-healthy omega-3s, namely the powerful pair of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Harvested from relatively pure waters, sablefish also has very low levels of mercury, PCBs, and dioxins compared with many other fish.
HOW TO BUY
Choose Alaskan or Canadian sablefish, if possible, which tend to be more sustainably harvested than sablefish from West Coast fisheries. Look for fillets or steaks with firm, moist flesh and little to no fishy smell. Sablefish freezes well, and smoked sablefish has excellent flavor; you can buy both kinds at specialty fish shops and online.
HOW TO STORE
Eat fresh sablefish the same day you buy it; the high oil content makes this fish especially prone to spoilage. Frozen fish should be thawed in the refrigerator, not only for safety but because thawing too quickly can compromise texture.
PREPARATION TIP
To grill, rub fillet all over with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until fish flakes with a fork and is opaque throughout, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
DID YOU KNOW?
Sablefish swim at depths as great as 9,800 feet and are among the longest-living species of fish; the oldest documented one was 94 years old.
This native American fish—a relative of Pacific salmon and Arctic char—is prized for its delicate flavor. While fishing is the only way to obtain wild rainbow trout in this country, supermarkets carry stock from U.S. farms. Fortunately, rainbow trout farms are generally well managed and sustainable, with a low risk of pollution.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Compared with other fish, rainbow trout is a relatively inexpensive source of inflammation-fighting omega-3 fatty acids, with 1.6 grams in a 5-ounce serving. Like other fatty fish, trout’s omega-3s are mainly the scientifically supported docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Protein-rich trout also harbors plenty of B vitamins; eating one serving gives you 37 percent of the daily requirement of pantothenic acid, 89 percent of niacin, and well over 100 percent of B12. And it provides a healthy dose—89 percent—of the antioxidant selenium.
HOW TO BUY
Relatively small (about a pound per fish), farmed trout are often sold whole; choose a fish with bright red gills and shiny skin. You can also find them butterflied with bones and head removed, or as fillets; look for flesh that’s pale pink to white in color and firm to the touch.
HOW TO STORE
Eat trout the same day you buy it; if you need to store it for a day, place the wrapped fish on a bed of crushed ice on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator.
PREPARATION TIP
Brush fillets with oil, and grill or broil until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes (turn halfway through if grilling).
DID YOU KNOW?
Steelhead trout, another sought-after game fish, are simply rainbow trout that have traveled from freshwater streams to salt water for part of their lives. Their scales lose the characteristic rainbow hue and become silvery gray, a color that improves their chances of survival in the sea.
Highly regarded for its delicious flavor, salmon has a stellar nutritional reputation, yet lacks the high mercury levels that taint some of its seafood kin. From B vitamins to omega-3s, this power food is a healthy catch in more ways than one.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Celebrated for its omega-3 fatty acids, salmon offers both docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), but the amount varies with the type of salmon. Research shows these omega-3s can help lower triglyceride levels and blood pressure and may even alleviate symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Wild salmon’s pink hue, which comes from a diet of nutrient-rich krill, signals an abundance of carotenoids, mainly astaxanthin, which has anti-inflammatory properties. The mineral selenium, another antioxidant found in salmon, protects healthy cells by fighting off free radicals; it also helps thyroid function. Salmon boasts B vitamins (including niacin, B6, B12) and vitamin D, which is found naturally in few foods. Consider canned wild salmon when fresh is not an option; it yields the same benefits.
HOW TO BUY
Rich-tasting wild salmon is the safest bet. It offers more nutrients than farmed; typically, wild Alaskan salmon makes a better environmental choice, too. The farming process pollutes ocean waters, often requires the use of antibiotics, and results in fish (sold as “Atlantic salmon”) with lower levels of vitamin D and omega-3s than wild. Farmed salmon also tend to be high in PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), due to their diet of fish meal. And because farmed salmon don’t eat wild crustaceans, they either have paler flesh than wild salmon or are fed color-altering dietary supplements. (Ask your fishmonger how the fish was raised or caught.)
HOW TO STORE
Keep fresh salmon in the refrigerator wrapped in paper for up to two days. Frozen salmon may be stored in a resealable plastic bag for up to three months.
PREPARATION TIP
Salmon tastes best when prepared simply, showcasing its nuanced flavor. It pairs well with citrus and fresh herbs. To broil, rub with oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook just until the flesh is opaque, but still moist, 6 to 8 minutes.
DID YOU KNOW?
When wild salmon swim upstream from the ocean into rivers and streams to spawn, they help replenish those freshwater habitats with nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus.