Today is National Egg Day!

By Jill Dando News

NATIONAL EGG DAY

National Egg Day falls on June 3 on the National Day Calendar and it's a perfect time to get a crack on celebrating this food holiday.

#NationalEggDay

Eggs are a nutrient-rich food that has gone back and forth with science and nutritionists over the decades with people asking how many eggs are too many for a healthy diet.

Whatever the decision is this year, we know one egg provides an excellent source of protein and vitamin D. At 75 calories and 5 grams of fat, it's an easy choice to satisfy hunger, too.

Egg-celent Facts

‘YOLK’ MEANS ‘YELLOW’

‘Yolk’ is the old English term for ‘yellow’ so instead of ‘egg whites and egg yolk,’ it ought to be ‘egg whites and egg yellows.’

THE LARGEST EGG EVER DISCOVERED

Many believe that the largest egg discovered was laid in 1896 by a Lancashire hen. Its egg was 9 inches in diameter and weighed an astonishing 340! However, Harriett beat this record in 2012 with its 9.1 inch diameter egg. At least it was another Brit!

EGG SHELL COLOUR IS DOWN TO GENETICS

There’s a common misconception that white hens lay white eggs and brown hens lay brown eggs. In reality, differences in egg colour are down to genetics and breeds. For instance, the colour of the hen’s earlobes is indicative of its egg colour. Hens with white earlobes (White Leghorns) usually lay correspondingly white eggs and those with brown ear lobes (Rhode Island Reds and Barred Plymouth Rock Hens) usually lay brown eggs.

Fun fact: blue and green eggs derive from a mutation 500 years ago in South American chickens which led to an accumulation of a pigment called biliverdin, making egg shells blue and green in colour! 

THE UK LOVES EGGS!

On average, a whopping 11 billion eggs are laid in the UK each year which makes the UK 86% self-sufficient in this area!

They're Nutrient Dense

That means eggs have more nutrients – vitamins, minerals, amino acids – per calorie than most other foods. Have an egg and you'll get:

• High-quality protein
• Selenium
• Phosphorus
• Choline
• Vitamin B12
• Multiple antioxidants, which help keep your cells healthy

 Eggs are easily seasoned and pair well with vegetables to increase the nutritional value of a meal. Eggs are an essential ingredient to baked goods and are a part of our everyday diets. There's so much to celebrate in these small packages.

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