Thank you.
And for the record, I have no ethical problem with the consumption of eggs from chickens such as your own. But personally, I now find the thought of consuming eggs to be a bit icky. Plus, I can't bring myself to adopt any chickens because I would be devastated if foxes got them. It was bad enough this morning when I found one of the neighbours chickens mutilated in my garden (I thought foxes killed to eat).
My mum, despite doing all the right things (aside from still eating eggs), has high cholesterol, so she feels it may be necessary to eliminate eggs from her diet for that reason, which is why I'm trying to seek alternatives to veganise her two favourite quiches.
No worries Tanya.
I know what you mean, I still eat my chickens eggs (and also give a fair whop away) but at times my stomach turns eating them (thinking of everyones descriptions of chicken periods etc lol) but I know that I'm getting my b12 from them amongst other vitamins etc so I eat them!! I always feel good when the neighbours rock up to ask for some eggs and they hand me an empty 'caged eggs' carton to fill... I tell them not to buy commercial eggs again and just come and see me!!
By the way I do not endorse eating eggs from any other source than your own happy backyard flock (and only if a rooster isn't present) even free range organic egg laying hens still end up at the slaughter house after just over a year of their lives.
Here is some info in relation to nutrition value and also the effects of the eggs cholesterol content ... it's been debated that the cholestrol present in eggs is as bad for you as sometimes portrayed. Though if you mum has existing heart/cholestrol problems perhaps she could make an egg white quiche if she has to??
Egg Nutrition (obviously all these vitamins etc are present to nuture a growing chick if the egg was fertilized)
Eggs add protein to one's diet, as well as various other nutrients.
Chicken eggs are the most commonly eaten eggs. They supply all essential amino acids for humans, and provide several vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, riboflavin (vitamin B2), folic acid (vitamin B9), vitamin B6, vitamin B12, choline, iron, calcium, phosphorus and potassium. They are also an inexpensive single-food source of protein.
All of the egg's vitamin A, D and E are in the egg yolk. The egg is one of the few foods that naturally contains vitamin D. A large egg yolk contains approximately 60 Calories (250 kilojoules); the egg white contains about 15 Calories (60 kilojoules). A large yolk contains more than two-thirds of the recommended daily intake of 300 mg of cholesterol (although one study indicates that the human body may not absorb much cholesterol from eggs). The yolk makes up about 33% of the liquid weight of the egg. It contains all of the fat, slightly less than half of the protein, and most of the other nutrients. It also contains all of the choline, and one yolk contains approximately half of the recommended daily intake. Choline is an important nutrient for development of the brain, and is said to be important for pregnant and nursing women to ensure healthy fetal brain development.
(Choline is also present in spinach, tofu, kidney beans, quinoa, grapefruit, brown rice, peanuts & almonds)
Cholesterol and fat
More than half the calories found in eggs come from the fat in the yolk; a large 50-gram chicken egg contains approximately 5 grams of fat. People on a low-cholesterol diet may need to reduce egg consumption; however, only 27% of the fat in egg is saturated fat (palmitic, stearic and myristic acids) that contains LDL cholesterol. The egg white consists primarily of water (87%) and protein (13%) and contains no cholesterol and little, if any, fat.
There is debate over whether egg yolk presents a health risk. Some research suggests dietary cholesterol increases the ratio of total to HDL cholesterol and, therefore, adversely affects the body's cholesterol profile;whereas other studies show that moderate consumption of eggs, up to one a day, does not appear to increase heart disease risk in healthy individuals. Harold McGee argues that the cholesterol in the yolk is not what causes a problem, because fat (particularly saturated) is much more likely to raise cholesterol levels than the actual consumption of cholesterol. A 2007 study of nearly 10,000 adults demonstrated no correlation between moderate (6 per week) egg consumption and cardiovascular disease or strokes except in the sub-population of diabetic patients which presented an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Other research supports the idea that a high egg intake increases cardiovascular risk in diabetic patients.
