1 . PROTEIN If you start your weekday with cereal or toast instead of eggs , here ’ s a wake-up call : Did you know eggs have 6 grams of high-quality protein ? And did you know a protein-packed breakfast helps sustain mental and physical energy throughout the day ? That ’ s good news , especially if you ’ re a body-building chess champion .

2 . GOT CHOLINE ? Eggs are rich in choline , which is a weird word but it ’ s a “ good weird ” because choline promotes normal cell activity , liver function and the transportation of nutrients throughout the body . Think of it as a commuter train for vitamins and minerals .

3 . ZERO CARBS NO SUGAR Eggs contain zero carbs and no sugar . That means you can eat a well-rounded breakfast during the

week without feeling round yourself .

4 . AMINO ACIDS Eggs have all 9 essential amino acids . Seems like a lot but remember – they ARE essential .

5 . MORE FOOD FOR THOUGHT Unlike most cereals and yogurt , eggs don ’ t come with a complicated , jam-packed ingredient list because they only contain one ingredient . It ’ s called “ eggs .” And at 17 ¢ a serving , eggs are the least expensive source of high-quality protein . That ’ s right , 17 ¢.

6 . NO GLUTEN ? NO PROBLEM . Let ’ s not forget that eggs are naturally gluten-free . Always have been , always will be . And that ’ s awesome because there isn ’ t exactly a glut of gluten-free breakfast options .

INCREDIBLE , ISN ’ T IT ? Most cereals and yogurts can ’ t say all this , mainly because they don ’ t have mouths , but also because they don ’ t have the nutrient content eggs do . So next time someone asks how you like your eggs , say you like ‘ em a whole heck of a lot . Wake Up To Eggs !

Source : American Egg Board

The yolk is the yellow part of the egg . It is the major source of vitamins , minerals and fat from the egg . It also contains about half of the protein . Some egg yolks are more yellow than others because ... you are what you eat .

Hens that eat feed containing yellow corn and alfalfa meal lay eggs with medium yellow yolks , while those hens eating wheat or barley lay eggs with lighter colored yolks .• A diet made up of colorless foods , like white cornmeal , produces almost colorless yolks .

. . . And all for just 70 calories

The Colorado Reader publication and Ag in the Classroom are projects of the Colorado Foundation for Agriculture . Educational projects are produced in cooperation with the Colorado Department of Agriculture , other state and federal agencies , Colorado commodity groups , Colorado agricultural associations , state universities and colleges and interested individuals . Colorado Readers are provided free to educators requesting them . For more information contact : Bette Blinde , Colorado Foundation for Agriculture , P . O . Box 10 , Livermore , CO 80536 or phone 970 881.2902 or e-mail bblinde @ growingyourfuture . com . Financial support for this reader has been provided by : Colorado Egg Producers Association . www . growingyourfuture . com 5