Start your day with eggs to enhance immunity

Researchers are saying the nutrients found in eggs can enhance immunity and promote good health during cold and flu season.

Here’s why:

Selenium: Selenium works with vitamin E to function as an antioxidant. Eggs are a rich source of selenium: two eggs provide more than half (56 percent) of the recommended daily intake. Other foods with selenium include meat, seafood, whole grains and walnuts.

Vitamin A: Vitamin A is necessary for maintaining the body’s immune functions and decreasing susceptibility to infections. Vitamin A is found in foods including spinach, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe and mango. It is also found in egg yolks: one egg has 244 International Units (IU) of vitamin A, or 5 percent of the recommended daily intake.

High-quality protein: Protein is not normally associated with immunity, but it plays a key role in building the antibodies needed to fight infection, as well as building and repairing body tissues. Eggs provide some of the highest quality proteins of any food. One egg has six grams of protein, or 13 percent of the recommended daily intake.

Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 works with folate to build red blood cells, helping the body stay healthy. Foods that have vitamin B12 include milk, cheese, fish and eggs. Eggs provide 11 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin B12.

Zinc: Decades of research have shown that zinc plays an important role in reducing both the duration and severity of common cold symptoms. Eggs have 0.6 mg of zinc, which is 4 percent of the daily recommended intake. Zinc is also found in oysters, turkey, plain yogurt and sirloin steak.

For more information and recipes, visit www.incredibleegg.org and www.enc-online.org.

Source: American Egg Board

Here’s a recipe to serve at dinner or breakfast.

Hash brown quiche
6 eggs, divided
3/4 teaspoon celery salt, divided
2 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 cups frozen vegetable blend
1/2 cup diced cooked turkey or chicken
1 cup nonfat or low-fat (1%) milk
2 tablespoons sliced almonds

Evenly coat deep 9-inch pie plate with spray. Set aside. In medium bowl, beat together 1 of the eggs and 1/4 teaspoon of the celery salt. Stir in potatoes until well combined.

To form crust, press potato mixture onto bottom and up sides of pie plate. Bake in preheated 375° F oven 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with vegetables and turkey. In medium bowl, beat together milk, remaining 5 eggs and remaining 1/2 teaspoon celery salt until well blended. Pour over vegetables and turkey. Sprinkle with almonds.

Bake in preheated 375 degree oven until puffed in center and knife inserted near center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving: 182 calories, 7 g. fat, 222 mg. cholesterol, 195 mg. sodium, 439 mg. potassium, 16 g. carbohydrate, 14 g. protein and 10% or more of the RDI for vitamins A, B12 and C, riboflavin, calcium, iron, phosphorus.