The gut has been dubbed the "second brain" for good reason. It plays a major role in our overall health and wellbeing, influencing everything from our mood to our immune system.
One of the best ways to maintain a happy, healthy gut is by incorporating gut-healthy foods into our well balanced diet. Eggs and fermented foods are two excellent options that can provide a variety of health benefits and the good news is they go very well together
In this blog post, we'll explore some delicious and creative ways to eat eggs and fermented foods for optimal gut health.
Nutritious eggs are a classic
This simple yet delicious egg is perfect for days when you're short on time but don't want to sacrifice flavor or nutrition. When you cook and eat eggs prepped in advance you can be ready for a healthy meal at any given moment.
We eat lots of eggs here at OMP! There isn't enough room here to list all the health benefits of eggs, but here are our top 3:
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Vitamins & Nutrients: Egg yolks contain nearly every vitamin and nutrient the body needs including vitamin A, vitamin B 12, vitamin E, selenium, zinc and others.
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Valuable Healthy Fats: Egg yolks contain many valuable fats that are vulnerable to oxidation at high heat levels, therefore its recommended that you enjoy your yolks slightly runny or custard like. Cook to a medium-boiled level; avoid hard boiling them.
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Eggs-cellent Source of Protein: A single large egg containing 6 grams. They contain all the essential amino acids in the right ratios, so your body is well-equipped to make full use of the protein in them.
Which eggs should you buy?
For those looking to make healthy choices, conventionally produced eggs can provide a low-cost source of protein.
However, if you’re looking to consume the healthiest eggs available, pasture raised are generally the clear winner. These are chickens that eat their natural diet on an outdoor pasture and have never been given hormones or antibiotics. Because these chickens lead active lives they lay bigger, more colorful yolks with much higher nutrition than their conventionally produced counterpart. Plus, some say the taste of a fresh pasture raised egg cooked to perfection is simply unbeatable!
All in all, for those seeking gut health and tasty eggs it may be worth investing in pasture raised eggs - comfortable in the knowledge that you’re consuming a healthier option!
Fermented foods are good for you
Our article, The 7 Principal Health Benefits of Fermented Foods dives into the science backed health benefits of fermented foods for those who want to understand the benefits fermented foods offer.
Here's a summary of those 7 benefits:
The 7 health benefits of eating fermented foods
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Fermented food contains lactic acid bacteria (Probiotics)
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Fermented food is rich in enzymes. We consider the benefit of enzymes to the the #1 most under-recognized health attribute of raw fermented foods.
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Raw fermented foods increase your energy.
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Fermented foods increase the absorption of nutrients.
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Fermented foods are vitamin rich,
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Fermented foods are mineral rich,
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Fermented foods are fiber rich.
So when you take the nutrition powerhouse of eggs and combine them with oh so good for you fermented foods, you truly have a winning combination for gut health.
Here's 10 healthy ways to cook eggs and fermented foods together:
Medium boiled eggs with your favorite ferment
An argument that medium boiled eggs are healthier for you
If you want to make the most of your egg-eating experience, there's a healthy way to do just that - medium boiled eggs! Don't worry about over boiled hard boiled eggs and having a rubbery texture; medium boiling eggs gets it just right for you.
With this cooking method, the egg whites becomes fully opaque so you can cut it easily with a spoon, while the yolk maintains a jam-like consistency that makes every bite delicious and nutritious.
Eating medium boiled eggs is better for your health because they have a lower risk of containing bacteria, and their choline content helps support your memory and cognitive functions. Make sure to buy high-quality organic eggs and free-range eggs whenever possible - doing so will make all the difference in terms of taste and nutrition.
Serve them as a snack with any ferment you like such as olives, pickles, or kraut.
Add sliced or chopped boiled eggs to your salad for an easy and satisfying protein boost.
We like to take half an avocado, a medium boiled egg and a scoop of any of our OMP ferments to make a filling mini-bowl that's full of fiber, fats and ferments - a winning combo for gut health.
How to make perfect medium boiled eggs:
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Place eggs in water and set to high heat.
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When boil is fast, remove from heat, cover and set timer for 5-6 minutes. See chart above for the perfect boil time.
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You will get a medium-boiled egg which is much more moist and delicious than a hard boiled egg. No green yolks here.
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Rinse with cold water and place in the freezer for ~15 minutes, or give then an ice water bath for 2 mins. Eggs peel easier when cold.
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Roughly chop up the eggs for salad.
Soft-boiled Eggs served over Grains or Greens with LiveBrine Dressing
Soft-boiled eggs with a slightly runny egg yolk are perfect for spreading over your sautéd veggies and bacon, a salad or even a grain bowl as a creamy dressing alternative. You can ramp up this healthy bowl with a LiveBrine pickle juice dressing. Grab recipes here.
Poached Eggs, Sourdough toast, with Kimchi or Kraut
Poaching eggs is a process of boiling a cracked egg in a pot of water to a soft boil.
This cooking method allows the egg white to remain super soft almost cloud like and the yolk to be creamy. Often soft boiled eggs cooked in the shell are hard to eat, crack and peel, so to get that desired soft boiled egg taste, a poached egg is an excellent choice.
Poached eggs are another delicious choice to top off your salad, giving it a slightly indulgent twist. But an even better way to eat poached or boiled eggs is to add them to your avocado toast along side your fermented veggies, kraut, or kimchi.
Probiotic Egg Salad made with Pickles and Pickle Juice
Whip up some egg salad and use it as a spread or dollop on top of your salad to add a creamy texture, or enjoy between some sourdough bread.
We love to add chopped pickles to our egg salad and a splash of the pickle brine. We have a recipe for that too, grab it out here.
For more ways to create and enjoy protein salad sandwiches, check out these OMP tips.
Scrambled Eggs with Sauerkraut
Scrambled eggs are a breakfast staple, and adding sauerkraut can take them to the next level.
Fermented cabbage is full of beneficial probiotics that can improve gut health, while also adding a tangy flavor to eggs. Check out all the health benefits of sauerkraut here.
Simply scramble a few eggs, top with fresh herbs and a spoonful of kraut for a satisfying and healthy breakfast.
Eggs and Kimchi - 2 ways
Eggs and kimchi go hand in hand for anyone who likes a simple combination with a kick. The spicy, sour flavors of kimchi complement the rich taste of eggs perfectly.
Kimchi and Eggs
A fried egg or sunny side up eggs with kimchi is the simplest way to enjoy this combo but certainly not the only one. Any of the cooked eggs styles will work.
Change it up by making tacos with fried eggs and kimchi on a corn tortilla shell.
Kimchi Fried Rice
Try making an egg and kimchi bowl! Simply cook brown rice and top it with sautéed spinach, a boiled egg, and a scoop of kimchi.
This recipe is packed with probiotics, fiber, and protein to support your gut health.
Looking to make Kimchi Fried Rice, we've got you covered with this recipe.
Deviled Eggs with Olives, Kimchi or Pickles eggs:
If you're looking for a more decadent way to enjoy eggs that's great for when you're hosting others or a Sunday brunch, consider making deviled eggs.
Many people top their deviled eggs with olives.
Another quick recipe would be to add Olive My Pickle's Muffuleta Mix, a blend of chopped olives, into the yolk mixture for that salty, briny olive flavor.
Sour and spicy kimchi combines brilliantly with deviled eggs, allowing you to enjoy its powerful flavor and its gut-health benefits.
Chopped fermented pickles also adds some zesty flavor to deviled eggs making them anything but average.
Frittatas or Quiche with Kraut
Make mini frittatas in a muffin tin with your favorite vegetables and spices to add a unique, personal touch. Mini frittatas are fun for kids because they're small and handheld.
Pairing a meal prepped frittata or piece of quiche with a pickle, a few olives or a side of kraut is the way to go.
Salad with eggs, kraut and brine
Salads are a great way to get your daily dose of vegetables and fiber, but sometimes adding the same ingredients over and over again can be boring. Enter eggs!
Eggs add extra protein, healthy nutrients, flavor, and texture to any salad - making it tastier while still being gut-friendly. You can't go wrong with picking a ferment to include in your salad because so many work.
Red + Ginger Kraut brightens up your average salad. A 50/50 ration of extra virgin olive oil and the brine from your kraut makes a probiotic easy dressing.
The Bottom Line:
Eating eggs and fermented foods together can have a significant impact on gut health.
If you want to support a healthy gut, try incorporating these foods into your diet in a variety of ways.
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