Evening Edge

"Eggbeaters with yolk for more flavor," touts the new product from ConAgra Foods.

I thought it was an oxymoron because the whole point of Eggbeaters is to give consumers a cholesterol-free egg substitute.

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When I worked as a cardiac rehabilitation dietitian in the late 1970s, Eggbeaters was one of the first engineered food products for cholesterol lowering and it was a big deal. That was a long time ago when dietary cholesterol was thought to be the major cause of heart disease.

We know a lot more about the effect of diet and disease and no longer blame dietary cholesterol as the sole cause of heart disease.

But, back to Eggbeaters with yolk ... I bought a 15-ounce carton ($3.18 per carton or 45 cents per one-quarter cup serving) and thought they tasted no better than the "regular" product — rubbery and bland.

How do they stack up to the real deal?

At the same store I bought a dozen and a half eggs for $2.75 or 15 cents per egg. There is no comparison in taste between a fresh egg and a liquid egg substitute — eggs rule on that score. But what about the cholesterol?

Research shows that healthy people can eat eggs (yolk and all) without raising their risk for heart disease, but for those with heart disease and diabetes it is still wise to limit the consumption of eggs.

However, eating two or three egg yolks per week is still within the guidelines of a heart healthy diet. Eggs are a great source of high quality protein, vitamins A and D, and a good source of lutein and zeaxanthin — two colorful pigments found in the yolk that are involved in eye health.

Don't forget the egg white is cholesterol-free, so scrambling a whole egg with egg whites is a good way to get the flavor and nutrition of eggs without large amounts of cholesterol.

Chris Rosenbloom, Ph.D., R.D., is a professor of nutrition in the College of Health and Human Sciences at Georgia State University. She'll answer nutrition questions of general interest. Send your questions to her c/o The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sixth Floor, 72 Marietta St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303. Or e-mail her at dietitian@ajc.com.