Facts from the Farm

By Ron Eichner

Hi Folks! With the start of school around the corner, maybe a focus should be to prepare for the challenges of daily learning. Developing a balanced breakfast combination that includes protein is a great start to that preparation.

Protein, which is often overlooked at breakfast, can benefit setting up the brain for the day for both the young and the old. Why is protein important? It supports our brains, enabling it to perform at the highest levels and is essential in developing lean muscle, bones and increasing body immunity. Too many refined carbohydrates like processed breakfast cereals spike blood sugar levels and leave you hungry about an hour later as well as leading to snacking or craving more food later in the day. According to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines, it is recommended that adult men get 56 grams and an adult woman to get 46 grams of protein per day. Growing kids ages 4-8 should get 19 grams per day and the recommendation for age 9-13 increases to 34 grams per day. Keep in mind good sources of protein are essential at every meal.

Back in the mid-1960s, it was recommended to eat a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet, which resulted in more cereal on the breakfast table. That outcome had a direct effect on breakfast behaviors that reduced egg consumption. Fast forward to today, the advanced nutritional research is suggesting that we need less carbs and more good fats and protein. When it comes to great sources of protein and providing a ton of nutrition, you cannot go wrong with an egg. In fact, whole eggs are one of the most nutritious foods on earth. Keep in mind that eggs aren’t created equal in nutritional values. The whole eggs contain healthy fats, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and several brain nutrients that most people do not get enough of regularly. Due to researched nutritional feed fortification, we can increase the nutritional values of eggs with added minerals, trace elements and vitamins. This is why and how our laying hens produce the high energy eggs we sell at our farm market. It is truly “ear candy” when customers say how much better our eggs taste than store-bought, massproduced eggs.

You are welcome to stop by Eichner’s Whole Farm and Greenhouses and experience Farm Fresh at 285 Richard Road in Wexford and get the “rest of the story.” n