By Katy Wilkens, MS, RD
Nutrition and fitness manager, Northwest Kidney Centers

Eggs have gotten a bad reputation in the last 20 years. But based on newer research, the American Heart Association now is happy if you have three or four eggs a week. Eggs are a great, inexpensive source of protein. A dozen eggs provides as much protein as one and a half pounds of steak, for about $1 a pound, or one-tenth the cost of steak.

Spring is the time when chickens biologically start working overtime to make eggs. You can crack and freeze raw eggs, which will keep well frozen for a year. Since the yellow yolk of the egg is often referred to as the “gold,” you can win your own gold medal with the following easy and healthy low-salt egg recipes. Your sodium limit for the day should be about 2,000 milligrams, so all the ideas below fit right into a healthy diet. You can also use egg substitutes in most recipes.

Simple hard-cooked eggs
Warm eggs before cooking by rinsing with hot tap water. Put eggs in a single layer in a pan, cover with cold water. Heat the water to a boil, remove pan from heat immediately, and cover the pot with a lid. Let the eggs sit in the water for 15 to 20 minutes to cook. Drain eggs in a sieve and rinse with cold water to cool quickly. Refrigerate.

Egg salad sandwich filling
3 hard-cooked eggs, cooled
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 stalk celery, diced
1/4 teaspoon dried mustard powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika

Peel and chop hard-cooked eggs. Add other ingredients and stir gently. Use this filling to top a cracker or serve as a sandwich with bread or pita. Add sliced cucumber or a lettuce leaf for added crunch.
Nutritional information:
Calories: 79, Carbohydrates: 3 grams, Protein: 3 grams, Sodium: 106 milligrams

Fluffy French toast
3 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 slices stale bread
In a shallow dish, beat eggs slightly. Add sugar, milk and cinnamon. Soak the bread in the egg mixture, turning to coat both sides. Grease and heat a griddle or fry pan. Brown bread on one side, turn and brown other side. Serve with butter, margarine and syrup, or fresh strawberries. Freeze any leftover French toast for a quick treat later; just reheat in microwave.
Nutritional information:
Calories: 255, Carbohydrates: 43 grams, Protein: 12 grams, Sodium: 168 milligrams

Poached egg for one
1/3 cup water
1/8 teaspoon white vinegar
1 large egg
Pepper

Add the water and white vinegar to a 6-ounce custard cup. Break egg into cup, pierce egg yolk with toothpick, and cover dish loosely with plastic wrap. Place in microwave and cook for 1 minute or until desired consistency is reached. You may need to experiment with cooking times based on the wattage of your microwave and taste preference. Immediately remove egg from hot water with a slotted spoon because it will continue to cook.
Serve with pepper to taste.

Nutritional information:
Calories: 72, Carbohydrates: 0 grams, Protein: 6 grams, Potassium: 70 milligrams, Sodium: 73 milligrams

The information in this column is meant for people who want to keep their kidneys healthy and blood pressure down by following a low-sodium diet. In most cases, except for dialysis patients, a diet high in potassium is thought to help lower high blood pressure. These recipes are not intended for people on dialysis without the supervision of a registered dietitian.

[Katy G. Wilkens is a registered dietitian and department head at Northwest Kidney Centers. The 2014 recipient of National Kidney Foundation Council on Renal Nutrition’s Susan Knapp Excellence in Education Award, she has a Master of Science degree in nutritional sciences from the University of Washington. See more of her recipes at www.nwkidney.org.]