The other day, I received a question from a reader:
Why do egg whites score so low on the NuVal scale? I’m surprised that they score that low. What about Egg Beaters? How do they score?
The score for egg whites also surprised me. Egg whites were low in calories and fat, but high in protein. However, when you take nutrition into account, they only score a 26 on the NuVal scale.
So, I asked Rachel Rodek, Registered Dietitian and NuVal’s Nutrition Communications Manager, why egg whites score so low in comparison to eggs and Egg Beaters. Here’s what she said:
Egg whites, by themselves are not as nutritious as eggs. About half of the protein is removed when the yolk is removed along with many nutrients, including carotinoids (a form of vitamin A), vitamin D, and phosphorous — of course so is a bunch of fat and Cholesterol. However, the high scoring Egg Beaters products are almost always fortified with vitamins. The low scoring (26) products are 100% egg whites with no fortification.
I never thought that kale could taste so delicious until I discovered kale chips.
Kale chips are a nutritious snack that taste almost like potato chips. And, like potato chips, I can’t stop eating them after just one! But, I guess that’s nothing to complain about when kale scores a 99 on the NuVal scale! 
Baked Kale Chips
Recipe from Allrecipes.com
Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
Directions
- Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
- Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.
My husband loves eating frozen waffles for breakfast. I do, too, but waffles don’t satisfy me the same way as a big bowl of oatmeal. But, I understand why my husband loves eating waffles so much– they’re delicious and incredibly convenient, so, of course, they made a good option for busy mornings.
When it comes to nutrition, however, not all frozen waffles are the best option for breakfast. Check out how frozen waffles score on the NuVal scale:
- Aunt Jemima Homestyle Waffles: 4
- Aunt Jemima Blueberry Waffles: 5
- Kellogg French Toast Waffles: 17
- Kellogg Special K Low-fat Waffles: 20
- Kellogg Homestyle Mini Waffle: 23
- Van’s Wheat Free Buckwheat Waffles: 24
- Kellogg Nutri-grain Blueberry Eggo: 25
- Kashi 7 Grain Frozen Waffles: 36
- Kashi Flax All Natural Strawberry Waffles: 40
- Earth’s Best Organic Homestyle Mini Waffles: 43
As you can see, not all frozen waffles are created equally. Aunt Jemima’s Homestyle Waffles score a mere 4 on the NuVal scale, which isn’t a nutritious way to start your day! However, Kashi Flax All Natural Strawberry Waffles and Earth’s Best Organic Homestyle Mini Waffles score in the 40′s, which is at the top of the frozen waffle category.
I think it’s time to help my husband trade-up his choice in frozen waffles!
Developed by an independent panel of nutrition and medical experts, the 