Frittata vs Tortilla - Its all about the EGGS

Question:

Do you know the difference between a FRITTATA and a TORTILLA? 

Answer:

No – I didn’t – well I wasn’t 100% sure until now

The basic and vital difference is in the eggs and how they are finished in the dish.  In both, the eggs start by covering the other ingredients in the frying pan, on the cooker/hob.  To make tortilla, the whole thing is flipped and browned to finish in the same pan (its traditionally then left to cool before being sliced and served), whereas the frittata is finished by placing the pan with all its contents including the eggs into the oven to cook through and the for the top to crisp up.  The frittata can then be served hot (or sometimes cold).

Using the same ingredients you do therefore get a different finish and different taste, however the nutritional benefits of one over the other are negligible.  What you serve the frittata or the tortilla with is what may make the difference, as well as of course the ingredients you thrown in, in the first place.  Either way though, this is a great lunchtime filler upper. It’s very quick and easy to prepare and cook and great for using up any leftovers.

In my frittata: 

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 x small new potatoes (these were already cooked as left from last nights dinner)
• 3 x large eggs (you may want to use more if using more than 4 potatoes or if you have lots of other extra ingredients to cook up)
• A handful of cherry tomatoes (I’d say there were approx. 6-7 of them, sliced in half only)
• ½ an orange pepper (diced into chunks)
• A large handful of fresh baby spinach (basically it was the remainder of the bag – probably 120g)
• ¼ mozzarella ball (that’s about 2-3 medium slices cut into chunks and melted in with the eggs)
• Cheddar cheese (a small handful once grated)
• Pinch – salt, pepper, dried mixed herbs
• 1 x tbsp. oil / butter to frying pan to start

CALORIES AND NUTRIENTS:

Total calories for the frittata using ingredients as above = 600

This of course may change if you use more potatoes, more eggs, or of course more leftovers and other ingredients – REMEMBER – this serves 2 though so you will only be eating half those calories each.  Calories per serving = 300

Carbohydrate = 25g

Protein = 30-35g

Fat = 40g

Fibre = 8g

VITAMINS AND MINERALS:

Beta Carotene, or vitamin A is predominant in this dish as can be found in the cherry toms, pepper, spinach and eggs.  This is great for bone health, teeth, skin and for eye health.  Vitamin C comes a close 2^nd on the list of good stuff in this dish.  Potatoes, spinach and again the pepper all have a high vitamin C content. Other vitamins come from the spinach in the way of D, B6 and B12.  From the eggs – vit D, E, B12 and folate.

The frittata is also packed with minerals, including:

Potatoes = potassium

Cheese = calcium

Spinach = magnesium (and of course iron – remember Popeye)

This is not the exhaustive list – you can also find iodine (great for thyroid function), selenium (an antioxidant), phosphorus (bone health) and zinc (fighting infections) in this combo!

Also as we are going on to talk about eggs in more details – here are the vitamins and minerals found in eggs alone – (as per www.egginfo.co.uk)

Vitamins and minerals explained (by www.egginfo.co.uk)

Nutrient	Function
Vitamin A	Vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal skin and the normal function of the immune system. It also contributes to normal vision.
Vitamin D	Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones and teeth, the absorption and use of calcium and phosphorus in the body, to normal muscle function, and to the maintenance of normal immune system function.
Vitamin B12	Vitamin B12 contributes to the formation of red blood cells and normal energy metabolism. It also contributes to the normal function of the immune and nervous systems.
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)	Riboflavin contributes to normal energy metabolism and to normal red blood cell development, vision, and nervous system function.
Folate	Folate contributes to the division of cells and therefore to tissue growth during pregnancy. It also contributes to normal blood formation and normal functioning of the immune system.
Biotin	Biotin contributes to normal energy metabolism and to the maintenance of normal skin, hair, and nervous system function.
Pantothenic acid	Pantothenic acid contributes to normal energy metabolism, mental performance, and to making vitamin D and some hormones.
Choline	Choline contributes to normal fat metabolism and liver function.
Phosphorus	Phosphorus contributes to the maintenance of normal bones and teeth. It also contributes to the normal function of cell membranes and to normal energy metabolism.
Iodine	Iodine contributes to the production of thyroid hormones, the normal functioning of the thyroid gland, and to normal energy metabolism. It also contributes to the maintenance of normal skin and nervous system function.
Selenium	Selenium contributes to the protection of cells against oxidative damage. It also contributes to normal immune system and thyroid gland function, and to the maintenance of normal hair and nails.

So now you have the nutritional low down I want to talk more about EGGS.  As this dish (frittata, tortilla, quiche, flan or simply the great British omelette) are all common egg based dishes – 1) Are they good for you? 2) How many eggs should we really be eating? 3) What’s the deal with eggs and cholesterol? 4) And the deal with eggs and fat?

In a nutshell (or egg shell?) until now the traditional view has been that eggs (and mostly their yolks) contain cholesterol and saturated fats.  These are 2 things we do not want too much of in our diet or in our bodies.  The reason being, can be found along with a great description of LDL and HDL cholesterol here: http://www.egginfo.co.uk/eggs-and-health/eggs-and-cholesterol/what-is-cholesterol

It’s therefore been recommended for years that within a healthy diet we limit our egg intake to approx. 3-4 eggs per week.  This way we do not take on too much cholesterol or saturated fat to clog our blood transport systems and we therefore do no damage or encourage any risk to our heart.  Eggs were seen really as a “treat” or too many were noted as bad for you.

You may be surprised then to learn that this year – 2015 – that advice has changed.  The traditional advice to limit your egg consumption has been lifted by the department of health in the UK.  This is due to recent studies showing that:

http://www.egginfo.co.uk/health-professionals/cholesterol/cholesterol-in-eggs

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/eggs-nutrition.aspx

https://www.bhf.org.uk/news-from-the-bhf/news-archive/2015/may/eggs-and-cholesterol

• Early research found dietary cholesterol (found in egg yolks) contributed to raised blood cholesterol. 

• Current research has discovered for most healthy people, this is a very slight effect

• Saturated fatty acids are much more harmful and add greatly to LDL cholesterol

• Eggs are actually low in sat fats, so not in this category

• Studies since the 1900s and into the 2000s (inc http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11111098 , http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-3010.2006.00543.x/abstract , http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bsc/nbu/2009/00000034/00000001/art00008) found no independent relationship between dietary cholesterol and egg consumption

• In fact they showed the effects of cholesterol rich food on blood cholesterol were clinically insignificant

• The more recent studies have looked at the effects of cholesterol and saturated fat SEPARATELY, as opposed to earlier studies that drew conclusions using foods both high in cholesterol and sat fats

• As we now know, it’s the saturated fats (and these days trans fats etc too!) that have bad links, bad effects and contribute badly to our risk of heart disease.  BUT – that’s another can of worms altogether to be opened another day

While we are looking at eggs now in a favorable light, let me add that they really are a fantastic protein source as they contain all 9 essential amino acids – these are the basic building blocks for proteins.  Also with all this bad talk of cholesterol lets remember cholesterol is essential for the production of sex hormones, cortisol, vitamin D and actually great for the skin!

NOW – as long as you’re not too bored of the science – to conclude the egg limits have been lifted and as long as you are sticking to a reasonably healthy diet you can eat eggs every day.  The questions now are more concerned with how we store our eggs to ensure they are safe so;

STORAGE 1,2 3:

1)   Check the best before date – this should be printed on all shop bought eggs as a legal requirement

2)   Store at a constant temperature of below 20°C – ie best in the fridge, taking them out approx. 30mins before cooking

3)   Remember egg shells are porous, so store away from meat and strong smelling foods

There is so much more we could go into – amino acids, eggs as protein, how to cook your eggs the healthiest way, more egg recipes….. but we’ve gone far enough for today so with that I think we shall end this eggcelent blog!

**If you are of ill health, a pregnant woman or a child, please be advised egg consumption guidelines may differ**

**Please remember this is nutritional advice ONLY (as is all other information and advice contained in this blog and the websites and social media related to it) – none of the info or advice is intended to override anything your GP or health professional tells you**

For more info please email me here or at info@nitakothari.com

You can also get involved by:

Liking our facebook page

Tweeting us @nononsensenita and following our twitter feed

Following our instagram pics

Showing some pinterest

Visiting the website

And of course Google+ this and find/follow our Google+ profile nononsensenita