Eggs are a naturally nutritious food packed full of protein, vitamins and minerals as well as omega-3 fats and antioxidants involved in protecting our bodies as we age.

However, there is often confusion about how many eggs is it ok to be eating a week and whether the yolks have an impact on your cholesterol levels or not.  So what's the deal?

Egg yolks hold the majority of the nutrients in the egg itself, containing all the fat vitamins A, D and E, zinc and just under half the protein.  They are also one of the few foods which naturally contain vitamin D (the sunshine vitamin) - yay!

Egg yolks do indeed contain cholesterol and historically it was believed that the cholesterol found in food increased your blood cholesterol which is where the old recommendations came from that too many eggs aren't a good thing.

The good news is though, that science has since revealed it is actually the saturated fats in our diet that have an effect on blood cholesterol and consequently our Heart Disease risk, so really, to help reduce cholesterol, rather than avoiding eggs - we need to reduce the amount of butter, fatty meals and coconut oil we are having as well as improving the overall qualities of our diets.

So where do things sit with eggs now?

If you are at risk of Heart Disease, the Heart Foundation advise up to six eggs per week as part of a healthy diet that is high in fruit and vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and oily fish.

If you aren't currently at risk of Heart Disease, you should focus on increasing your vegetable intake, eating more whole and less processed foods and further reducing your saturated fat intake, rather than restricting eggs to reduce your risk.

Easy ways with eggs to boost your protein intake:

• Poached eggs on grainy toast with spinach and tomato.
• Omelette made with chopped veggies and sprinkle of parmesan.
• Boiled egg and a raw carrot for a snack.
• Breakfast pancakes made from a mashed banana and 2 whisked eggs.
• Baked eggs with potato and tomatoes.