Nutrient Dense Vanilla Custard

Homemade egg custard served with fresh berries
Brain Food

Simple Egg
Custard

Recipe by Nicola Scruby, Nutritionist

🥚 Makes: 3 to 4 serves Prep: 5 minutes 🔥 Cook: 9 to 12 minutes 🧠 Key nutrient: Choline

Let's talk about eggs and the fact that they are one of the most underrated nutritional powerhouses, especially when it comes to choline, a nutrient that plays a critical role in brain development, memory, and nervous system function. In my opinion, you either have a kid that loves eggs or hates them... or loves them one week and hates them the next. This is why I love mixing up my recipes. Custard is a great way to get some choline into their diets, and it doubles as a dessert that's full of protein and healthy fats to support a restful sleep.

Why choline matters

Despite how important choline is, most people aren't getting enough. In fact between 61% and 99% of pregnant women in Australia do not consume enough choline to meet the NHMRC recommendation (so if your children don't love this recipe, eat it yourself!).

How many kids are falling short?

  • Toddlers (12 to 24 months): Only 23% meet the recommended Adequate Intake
  • Older children (4 to 8 years): Up to 80% are falling below the recommended AI

How much do we need?

  • Children (1 to 3 years): ~200 mg per day
  • Children (4 to 8 years): ~250 mg per day
  • Adults: ~425 to 550 mg per day

One large egg contains roughly 125 to 150 mg of choline, making eggs one of the richest and most bioavailable sources. Other sources include beef liver (great source), chicken and dairy products (but not in levels as high as eggs).

Egg custard choline content breakdown Homemade egg custard close up

This recipe uses 5 eggs, so the whole batch contains approximately

625 to 750 mg of choline

Per serve (4 serves): ~155 to 185 mg  ·  Per serve (3 serves): ~210 to 250 mg

Ingredients

  • 5 eggs
  • 2 tbsp tapioca flour
  • 1.5 tbsp Vanilla Vanguard Immune Protein (optional)
  • 500 g milk of choice
  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup (or sweetener of choice)
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract

🥛 I used full-fat organic milk but you could also use coconut milk

Method

Thermomix
  1. 01 Add all ingredients to the Thermomix bowl.
  2. 02 Mix for 10 seconds on speed 4 to combine.
  3. 03 Cook for 9 minutes at 95°C on speed 3.
  4. 04 Check consistency. If you'd like it thicker, cook for an extra 1 to 2 minutes.
  5. 05 Serve warm or allow to cool and refrigerate.

Stovetop
  1. 01 Add all ingredients to a saucepan and whisk until smooth.
  2. 02 Place over low to medium-low heat.
  3. 03 Cook gently, stirring continuously, for 8 to 12 minutes or until thickened.
  4. 04 Do not let it boil, as this can scramble the eggs.
  5. 05 Remove from heat and serve warm, or cool and refrigerate.
🍮 Serving tips Try this warm or cold and see which your child prefers. Serve with fresh berries, a drizzle of maple syrup, or a sprinkle of cinnamon. It also works beautifully as an after-dinner dessert that's actually doing something good, full of protein and healthy fats to support a restful night's sleep.