■OMELETTE YOU CAN'T LEAVE BEHIND..IT'S WORLD EGG DAY!

OLYMPIAN Derval O'Rourke is marking World Egg Day today by paying tribute to the versatile food as her "go-to meal".

- BY LARISSA NOLAN

The world champion sprinter - and mother of two cheered the mighty egg, as a survey to mark its international day revealed almost all families (96%) buy eggs once a fortnight.

"As a former professional athlete, I know how important it is to fuel my body. And as a mum in my 40s, life is so busy and it's hard to find time to keep up with all the information and nutritional advice," Derval said. "This is why I love eggs."

Bord Bia research shows eggs remain a staple in Irish households, with consumers purchasing 688 million eggs this year.

That's an increase of 4.5% compared to last year. In total, 96% of Irish households buy eggs on average every fortnight.