Although eggs stir up a lot of controversy through the cholesterol content of the yolks, they are undoubtedly one of the healthiest and most nutritious foods on earth. Of great importance in whether a dish with eggs will be healthy, however, is the form in which they are eaten. Here is some important information that will allow you to choose the healthiest and most suitable form of egg consumption for your needs.
What hides under the eggshell?
Eggs consist mainly of water, protein and fat. There are few carbohydrates in them. Egg white is considered a reference protein in terms of amino acid content. In addition to macronutrients, eggs also contain: fat-soluble vitamins (E, A and D), minerals (phosphorus, zinc, iron, selenium), and B vitamins (mainly folic acid and vitamin B12).
Egg yolk is particularly dense in terms of valuable nutrients. It is also a source of:
- choline, which plays an important role in cancer prevention, as well as in the development of the nervous system and brain;
- lutein and zeaxanthin responsible for the colour of egg yolk, which are excellent for eyesight;
- lecithin essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system and the building of every cell in the body.
In addition to the valuable ingredients mentioned, there is also a lot of dietary cholesterol in the yolk. This is not a huge disadvantage, though, as it affects blood cholesterol directly to a small extent. Nonetheless, part of the Polish population are so-called hyper-responders to dietary cholesterol – in their case, eggs can boost it a lot.
So eggs are healthy, but in excess they can be harmful. However, a very important aspect in assessing their healthfulness is the form of preparation for consumption – something that is often overlooked in the discussion of eggs in the diet, but is of great importance in the practice and daily approach to eating them.
What to pay attention to when evaluating the healthfulness of an egg dish?
To be the healthiest, eggs should provide as many well-absorbed nutritional molecules valuable to the body as possible, and as few as possible that are harmful or present in the diet in excess. So the matter of deciding which form of egg consumption is healthiest seems simple. However, there are a few details here that add to the complexity of the topic.
Here are the most important aspects to consider when choosing egg dishes.
Eggs better not be subjected to aggressive heat treatment
Not all cholesterol is the same, and aggressive heat treatment causes oxidation of cholesterol from eggs. Its mere presence in egg yolks does not mean that it is an “unhealthy” product. However, if possible, it is important that eggs do not provide oxidized cholesterol and oxidized fatty acids. Elements of the yolk oxidize under high temperatures and aggressive processing. This creates unwanted oxysterols, which are linked to an increased risk of cardiac disease.
Unprocessed cholesterol from a soft-boiled egg is therefore potentially less harmful than cholesterol from a fried egg. So frying eggs on bacon is definitely not recommended in terms of health, but a fried egg in a token amount of olive oil, with a liquid yolk, is a healthy choice.
Long boiling, frying or baking of eggs also affects the nutritional content. Boiling eggs reduces vitamin A content by about 20 percent. Eggs boiled for about 40 minutes lose about 60 percent of vitamin D, compared to a loss of 18 percent of the vitamin when boiled for a shorter time.
Liquid yolk is healthier than overcooked yolk
Liquid yolk in an egg is almost always a plus. The yolk contains the most vitamins, antioxidants and other valuable nutrients. Many of them are not very stable and are not resistant to high temperatures. They can be partially destroyed when exposed to high temperatures, such as when frying or overcooking an egg. A healthier form of egg consumption is therefore one in which the yolks remain liquid.
It is better not to consume raw egg whites
Eggs should be eaten in a form in which the white is set, that is it has changed the colour from transparent to white. Temperature helps get rid of avidin from eggs. It is a substance that limits the absorption of vitamin B7 (also known as vitamin H). Eating raw egg whites once is not dangerous (excluding potential microbial contamination), but whole eggs should not be eaten raw on a regular basis. In extreme cases, this can lead to biotin deficiency in the body. For this reason, the raw egg shakes once popular among bodybuilders are not recommended.
Combine eggs with healthy additions
All forms of egg consumption that naturally involve healthy additions are strongly recommended and get extra points in the ranking for the healthiest egg dish. Fresh vegetables or fruits deserve special mention here. They contain antioxidants that have excellent effects on blood lipid levels and protective properties for the heart. They are also simply healthy. They will go great with a light egg omelette, egg muffins, frittata, vegetable scramble or shakshouka.
Eggs better not be combined with extra fat
A single egg provides about 5.4 grams of fat, including about 1.7 grams of saturated fatty acids. Therefore scrambled eggs from three eggs already have about 16 g of fat – quite a lot. The healthiest forms of egg preparation are therefore all those in which it is no longer necessary to use additional sources of fat. These are, for example, boiled eggs, poached eggs, eggs baked in muffin form, eggs stewed over vegetables, or scrambled eggs and omelettes prepared in non-stick pans.
If you still want to use fat in a dish with eggs, go for those with a predominance of unsaturated acids – they are healthier and balance the proportion of saturated acids from eggs. So scrambled eggs are healthiest to prepare in steam and serve with vegetables, instead of frying them on bacon or butter.
Top 5 healthiest ways to eat eggs – a dietitian’s own ranking
Taking these aspects into account, I have distinguished the 5 healthiest forms of egg consumption that will provide the most nutritional elements and valuable molecules, and the least undesirable components. Here are very healthy forms of egg consumption – get to know them and use them as often as possible:
- Stewed eggs with vegetables, such as on tomatoes with spices, in the form of the popular shakshouka.
- Soft-boiled eggs with liquid yolk. Eaten on a sandwich, for example, preferably accompanied by fresh vegetables.
- Poached eggs – ideally as a side dish to a salad or spring dinner.
- Steamed scrambled eggs with vegetables – light, moist, not overcooked. It is best to separate the whites from the yolks and set the whites separately first, and add the yolks to the scrambled eggs after turning off the burner.
- A light egg omelette baked or fried without the use of fat, with the addition of vegetables or fruit.
The healthiest eggs? It depends...
Classifying dishes and products into “healthy” and “unhealthy” often misses the point, because it all depends on the context. For an active person looking for a pre-workout meal, an egg omelette with jam and fruit may be the best-suited egg dish. The same meal in a diabetic or a person with insulin resistance will not work at all.
Children are mainly recommended to eat hard-boiled eggs, and for most adults, soft-boiled eggs will be slightly healthier. However, eggs with a liquid yolk are strictly forbidden, for example to people with gallbladder disorders.
For most Poles, it is better not to recommend eating eggs with additional sources of fat, but for people on a weight-gain or ketogenic diet, you may serve eggs with avocado or salmon.
The approach to choosing the healthiest form of eating eggs can be flexible.
What is the best way to eat eggs when on a weight-loss diet?
Eggs are an excellent part of a weight-loss diet, because they contain a lot of protein, and on top of that, they are filling (it’s one of the foods with a higher satiety index). On a weight-loss and low-calorie diet, their simple form will work best, which is easily enriched with vegetables to create a low-calorie but nutritious and filling meal, such as:
- soft boiled or hard boiled (without overcooking);
- poached, preferably accompanied by a salad;
- in the form of a light vegetable omelette fried in a pan without fat;
- in the form of light scrambled eggs steamed or in a tablespoon of olive oil, without calorific additions, but with, for example, tomatoes, chives or mushrooms;
- in the form of light egg pastes with yoghurt and vegetables.
What is the best way to eat eggs for the best use of their protein?
Eggs are an excellent source of protein, making them valued in the diets of physically active people. Want to get the most benefit from egg whites? Just take care of its thermal processing. Proteins from eggs then become more digestible and can be used more skilfully.
The human body can efficiently utilise about 91 percent of the protein from boiled eggs, and only about 51 percent from raw eggs.
The most important thing is that in the egg the white is set. It doesn’t make much difference in terms of the body’s use of amino acids whether you boil, fry or bake the egg.
How to take a healthy approach to eating eggs on Easter?
On Easter, above all, the portion and form of the eggs consumed will need to be controlled. Healthy, physically active people without heart disease or diabetes, on a daily basis and on holidays, do not need to be particularly concerned about the amount of eggs consumed. When asked to set specific limits, experts identify 7 eggs per week as a reasonable amount for healthy people. People with diabetes and lipid disorders should limit the amount to 3-5 eggs per week.
However, Easter is undeniably a celebration of eggs, and by daily exercising moderation in line with the state of one’s health, everyone can afford to eat several egg dishes on one day. Easter boiled eggs are one of the healthier dishes appearing on the holiday table. More important than adhering to a strict limit on the amount of eggs consumed will be eating them in a healthy form.
The healthiest Easter dishes with eggs include, for example:
- stuffed eggs: with mushrooms, cress, avocado or vegetables;
- vegetable salad with a small amount of mayonnaise;
- boiled eggs in a light horseradish or dill sauce;
- egg muffins.
It’s a good idea to set tighter limits when reaching for: eggs in mayonnaise sauce, fried stuffed eggs or vegetable salad with lots of mayonnaise. These are not forbidden foods in a healthy diet, but if you choose them, it will be more difficult to maintain an intuitive balance in the calories and macronutrients of the Easter meal. To increase your chances, reach for the recipe for fit vegan mayonnaise, which you can find HERE.
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References:
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2. Miranda JM, Anton X, Redondo-Valbuena C, Roca-Saavedra P, Rodriguez JA, Lamas A, Franco CM, Cepeda A. Egg and egg-derived foods: effects on human health and use as functional foods. Nutrients. 2015 Jan 20;7(1):706-29. doi: 10.3390/nu7010706. PMID: 25608941; PMCID: PMC4303863.
3. Valenzuela A, Sanhueza J, Nieto S. Cholesterol oxidation: health hazard and the role of antioxidants in prevention. Biol Res. 2003;36(3-4):291-302. doi: 10.4067/s0716-97602003000300002. PMID: 14631863.