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Should I Eat Whole Eggs or Egg Whites?

Are Whole Eggs or Egg Whites Better For Weight Loss? A Dietitian Has the Answer

Feb 2 2019

Whole eggs, egg whites, whole eggs mixed with egg whites — which is healthiest? And how many should you eat? Can you eat eggs every day? So many questions! We asked registered dietitian Leslie Langevin, MS, author of The Anti-Inflammatory Kitchen Cookbook, to set the record straight once and for all. If you love eating eggs because they're affordable, easy to make, and a great source of protein, here's what you need to know before cracking one open.

Image Source: Getty / Claudia Totir

Whole Eggs vs. Egg Whites

Everyone is concerned about getting enough protein without extra fat, so eating egg whites is a popular choice. But if you eat just the whites, you miss out on valuable nutrients. Leslie says, "I usually recommend eating the whole egg even for folks with high cholesterol. The yolk contains good fats, protein, vitamin A, B12, iron, and choline. It's also a dietary source of vitamin D."

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Eggs and Weight Loss

When it comes to weight loss, eggs are an excellent food choice. Aside from the protein that makes meals more satisfying, the fat contained in eggs also helps with satiety, so you will stay full longer by eating the yolk rather than just the whites, Leslie explained. This means if you eat whole eggs for breakfast, you may not need a snack before lunch.

Note that one whole egg is about 72 calories and offers 6.3 grams of protein. For comparison, one egg white is 17 calories and offers 3.6 grams of protein. If you want a bigger portion of eggs, Leslie recommends having one to two regular eggs, then addding in a couple of egg whites.

Image Source: Getty / Claudia Totir

How Many Can You Eat a Day?

"Eggs are a natural source of dietary cholesterol, but the research is changing on whether this is actually going to increase cholesterol levels," Leslie said. Studies show that eating one egg a day or two eggs a few times a week has not been linked with increased risk of heart disease, as previously thought.

"I usually recommend one to two eggs a few times per week," Leslie said, but she added that eating one egg per day or up to seven in a week is OK, too, even for people with higher cholesterol. Research shows that eating this many eggs has minimal effect on the majority of people's cholesterol levels.

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Healthy Egg-Eating Tips

To make eating eggs easier, Leslie recommends meal prepping hard-boiled eggs at the beginning of the week. "They last up to five days in the fridge without spoiling." You can have them for a snack, slice them into salads or on sandwiches, or add them to rice and veggies.

You can also scramble a dozen, add some veggies, and bake egg cups in a muffin tin to have for the week. Try this recipe for kale and caramelized onion egg muffins. You can also add turkey or veggie sausage.

Image Source: Getty / mikroman6

Healthy Egg Recipes

"Don't feel that eggs are limited to breakfast!" Leslie said. They are perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. "My favourite version is to have fried eggs in olive oil over roasted sweet potato and onions," Leslie said. Here are some other egg recipe ideas:

Image Source: Getty / Photography By Teri A. Virbickis

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