How healthy are boiled eggs?

USA Today

2 days ago

How healthy are boiled eggs?
Show Caption
Hide Caption
How to cook your eggs every way
Whether it's scrambled, over easy or poached, here's how to cook your perfect egg.
If you're after a nutrient-dense breakfast, boiled eggs are a quick and easy way to pack in a few essential nutrients –from antioxidants to B vitamins to choline.
Because you're not adding extra oils or fats into the cooking process, boiled eggs are considered to be one of the healthiest kinds of eggs to eat, says Jeremy O'Neal, a board-certified specialist in obesity and weight management, and licensed dietitian nutritionist specialist in the UI Health Bariatric Surgery Program.
All around, boiled eggs are a low calorie, protein-rich food. What else is there to know about this breakfast staple? We asked the experts to break down all the nutrients found in boiled eggs, how much protein they actually contain and why (for most people) they're a great food to incorporate into an everyday, balanced diet.
How many calories in an egg?
One large boiled egg contains 72 calories, nearly 5 grams of fat and around 1.5 grams of saturated fat, says O'Neal. Eggs, and egg yolks in particular, pack a punch with vitamins and minerals. They're a good source of vitamin A, B vitamins, riboflavin, folate, iron and zinc, he says.
Eggs are also one of the best sources of choline, a mineral that's especially important during pregnancy because it supports the production of acetylcholine, which helps with muscular contractions, he says. Choline has also shown to be important in promoting cognitive function in older adults, says Dr. Amar Dave, a lifestyle medicine specialist with MedStar Health.
How much protein is in an egg?
There's around 6 to 7 grams of protein in one large boiled egg, says O'Neal. Boiled eggs are protein-rich, though you can't rely on them alone to meet all your daily protein needs (which is essential for muscle growth and recovery).
Your protein intake depends on two factors: your body weight, and how much you exercise. For adults, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of protein is at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, according to Harvard Health.
So, if someone weighs 180 pounds, it's recommended they eat around 65 grams of protein a day, says O'Neal. If you're someone who's very active, you're going to need to consume a bit more protein than the average person, somewhere between 1.2 grams to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. If you're pregnant, it's also recommended your protein intake be higher than average, around 1.1 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, he says.
What are seed oils? What you need to know about the food group deemed the 'hateful eight'
How often can I eat boiled eggs?
In the context of a balanced diet, for most people, it's perfectly fine to eat two to three boiled eggs per day if you wanted to, says O'Neal.
The Dietary Guidelines for America 2020-2025 recommends eating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy (or soy as an alternative), healthy oils and protein-rich foods. It's especially important to diversify your protein sources, says Dave. To help meet your protein goals, consider incorporating a mix of lean meats, poultry and eggs. As for plant-based protein sources, he recommends eating foods like steel cut oats, legumes, seeds, lentils and tofu.
Noted: Building muscle requires a higher protein intake. But eating too much protein isn't safe.
Can I eat boiled eggs if I have high cholesterol?
If you have high cholesterol, you may have heard you should either limit your intake of eggs, or avoid eating them entirely. The concern surrounding eggs and cholesterol is mainly to do with eating the egg yolk, where the majority of the dietary cholesterol is concentrated, says O'Neal. One large egg contains approximately 200 milligrams of dietary cholesterol, according to the USDA's Food Data Central.
'Eggs are definitely a larger source of dietary cholesterol, but the association between regular dietary cholesterol consumption, and then high (blood) cholesterol and coronary artery disease, has not been well proven,' says Dave. The relationship between dietary and blood cholesterol has been up for debate for decades, and according to a 2022 review published in Nutrients, recent research still hasn't been able to establish a direct link.
So, if you're someone who's at risk for high cholesterol, it's probably more important to turn your attention to the amount of saturated fat that a boiled egg contains. That's because diets high in saturated fat are strongly correlated with high blood cholesterol, which increases your risk for heart disease and stroke, says Dave. However, even if you have high cholesterol, it still doesn't mean you need to avoid boiled eggs full stop. If you're following a balanced dietary pattern that limits your intake of saturated fat in other areas, like swapping red meats for lean meat, avoiding ultra-processed foods and instead eating lots of vegetables, boiled eggs could (in moderation) could be a nutritious, protein-rich addition to your diet, O'Neal says.
And as always, if you have any dietary concerns, talk to your healthcare provider to discuss an eating pattern that supports your individual health needs.