Eating Egg Yolks Every Day Is Good Or Not?

To get an expert opinion, I consulted  resident registered dietician, Kelly Plowe, M.S., R.D. Here’s what Kelly told me:

In an earlier post, I revealed that one of my weight maintenance tricks is to eat a whole egg as one of my morning snacks pretty much every single day (generally hard boiled or deviled). They keep me feeling full, and the protein keeps my cravings down.



But I couldn’t help but notice that there are egg-white omelets on the menu at practically every breakfast spot in Los Angeles, and there is a large segment of Angelenos who are notoriously health-conscious. Why does it seem that everybody is avoiding eating the yolks? I started wondering:  ”Am I doing something wrong by eating the yolks? Is it healthy for me to be eating egg yolks every day? Could this be a dangerous habit?”

“If I were to create a top 10-superfood list, eggs would hands-down make this list every single time. There is irony in this because for so long the egg was one of the most misunderstood foods (believed at one point to contribute to heart disease), which research has now cleared up.
“Eggs, specifically egg whites, have become a mainstay in many diets thanks to their lean, satiating protein. Many are still surprised to learn however, that the yolk itself has about 3g of protein, almost half of the protein found in an entire egg. The yolk is also where all of the cholesterol (about 185mg) is found. The American Heart Association recommends keeping cholesterols intake to less than 300mg a day, which makes including an egg everyday, as part of an overall healthy diet doable. I'm an advocate of including the yolk because this is where the majority of the nutrition in the egg is found. Aside from protein, the yolk is packed with vitamin D, phosphorus, riboflavin, choline, and selenium in addition to a number of other vitamins and minerals.”

Kelly’s expert info definitely made me feel confident that eating an egg a day (yolk and all) was A-OK. But what if I wanted to eat more than one egg in a meal?
“To enjoy more eggs in your day,” Kelly says, “I'm a fan of the 3:1 ratio - three egg whites to one entire egg.”
Here's one of Kelly’s go-to breakfasts, which will keep you full until lunchtime.

Kelly’s Veggie Protein Scramble

(For full nutritional information, here is a link to the recipe we created in MyPlate)
Serves: 1

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
* 1/2 cup spinach
* 2 tablespoons onion, chopped
* 1 egg
* 3 egg whites
* Cooking spray
* Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Spray a small nonstick pan with a coat of cooking spray and place over medium heat.
2. Cook mushrooms, spinach and onions until soft and the spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes.
3. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Transfer to a small bowl and wipe pan clean.
4. Whisk egg and egg whites in a medium bowl until well combined. Coat pan with cooking spray and pour eggs into pan and cook.
5. Once edges of egg start to form, transfer veggies from bowl to the pan and begin to fold into the egg. Continue to fold until eggs are cooked throughout.