When prepared the right way, eggs can be a fantastic addition to your diet—especially if you’re trying to lose weight. In fact, many experts agree that eggs are some of the best, protein-packed foods around when it comes to weight loss. However, just as with any food, eggs can be made unhealthy when you add the wrong ingredients to the mix. Unfortunately, some of the most common egg ingredients can also be the most detrimental to your health goals.
To discover a few of the worst options out there, we spoke to dietitian Trista Best and general practitioner Dr. Yelena Deshko. They told us that saturated fats, such as butter and vegetable oil, are among the biggest offenders of unwanted weight gain. Read on to learn more about why you may want to skip the butter next time you’re scrambling some eggs.
How adding butter and vegetable oil to eggs can cause weight gain
Okay, so there's no denying that when you're cooking eggs on the stovetop, you're likely going to need to use some type of oil, lest the eggs stick all over your pan. As Best notes, "An exorbitant amount of butter, oil, or some form of fat is required to fry eggs on the stovetop."
For starters, then, it's worth noting that frying your eggs will never be the best option for your health. Dr. Deshko says that "the healthiest cooking methods do not add extra oils or butters (as eggs are naturally high in saturated fats)." Instead, she recommends boiling, poaching, or baking your eggs, which will "help you reap the nutritional benefits of eggs without increasing the fat and calorie content."
But if you do choose to pull out the frying pan, picking the right type of fat is crucial. Unfortunately, Best points out that "typically the most inexpensive, highest saturated fat, oil is used. This adds much more unhealthy fats to a relatively healthy food through the cooking process alone." If you want to keep your health in check and slim down, it's best to avoid vegetable oils and margarine, which can lead to a range of risks, including weight gain.
Ultimately, a bit of a healthy fat in your eggs (such as olive oil, which is likely the best option) won't cause you to gain ten pounds overnight; it may even do your body some good. Just be sure not to go overboard and to stay away from saturated fats whenever possible. Your body will thank you!
