How Many Eggs Should I Eat?

Eggs are one of the most nutritious and versatile foods available to us. They are a complete protein, and with food prices rising across the country, still one of the more affordable sources of protein when compared to meat such as chicken, beef or pork.

At under 80 calories each, eggs are also a wonderful source of vitamins and nutrients, including lutein and choline, mostly concentrated in the yolk, although both the yolk and white contain lots of protein. But egg yolks also contain high levels of cholesterol which can lead to heart disease and heart attacks.

It seems that every few years, the guidelines change regarding how much cholesterol is too much and how much dietary cholesterol actually contributes to cholesterol levels in the body. So you may be wondering how many eggs should you be eating a day? A week?

According to the American Heart Association, eating one egg (or two egg whites) a day is an important part of a healthy diet. As long as the eggs aren’t fried in bacon grease or baked into a cake, it’s generally agreed that eating eggs every day is not going to be detrimental to your health.

And another thing to keep in mind: the type of eggs you’re choosing matters. There was a study done by Mother Earth magazine that showed that eggs laid by hens allowed to roam freely on pasture or free range environments had less cholesterol and saturated fat than eggs laid by hens in a conventional poultry barn. The pasture-raised hens’ eggs also contained  more Vitamins A and E, Omega-3’s and beta carotene.

Since eggs are so versatile, think about eating them at other times of the day instead of just for breakfast. Bake a tantalizing frittata or quiche for a light dinner, or stuff an omelet with vegetables for a quick lunch. Scrambled eggs wrapped in a flour tortilla with some shredded cheese makes a fun meal or whip up some egg salad for hard-boiled eggs for snacks during the day.

Of course you should check with your doctor about your specific concerns, but in general, adding more eggs to your diet is going to be beneficial to your overall health.

Lisa Steele is a 5th generation chicken keeper and the author of The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook as well as several books devoted to raising backyard poultry flocks which have sold more than 165,000 copies. She lives on a small farm in Maine with her husband, their corgi, tuxedo cat and flock of chickens, ducks and geese. Lisa is currently hosting the award-winning show Welcome to my Farm on CreateTV. For more information visit https://www.lisasteele.com or connect with Lisa on Instagram.