Whole Eggs or Egg Whites?

Photo by Coffeefy Workafe on Unsplash

Should you eat the whole egg — or just the whites?

Every week, it seems like there’s a new study that offers conflicting advice.

Here’s a nice, refreshing take, based on the body of scientific evidence: There’s nothing wrong with opting for egg whites — or whole eggs (yolk included).

Pros and Cons

In fact, there are legit reasons to eat both. Or one or the other. Or neither.

Here are the pros and cons of each.

Whole eggs…

✅Have a distinct flavor and are tasty on their own

✅Can be hard-boiled for easily portable whole-good snack ✅ Include the yolk, which contains the majority of an egg’s most beneficial nutrition

✅Won’t increase blood cholesterol or the risk of artery disease — for most people. There’s good (HDL) and bad (LDL) cholesterol and the bad one isn’t a result of the cholesterol in eggs or other food but a result of high calorie intake and mostly processed food.

⚠️Should likely be minimized for people with diabetes, heart disease, and/or a family history of high cholesterol due to the fat content

Egg whites…

✅ Are one of the very best sources of high-quality protein

✅ Are ideal for anyone looking to boost protein intake with minimal added calories

✅Can be added to many dishes and seasoned creatively because their taste is neutral

⚠️Should always be cooked because, when raw, they contain avidin (an “antinutrient” that prevents the absorption of biotin, an essential vitamin)

⚠️May be considered bland.

The bottom line:

Because they don’t contain the yolk, egg whites have fewer nutrients than whole eggs.

But unless you have specific health conditions, the choice boils down to personal preference.

There’s also this option: If you love whole eggs and want more protein — but without as many calories — you could simply scramble a couple of whole eggs with some ready-made liquid egg whites. Or if you want to add more nutrients you can scramble some egg whites and add a whole egg.

Think of it as the best of both worlds!