The Boiled-Egg Diet: How It Works, What to Eat, Risks, and More Everyday Health MenuNewslettersSearch Diet & Nutrition The Boiled-Egg Diet Does It Really Work By Jessica MigalaMedically Reviewed by Kelly Kennedy, RDNReviewed: February 3, 2022Medically ReviewedThe boiled-egg diet calls for eating two to three eggs per day at minimum.iStockDo you like eggs? Do you really like eggs? Then the boiled-egg diet might appeal to you — especially if you’re looking to lose weight. The truth is that this fad diet will not lead to long-term changes that improve your health. Still curious? Read on to learn how this plan works, its pros and cons, and how to follow it safely. How to Cook It Hard-Boiled EggsThere's more than one way to hard-boil eggs, and the best way is to not boil them at all. Everyday Health staff nutritionist Kelly Kennedy, RDN, shares her recipe for steaming the perfect hard-boiled egg. What Is the Boiled-Egg Diet The boiled-egg diet focuses on eggs, particularly hard-boiled eggs. You eat a minimum of two to three eggs per day, and you don’t even have to incorporate them into every meal. Why would someone want to eat this way?It has a bit of celebrity backing: Nicole Kidman reportedly ate only hard-boiled eggs prior to starring in Cold Mountain. Charles Saatchi, the ex-husband of chef Nigella Lawson and the founder of the ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi, has also done the boiled-egg diet. Most Recent in Diet & Nutrition Later Meals Increase Hunger Decrease Calories Burned 6 Bugs You Can Eat and Their Health Benefits 5 Cheap and Healthy Recipes to Make With Oats What Happens to Your Cholesterol When You Go on a Keto Diet How Does the Boiled-Egg Diet Work There are several versions of the boiled-egg diet.We’ll dive into the options below, but the typical version is similar to low-carb Atkins, writes Arielle Chandler in The Boiled Egg Diet. A day's meals generally look like this: Breakfast At least two eggs and one piece of fruit (low-carb vegetable or protein optional) Lunch Eggs or lean protein and low-carb vegetables Dinner Eggs or lean protein and low-carb vegetables Is the Boiled-Egg Diet Good for You Overall, this diet contains healthy food, but it’s not a balanced, healthy diet. The boiled-egg diet is extremely restrictive, incredibly low calorie, and faddish. “I don’t think you should be on a diet that requires an obsession with one food,” says Lisa Young, PhD, RDN, the New York City–based author of Finally Full, Finally Slim.The crux of the diet, eggs, is a food that’s healthy for you — just not as your only or main food. The American Heart Association says that one egg (or two egg whites) per day can be part of a healthy diet. “Eggs make a great breakfast. A hard-boiled egg is a nutritious snack, but I think that consuming a variety of foods is a healthier way to eat,” says Dr. Young.The good thing about eggs is that they’re high in protein. One large boiled egg offers 78 calories, 6 grams (g) of protein, 5 g of fat, 0.6 g of carbohydrates, and 0 g fiber. “Eggs are a complete protein and contain nutrients like vitamin D and choline,” says Amy Shapiro, RD, the founder and director of Real Nutrition in New York City. A complete protein is one that contains all the essential amino acids in adequate amounts. Choline is a nutrient that helps produce neurotransmitters that regulate memory and mood, among other functions. While some research has linked high-protein breakfasts that contain eggs with helping dieters shed pounds, “there’s nothing magical about eggs for weight loss,” says Shapiro. Side Effects of Eating Mostly Boiled EggsThis diet is really low calorie and restricts many high-fiber foods like whole grains and beans. Because of that, you may miss the mark on fiber if you’re not careful. Health experts recommend that men ages 50 and younger get at least 38 g of fiber and women get at least 25 g of fiber. Go too low and you may be at risk of constipation. The risk of constipation is especially high if you eat only eggs, as eggs have 0 grams of fiber. Is It Safe to Follow the Boiled-Egg Diet If you have a history of disordered eating, restrictive diets of any kind (including the boiled-egg diet) aren’t for you. Those living with chronic health conditions, especially any that require taking medication, would be wise to check with their healthcare team before making any dramatic changes to their diet — the boiled-egg diet would count as dramatic. On the other hand, people who don’t have a history of eating disorders or a current health condition are unlikely to face health issues if they do the boiled-egg diet in the short term. “I consider this a red-carpet diet. It’s only something to try when you want to see results quickly and you’re okay with feeling restricted for a short period of time,” says Shapiro. She notes that this diet takes its cues from the 1960s, a time when “it was considered ladylike and demure to restrict yourself,” she says. But that’s not a healthy headspace to be in.Plus, there is continuing confusion about whether eggs are good for you, as they contain dietary cholesterol. Each boiled egg has 186 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol. One study concluded that each additional 300 mg of dietary cholesterol consumed per day was associated with a 17 and 18 percent increased risk, respectively, of cardiovascular disease and death from any cause. Meanwhile, another study suggested that cholesterol is less risky in adults with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Authors reported that participants who consumed a diet high in eggs for three months did not experience changes in blood lipid levels or markers of inflammation (which would indicate a change in cardiovascular health) compared with those on a low-egg diet. Researchers defined a high-egg diet as consuming 12 or more eggs per week, while they said a low-egg diet involved eating fewer than two eggs per week. While some people continue to express concern over dietary cholesterol, the limit was removed from the 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines. The current 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines have kept this change but also advise that dietary cholesterol consumption should be “as low as possible without compromising the nutritional adequacy in the diet.” The guidelines note that cholesterol naturally appears in small amounts in some animal foods. Eggs are also flagged for their saturated fat content. Each large egg contains 1.6 g of saturated fat. The guidelines recommend capping daily intake of saturated fat at less than 10 percent of calories per day for optimal heart health. For a 2,000 calorie diet, that’s the equivalent of 22 g of saturated fat or less per day. So are eggs good or bad for you? Taking into account the research as a whole, Shapiro notes that it’s saturated fat in food that raises cholesterol, not necessarily dietary cholesterol. What's more, “it’s the simple carbohydrates and sugars in foods that increase cholesterol and triglycerides. I wouldn’t worry about eating hard-boiled eggs daily,” she says. Yet if that’s the majority of what you’re eating, the saturated fat could add up.Shapiro gives her clients the green light to eat two eggs per day, but this health advice seems to vary yearly according to other health organizations and research. For example, one study found that each half egg consumed per day raised the risk for overall mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality by 7 percent — and the increased consumption of cholesterol via egg was the culprit. However, in another study by some of the same authors as the research above, the conclusion was that eating one egg per day was associated with a 29 percent lower risk of mortality among those who had hypertension (high blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease) compared with patients who ate fewer than two eggs per week. Instead, the authors say that non-egg sources of cholesterol were linked to a higher risk of death from any cause. Their overall statement is that these patients did not have to restrict egg intake. To be safe, if you have diabetes or any risk factors for heart disease, ask your healthcare team how many eggs are right for you to eat. Editor s Picks on Eggs and Diet Approaches How to Eat Eggs for Every Meal The Best and Worst Diets for Sustained Weight Loss According to Registered Dietitians More Evidence That an Egg a Day Might Not Keep the Doctor Away What Is Intuitive Eating What to Eat and AvoidAccording to Chandler’s book, the following foods are recommended on the boiled-egg diet. As for what to avoid, this eating plan is strict: You're not to stray from this list.EggsSkinless poultryFishLean beefLamb and porkLow-carb vegetables, including leafy greens like kale, collard greens, spinach, and mustard greens; zucchini; and bell peppersLow-carb fruits, such as tomatoes, oranges, lemons, limes, watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, peaches, and grapefruitCalorie-free drinks like plain water and sparkling waterButterCoconut oilMayonnaise A 7-Day Sample Menu for the Boiled-Egg Diet Day 1 Breakfast Two eggs, spinach, orange Lunch Grilled salmon on salad Snack None Dinner Grilled pork chop with broccoli Dessert None Day 2 Breakfast Two eggs, tomatoes, cantaloupe Lunch Grilled chicken on salad Snack None Dinner Ahi tuna with kale Dessert None Day 3 Breakfast Two eggs, orange Lunch Sliced steak on salad Snack None Dinner Baked salmon with mushrooms Dessert None Day 4 Breakfast Two eggs, asparagus, strawberries Lunch Egg salad on lettuce Snack None Dinner Beef roast with cauliflower Dessert None Day 5 Breakfast Two eggs, slice of ham, strawberries Lunch Baked cod with asparagus Snack None Dinner Grilled chicken skewers with bell peppers and onions Dessert None Day 6 Breakfast Two eggs, cantaloupe Lunch Egg salad on lettuce Snack None Dinner Mahi-mahi with green beans Dessert None Day 7 Breakfast Two eggs, watermelon Lunch Grilled salmon on salad Snack None Dinner Pork chop with bok choy Dessert None Other Versions of the Egg DietYou don’t have to stick to the traditional boiled-egg diet. If you’d like to try a twist on the original, some alternative versions include egg and grapefruit (a half a grapefruit is added to each meal) and the self-explanatory egg-only diet (only eggs and water are allowed). There was also a wine and egg diet, popularized by Vogue, which went viral in 2018. Most Popular in Diet and Nutrition Whole30 Beginner s Guide What to Eat and Avoid Advantages and More 10 Healthy Foods That Are Great Sources of Iron What Is the Golo Diet A Complete Scientific Guide What Is a Plant-Based Diet A Complete Beginner s Guide A Final Word on the Boiled-Egg DietThe boiled-egg diet is a fad diet that requires eating only eggs, some fruit, nonstarchy vegetables, lean protein, and some fat, and it promises to help you lose weight. While cutting calories may initially lead to weight loss, it’s unlikely that you’ll stick to this way of eating, experts say. In addition, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have a history of an eating disorder, you should skip a faddish, restrictive diet. “If you want to do this as a quick fix, you might lose a lot of water weight initially, but you can’t live that way forever,” says Young. “These types of diets can lead to overeating and a lot of frustration later.” Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking The Celebs’ Oddest Diets. Vogue Italia.Mitchelson T. Cracking Up: Our Hard-Boiled Volunteer Tries Charles Saatchi’s Egg-Only Diet. Daily Mail. October 3, 2008.Chandler A. The Boiled Egg Diet: The Easy, Fast Way to Weight Loss.Are Eggs Good for You or Not? American Heart Association. August 16, 2018.Egg, Whole, Cooked, Hard-Boiled. U.S. Department of Agriculture. April 1, 2019.Protein. Food and Drug Administration. March 2020.Choline. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. March 29, 2021.Vander Wal JS, Gupta A, Khosla P, Dhurandhar NV. Egg Breakfast Enhances Weight Loss. International Journal for the Study of Obesity. October 2008.Dietary Fiber: Essential for a Healthy Diet. Mayo Clinic. January 6, 2021.Constipation. Mayo Clinic. August 31, 2021.Zhong VW, Van Horn L, Cornelis MC, et al. Associations of Dietary Cholesterol or Egg Consumption With Incident Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality. Journal of the American Medical Association. March 2019.Fuller NR, Sainsbury A, Caterson ID, et al. Effect of a High-Egg Diet on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in People With Type 2 Diabetes: The Diabetes and Egg (DIABEGG) Study — Randomized Weight Loss and Follow-Up Phase. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. May 7, 2018.2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. December 2015.Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025. U.S. Department of Agriculture. December 2020.Zhuang P, Wu F, Mao L, et al. Egg and Cholesterol Consumption and Mortality From Cardiovascular and Different Causes in the United States: A Population-Based Cohort Study. PLOS Medicine. February 2021.Wu F, Zhuang P, Zhang Y, et al. Egg and Dietary Cholesterol Consumption and Morality Among Hypertensive Patients: Results From a Population-Based Nationwide Study. Frontiers in Nutrition. October 2021.McMartin D. I Tried That Viral Wine and Egg Diet From Vogue. I Have So Much to Tell You! Kitchn. August 30, 2018.Show LessNEWSLETTERS Sign up for our Diet and Nutrition Newsletter SubscribeBy subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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