Best Time to Eat Eggs for Weight Loss

Eggs are a great source of protein and can help balance blood sugar levels to support weight loss. Plus, they contain many other nutrients necessary for optimal health.

In this article, we'll dive deep into egg nutrition, why including them in your diet can help you achieve your health goals, and a few quick and easy ways to add them to your regular diet.

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What Are the Benefits of Eating Eggs

Eggs are a high-protein food that supports healthy blood sugar, but this isn’t the only health benefit linked to eggs. They also contain several other essential nutrients, including:

• Choline. Choline is a nutrient that helps with sleep, muscle movement, learning, and memory.¹
• Selenium. Selenium is a mineral that plays a role in thyroid function, reproduction, and DNA synthesis.²
• Vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential for bone health, immune function, and reducing inflammation.³
• Lutein and zeaxanthin. Lutein and zeaxanthin are antioxidants that can help protect against age-related macular degeneration, a type of vision loss.⁴

Interestingly, all these nutrients are primarily found in the egg yolk, so don't be afraid to eat it! The yolk contains at least a small amount of every trace mineral and vitamin except vitamin C, including the B vitamins and vitamin A, although the amounts of all the nutrients can vary depending on what the hen eats.⁵

Considering all of the above, the egg is quite the powerhouse when it comes to nutrition.

Eggs Nutrition Facts

Eggs have a high protein content and contain many other nutrients essential for a healthy diet. Protein is often considered the most supportive weight loss nutrient (along with fiber) because it helps keep you feeling full and satisfied after meals.⁶

Eggs are often called the "perfect protein" because they contain all the essential amino acids our bodies need in ideal proportions—also known as high biological value. Foods with high biological values not only include all the protein we need, but they are easily digested and used by the body, and eggs have the highest biological value.⁷

Eggs can also help regulate blood sugar levels due to their protein and fat content. Stable blood sugar levels can help with hunger and cravings (versus spikes and dips that can leave you exhausted and hungry). This means you will have steadier energy levels throughout the day and are less likely to overeat.⁸

One large egg provides:⁹

• 70 calories
• 6 grams of protein
• 5 grams of fat
• 0 grams of carbs

Do Eggs Increase Your Cholesterol?

It's impossible to talk about eggs without bringing up cholesterol because that's what many people think of when the topic of eggs comes up. Most people were taught only to eat egg whites because the yolks from whole eggs are high in dietary cholesterol. In some ways, eggs became a poster child for what not to eat for heart health.

Nutrition science adapts and constantly changes as we learn more and more research comes out. It turns out that it's saturated fat that tends to increase cholesterol and not dietary sources of cholesterol. Overall, the evidence suggests that eggs have little impact on your cholesterol levels.¹⁰

However, the overall quality of your diet, in combination with all nutrients, is important. Focusing on the healthiest diet choices—like reducing refined carbohydrates and processed foods and increasing fiber-rich produce—matters much more for heart disease risk.¹¹

<p class="pro-tip"><strong>Learn more about </strong> <a href="/blog/lower-blood-sugar-cholesterol">lowering cholesterol and blood sugar</a>.</p>

How Eggs Can Help With Weight Loss

• Eggs Stabilize Blood Sugar: The main reason eggs are good for weight loss is because of the impact on your blood sugar. Eggs contain no carbohydrates, so blood sugar remains virtually unchanged if you eat them alone. Since they are primarily protein and fat, eggs also take longer to digest and break down. This slows down the absorption of any carbs you eat as part of the meal, keeping blood sugar more stable.
  ‍
  Why does stable blood sugar matter for weight loss? Variable blood sugar with spikes means your pancreas releases more insulin to bring blood sugar down to normal levels. Insulin is an anabolic hormone and promotes fat storage. You need insulin to do its job, but too much insulin can encourage weight gain.¹²

• Eggs Keep You Fuller Longer: Since eggs are a good source of protein, they tend to be digested slower, which also helps you feel fuller between meals. Compare that to eating a muffin or low-fiber cereal for breakfast, where you probably feel hungry an hour later. Less hunger keeps you from overeating at your next meal, reducing your overall calorie intake.
  
  One study found that people who ate eggs for breakfast felt more satisfied and consumed fewer calories throughout the day than those who ate a carb-heavy breakfast. Another study found that people who ate eggs for breakfast as part of a weight management program lost more weight and body fat than those who ate a high-carb breakfast.^{13, 14}

• Eggs Support a Healthy Metabolism: Since eggs are a good source of protein, they support healthy muscle mass. More lean muscle tissue keeps your metabolism firing throughout the day, so you burn more calories even at rest.
  
  It also takes more energy to break down protein than fat or carbohydrates, so eating eggs could increase your calorie burn because they contain protein.¹⁶

How Many Eggs Can You Eat Each Day?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. The amount of eggs you should eat depends on your calorie needs, protein needs, and health goals.

However, if you are at risk of heart disease, recent expert recommendations suggest no more than seven eggs a week. The problem is that many studies that make the association between increased risk of cardiovascular disease and egg consumption also find correlations between higher egg intake and low physical activity or other habits that increase heart disease risk.¹⁰

Nutrition science is complicated, and it’s not enough to focus on one food because everything we eat works together to help or harm the body. For most people, if you are eating a nutrient-dense diet with a wide variety of healthy fat, high-fiber foods, and lean protein, eating eggs every day is likely not a problem. 

If you have any cardiovascular concerns or are unsure what healthy eating looks like for your body, it is always helpful to work with a registered dietitian or ask your healthcare provider.

What Is the Best Time of the Day to Eat Eggs for Weight Loss?

There's no best time to eat eggs. Some people prefer to eat eggs for breakfast because they are a good protein source and can help regulate blood sugar levels. Others prefer eating them later in the day or as part of a post-workout meal because they are a good protein source for lean muscle mass and metabolism.

If you are trying to lose weight, you may want to consider eating eggs for breakfast or as part of a healthy snack since they can help you feel fuller and stabilize blood sugar levels. But the best time to eat eggs is whenever you enjoy them!

How to Add More Eggs to Your Diet

• Add eggs to your oatmeal for a creamy texture as you cook it on the stovetop. If you haven't tried this, it sounds a bit odd, but it's a delicious way to add protein to oats for extra satiety (especially if you are someone who finds oatmeal spikes your blood sugar). Keep the temperature on medium and stir to avoid clumping. Here's an example recipe.
• Top your favorite salad with a hard-boiled egg for extra protein. Hard-boiled eggs also make a great snack on their own, especially paired with berries.
• Make egg salad lettuce wraps (plain Greek yogurt also makes an excellent sub for mayo).
• Make a frittata or quiche with extra veggies and use it as a quick on-the-go meal.
• Top your favorite bagel or whole grain bread with spinach and eggs over easy.
• Enjoy deviled eggs as a healthy snack (here's a recipe idea).
• Scramble them up with veggies for a quick and easy egg breakfast (or make an omelet).
• Try a salad for breakfast (or anytime) using baby kale, olive oil, avocado, chopped nuts, and a soft-boiled egg on top.

What to Avoid When Preparing Eggs for Weight Loss

Be mindful of how you cook your eggs. Cooking your eggs with healthy fat sources like olive oil or avocado oil is an excellent way to ensure you get the most nutrition from them. If you’re an all-American breakfast with bacon lover, keep your intake to special occasions.

Pair your eggs with fiber from veggies or complex carbs from whole grains, fruits, or veggies, but skip the white toast or muffins. Eggs can be a beneficial part of your overall diet, but as mentioned earlier, the other foods matter, too.

You Can Use a CGM to See How Your Body Responds to Eggs

If you want to keep an eye on your blood sugar levels and see how your body responds to eating more eggs, you could try using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) paired with the Signos app.

A CGM is a small device you wear on your body that continuously monitors your blood sugar levels. It gives you real-time data to see how your body responds to different foods, activities, and stressors. The Signos app can give you immediate feedback to see exactly how your body responds to adding more eggs with this data.

<p class="pro-tip"><strong>Learn about </strong><a href="/blog/cgms-for-weight-loss">the scientific evidence of using CGMs for weight loss</a></p>