An egg is an egg

An egg is an egg, right? Not really, it all depends upon how you prepare it. Lessons learned from www.tweetwhatyoueat.com, the program where users can tally their day by tweeting themselves, show us how far off guesstimates can be. And it is no small matter. Data consistently shows that most people underestimated their intake. For instance “scrambled eggs” calorie count was underestimated by 36 % or 54 calories. Make that mistake for a mere two months and gain a pound. Whoops! Now multiply that little math error by each meal and snack over the day/week/month/lifetime and the picture of why obesity numbers are growing becomes a little clearer. We chronically under-estimate not only how much we eat, but also, what its impact is.

When it comes to your best breakfast, eggs, here’s the deal:

  • There is a 20 calorie difference between a small egg and a large egg: 60 calories vs 80 calories
  • There could be up to 100 calorie difference depending upon your cooking method
    • 1tsp butter or oil = 40 calories
    • 1 tbsp butter or oil = 100+

You can see the massive swing that there could be depending upon how you choose to cook:

  • 2 small poached eggs = 120 calories
  • 2 large eggs scrambled in 1 tbsp oil or butter = 260 calories

Best bet: Poach or Boil eggs
Good Bet: Use a well seasoned cast iron skillet, wipe ¼ tsp of oil into the pan with a paper towel and fry or scramble.
Bad bet: Free pour oil or plop butter into a pan and cook your life away.

Theresa Albert

Theresa Albert, DHN, RNCP, has a passion for simple, honest solutions to today's lifestyle choices. In addition to her private practice, she has provided content and comment for major international broadcasters and is forever pushing the bologna out of lunchboxes and out of the news media. As an avid social media user, blogger/writer and as a parent, she understands the struggles of balancing priorities in real life.

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