What are the benefits of eating poached eggs compared to eggs cooked differently? Are poached eggs healthier than fried eggs? Are poached eggs easier on the stomach than hard boiled eggs? Are poached eggs better than soft boiled eggs? What is so healthy about poached eggs?
Poaching eggs is one of the healthiest ways to cook and eat eggs, if not the healthiest. There are many benefits to choosing to eat your eggs this way, from reduced cooking time and making less of a mess in the kitchen to preserving the beneficial nutritional elements in eggs whilst supplying the maximum benefits.
1) Light food that is easy on the stomach
Poached eggs are a light food: they are as unprocessed as food gets and only minimally cooked, without the addition of extra ingredients. Poached eggs are also 76% water, 12.5% protein and 9.5% fat, so they aren’t heavy at all. On the contrary, they feel easy on the stomach when you eat them. This makes them a good food for gastritis, stomach ulcers and acid reflux, digestive conditions that do not respond well to heavy food.
2) Low in calories
When people think about eggs, the first place their mind goes to is that egg yolks have fat and thus must be high in calories. However, poached eggs are actually high in water with a water content of around 76 grams per 100 grams of cooked egg. Fat represents only 9.5 grams of the total weight of the egg, while protein is about 12.5 grams. Poached eggs are also virtually carb-free. Not to mention they are cooked in water, without oil, butter or other fats. So it makes sense that they are fairly low in calories, or moderate to low at least.
How many calories in poached eggs? There are about 143 kcal (kilocalories) in 100 grams of poached eggs. The typical serving consists of two chicken eggs. For two eggs at 50 grams each, you get about 143 kcal per serving. For two eggs at around 62 grams each you get around 175 kcal.
3) Textbook healthy food
Are poached eggs healthy? Choice of diet aside, poached eggs qualify as a healthy food. Why are poached eggs healthy? For one, they are as close as possible to their natural state, only being minimally cooked, and in water no less. And no, you don’t need to add vinegar or lemon juice to the water to poach eggs. Also, you don’t need to use oil, butter or other fats which add extra, unnecessary calories to the dish.
Poaching itself is a healthy cooking method because it requires little time – the cooking time is short, only a few minutes, which helps preserve the vitamins and minerals in the egg relatively unaltered. And because the cooking temperature is lower (compared to frying, for example), the fat and cholesterol in the egg yolk are less affected by oxidation which denatures their properties.
4) Helps you lose weight
Are poached eggs good for weight loss? Definitely yes! Why are poached eggs good for weight loss? For one, they are fairly low in calories, only about 143 kcal (kilocalories) per 100 grams. And because they are cooked in water, no fat, you don’t get extra calories added to your meal either. Poached eggs are also high-protein and high-fat and, as a result, satiate and help keep you satisfied for a few hours.
Protein and fat also help curb craving, preventing binge eating. Protein is an especially important element for losing weight because it represents raw material for new muscle acquisition – muscle burns more calories than fat, helping you lose weight faster. You can really build a decent and tasty meal, perfect for a weigh loss diet, around a food as satiating as poached eggs.
5) Good for gastritis, acid reflux and stomach ulcer
Eating poached eggs is good for gastritis, acid reflux disease (GERD) and stomach ulcers. Poaching as a cooking method produces food that is light and easy on the stomach and does not elicit symptoms in gastritis, GERD or stomach ulcers. The fact that a poached egg is over 75% water is also a big part why it’s a light food and good for the digestive conditions.
The second most common constituent in poached eggs, protein, is relatively neutral and does not typically elicit symptoms in gastritis or trigger acid reflux or digestive upset if you have a stomach ulcer. And the lack of dietary fiber further contributes to similar benefits.
However, be careful what pair your poached eggs with: while the poached eggs themselves may be light on the stomach, the foods you may pair them (e.g. bacon, canned tuna, butter, Hollandaise sauce, tomato sauce) may cancel out their benefits and trigger digestive upset.
6) Perfectly safe to eat
Poached eggs are cooked eggs, despite the egg white being almost wobbly and the yolk barely coagulated or even runny. However, while poached eggs are not raw eggs, if you fear foodborne illness, you can always hard poach your eggs by cooking them a few minutes longer until the yolk has solidified.
7) Good to eat in a keto diet
Poached eggs are a good option to consider if you are on a keto diet. What recommends poached eggs for a keto diet is their macronutrient profile: virtually carb-free, high-protein and high-fat.
How many carbs in poached eggs? There are only 0.72 grams of carbs per 100 grams of poached eggs, the equivalent of two small poached chicken eggs at 50 grams each. How much protein and how much fat? There are 12.5 grams of protein and 9.5 grams of fat in 100 grams of poached egg.
8) Nutritionally dense food
Poached eggs are a good option for a nutritionally dense food. High in protein, fat, with an exceptional content of most essential vitamins and minerals, they are the epitome of nutritious food. Both the egg white and the egg yolk are high in protein, with the yolk housing high amounts of most vitamins and minerals. Discover the nutrition of one egg white and the nutrition of one egg yolk.
9) Good to eat in diabetes
Poached eggs are a good food to eat if you have diabetes. For one, they don’t provide too many calories, making them good for weight management, and can even help with weight loss. Reaching a healthy weight helps better control the metabolic condition.
As a high-protein, high-fat food, poached eggs contribute to better blood sugar control in diabetes and even lower the glycemic index and effects on blood sugar of other foods they are consumed with.
10) Satiating and energizing food
The excellent nutrition of poached eggs makes them a satiating and energizing food. High in fat and protein, poached eggs curbs hunger and help keep you satiated for hours, without packing on the calories. Rich in vitamins and minerals, especially B vitamins and iron, poached eggs help maintain elevated energy levels and have a revitalizing action.
11) Can help get you a flat stomach
If you consistently eat two poached eggs for breakfast every day, then you are on your way to getting a flat stomach. Poached eggs don’t provide too many calories, but do provide important nutrition, especially quality protein to help build muscle mass and burn calories, helping you lose weight and belly fat.
Poached eggs also help combat bloating and improve the appearance of the stomach as a result. Pair them with no more than two slices of whole grain bread, half an avocado or low-calorie vegetables such as zucchini, eggplant, radishes or cherry tomatoes.
12) Feed the brain and support learning and memory
Eating poached eggs provides nutrition for the brain in the form of protein, fat and B vitamins. Fatty acids and the amino acids from protein support the activity of the brain and nervous system, and fuel cognitive functions such thinking and learning, and also memory.
Eating poached eggs also combats brain fog and helps you think clearer, supporting intellectual effort. The amino acids in protein also help regulate mood which is conducive to intellectual performance.
13) Good food to eat pre and post workout
Poached eggs are an especially good food to eat pre and post workout. Pre-workout, poached eggs represent a light food that gets digested easily and doesn’t cause regurgitation of stomach juices. At the same time, they satiate and nourish the body, helping keep you energized so you can keep up with a demanding exercise routine.
Post-workout, poached eggs help with muscle recovery after exercise, repairing damaged muscle fibers, and provide raw material to grow new muscle in the form of protein. If poached eggs are not your thing, you can always have classic soft or hard boiled eggs.
14) Good for achieving blood sugar control
If you have high blood sugar and are looking for foods to help you achieve better control, then poached eggs are an excellent choice. High in protein, and fat, and almost carb-free, poached eggs are a very low glycemic food with an almost inexistent glycemic impact. In addition to not raising blood sugar levels measurably, poached eggs also lower the effects on blood sugar of other higher GI foods they are paired with.