7 Different Ways to Cook Eggs

Eggs are an excellent source of healthy fats and protein to keep you feeling full. They are also very easy to prepare and relatively inexpensive.

Studies reveal eating eggs can help people lose weight because they contain just 75 calories but 7 grams of protein each, simultaneously satisfying and satiating hunger. Plus, one egg only has 5 grams of fat, and offers iron, vitamins, and minerals. It also has disease-fighting carotenoids, including lutein and zeaxanthin, which may lower risks of macular degeneration—the leading cause of blindness in elders.¹

Despite all these benefits, the challenge is that eating scrambled eggs every day can become boring fast. To add variety to your breakfast options, here are 7 different ways to cook eggs along with simple and tasty recipes so you enjoy.

1) Scrambled Eggs

Probably the most typical way to cook eggs is to scramble them. Make sure the stove is set on low with gentle heat, and allow the eggs to start setting before scrambling. To make them extra fluffy, try adding in a half cup of cottage cheese for every two eggs, before pouring the mixture into the pan to scramble. To spice up your scrambled eggs, add in your favorite veggies or cheese.

Scrambled eggs with feta (serves 2):

Cooking Spray, ¼ cup chopped onion, 4 eggs beaten, ¼ cup chopped tomatoes, 2 T crumbled feta cheese, and pepper to taste. Heat the oiled pan, sauté onions, then pour in eggs and occasionally stir. When eggs look near finished, add the cheese, tomatoes, and pepper.

2) Poached Eggs

Poaching eggs is probably the lowest fat option to enjoy eggs because it aids in stopping the egg yolk’s fat from being oxidized or changed before and during cooking. There is also no added fat from butter or cooking oil.

Easy poached eggs:

2 eggs, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, shallow saucepan with cover, spoon, and pepper to taste. Bring water to a boil in the pan to nearly boiling and add vinegar. Crack each egg one at a time into a small cup, put the cup near water and drop the egg into the pan. Gently push the egg whites closer to the yolks with the spoon, turn off the heat, cover, and let it sit for about four minutes, until egg whites are cooked. Lift eggs out of the pan, add pepper, and enjoy with a piece of whole-wheat toast for a simple yet delicious breakfast.

3) Omelet

Making omelets is super easy and one of the best ways to get creative with your eggs. Possible fillings run the gamut — smoked salmon, mushrooms, avocado, kale, peppers, any kind of cheese – you name it. It can take a few times to perfect the omelet-making technique, but once you have it, it’s quick and painless. Cook one omelet at a time with either two or three eggs, depending on how hungry you are. If you are making multiple omelets, you can keep the others warm in the oven while still cooking one on the stove.

Spinach and goat’s cheese omelet recipe (serves 1):

1 T water, ½ cup spinach, 1-1 ½ T goat’s cheese, 2-3 eggs, olive oil or olive oil cooking spray, and pepper to taste. Beat the eggs with the water, pour into a heavy non-stick skillet and allow the eggs to spread across the pan and set. Add the spinach and cheese to one half of the pan, and sprinkle pepper on top. Use a spatula to fold one side over. Rotate the omelets as needed, until ready to serve.

4) Hardboiled Eggs

Hardboiled eggs can be used alone, for salad toppings, or just a plain, high-protein snack. They can also be transformed into mouth-watering and healthy egg salads. But sometimes peeling eggs can be a pain. For easy to peel hard- boiled eggs, buy eggs at least 7 or 10 days before cooking them and peel right after cooking. To store eggs, put them in the refrigerator within two hours of cooking and use during the next week.

Veggie Egg Salad recipe (serves 4):

3 T nonfat plain yogurt, 3 T reduced-fat mayo (or substitute of choice), ¼ t freshly ground pepper, 1/8 t salt, 8 hard-boiled eggs, ½ cup finely chopped carrot, ½ cup finely chopped cucumber, and ¼ cup sliced scallions. Mix yogurt, mayo, pepper, and salt in a bowl. Halve eggs and discard four of the yolks (or save), add whites and the remaining four yolks to the bowl, and mash. Finally, stir in carrot, cucumber, and scallions, and eat with whole-wheat bread or crackers, or on top of a green salad. To hard boil, place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover with water, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Then, reduce heat to low and cook at a slight simmer for 10 minutes, remove from heat and pour out the water. Cover the eggs with ice-cold water and let stand until cool enough to peel.²

5) Baked Eggs

The best alternative to frying eggs is baking them, which is a generally basic process. Just crack one or two eggs into a baking dish coated with nonstick spray, and sprinkle some pepper or other seasoning on top. Then, pour one tablespoon of water or milk over the eggs and bake 325 degrees F until the egg whites are completely set (about 12 minutes). To spice things up a bit, you can try adding toppings to your baked eggs, like cooked spinach, salsa, shredded cheese and chopped tomato.

Baked Eggs and Herbs in Portabellas (serves 2):

4 large eggs, 2 medium portabella mushroom caps, 2 T chopped fresh chives, 1 T chopped scallions, pepper, and olive oil cooking spray³. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, line a cookie sheet with foil, and coat with a thin layer of cooking spray. Rinse & dry the mushroom caps and top of the stem. Sprinkle each cap with ground pepper and about half of the herbs. Crack two eggs into each, bake until the eggs are set (25 to 35 minutes). Let cool for five minutes, spread the rest of the herbs on top and add pepper to taste.

6) Sunny Side Up Eggs

While it is one of the most popular ways, cooking Sunny Side Up eggs can be hard because it is easy for the yolk to run too much. They can be easy to do in a skillet in the oven if you have not mastered them on the stove yet. Just make sure your nonstick skillet is oven proof. Then, carefully and evenly crack eggs into the skillet and place in the oven (at 350 degrees) for about four minutes.

Easy Sunny Side Up Pizza (serves 1-2):

1-2 pieces Naan whole-wheat bread, 4-5 T feta or goat’s cheese, 1 cup chopped spinach, ½ cup sundried tomatoes, 2 eggs, freshly ground pepper, and herbs to taste.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Top the Naan evenly with cheese, then spinach and tomatoes. Add pepper and herbs and slide in the oven until fully baked and cheese is melted (20-25 minutes). When the pizza is almost done, cook the eggs and add one or two on top of the pizza. Bake for about two more minutes. (OR you can crack the egg directly on the pizza and bake for about five minutes).

7) Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are traditionally eaten as finger foods at parties in the spring and summer time, but they may be called “deviled” for a reason. While delicious, deviled eggs can be prepared with lots of mayo and other unhealthy fats. Don’t fret, because there are easy ways to lighten up the little delicious bites.

Healthier Deviled Eggs:

6 Hardboiled eggs, peeled and cut lengthwise, ¼ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt, ¼ t pepper, 1/8 t salt, 2 t Dijon mustard, and paprika for garnish. Hard boil the eggs and let them sit still for 12 minutes. Peel the eggs and cut them lengthwise, place the whites on a plate and yolks in a bowl, and add the rest of the ingredients (except paprika) to the yolks and mash everything together until well combined. Put the mixture back into the egg whites, and sprinkle with paprika.

Keep in mind, eggs must be stored in the refrigerator and cooked thoroughly to provide full health benefits. Anyone with high cholesterol levels should adhere to his or her doctor’s dietary recommendations regarding eggs.