Are Fried Eggs Bad For You?
Short answer
While eggs themselves are very healthy and can provide the body with many health benefits, the nutritional quality of fried eggs is solely dependent on what you fry them in.
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A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
View Full Grading System
Category 'A'
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Side effects are rare. Things rated an 'A+' are typically necessary for survival (for example, water).
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. A few harmful qualities may be associated, but only under certain circumstances such as an allergic reaction.
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Harmful qualities may be associated, but aren't usually serious.
It is important to note that even the best things in life can become bad in immoderate amounts. So, although something may be rated an 'A+', overconsumption/overdoing can bring unwanted effects.
Category 'B'
Very beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B+' may have a few harmful qualities to pay attention to.
Overall beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B' may have some harmful qualities to pay attention to.
More beneficial to your health than not. However, harmful qualities are most likely associated and shouldn't be overlooked.
The main difference between category 'A' and category 'B' is the harmful qualities typically present in 'B' items. Serious side effects are usually uncommon, but are still possible and should be taken note of.
Category 'C'
Both beneficial and harmful qualities associated. Things rated a 'C+' are typically a bit more on the beneficial side. Still, moderation is important.
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
More harmful than beneficial. Side effects are common, especially when consumed/done excessively. Moderation is very important.
Category 'C' usually denotes to both good and bad qualities. When it comes to this category, it is important to keep this word in mind: moderation.
Category 'D'
Harmful to your health. Although benefits may be associated, the bad most likely outweighs the good. Moderation is very important.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
Category 'D' is typically for things that are more harmful than beneficial. While consuming/doing something unhealthy once in a blue moon shouldn't hurt, we definitely recommend eliminating 'D' items as a regular part of your routine/diet.
Category 'F'
Category 'F' is for things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long-term side effects of 'F' items are usually very serious.
Category 'N'
'N' stands for neutral. Things placed into this category are generally (a) neither good nor bad for you, or (b) lack the necessary evidence to reach any conclusions.
Long answer
Eggs are very good for you, but how you prepare them can make all the difference. That’s not to say that cooking them changes the health value of the egg itself, but of the meal. After all, to fry you need some type of fat and using a good fat or a bad fat is your choice.
Let’s look at the value of a whole egg alone. Eggs contain quality protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals. In fact, while one egg contains 9% of the recommended daily value of vitamin B12, 15% of B2, 7% of B5, 6% of vitamin A and 22% of the RDA of selenium, just one egg yolk contains some amount of every vitamin and mineral required by the body. The yolk of the egg also has roughly 113 mg of choline which plays a major role in preventing liver and cardiovascular disease and protecting cell membranes. How could you go wrong?
Eggs also contain good quality protein and fats, with the whole egg supplying you with just 77 calories. This combination of nutrients makes them filling and provides a boost of energy. Eggs are considered a complete protein, providing the essential amino acids needed in most of the processes in the body and are the building blocks of cells. It’s important to consume the essential amino acids in your diet as your body cannot make them on its own.
Most of the fats in eggs are unsaturated, although some saturated fats are present as well. While saturated fats are typically considered bad for you, there is an appropriate balance of fats in this food. The unsaturated fats protect against these negative effects by protecting the heart and helping to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins eggs contain. They also have a small amount of cholesterol which is actually needed by the body. Of course, this can be bad if you have high cholesterol already.
So, since eggs alone are super healthy, what happens when you fry them? Cooking the egg does not change the value of nutrients it contains by any noticeable amount. The nutritional change of the meal occurs by adding the value of the fat in which you have fried the egg. Sure, using bacon grease to fry your egg will taste amazing, but you are also adding saturated fats, sodium, and cholesterol. Frying in butter is a little better but be sure to use as little as possible. A little butter and then a splash of water with a lid will use steam in part to cook your egg adding very little additional saturated fats. Coconut oil is an even better choice! While coconut oil is a saturated fat, it’s different than most saturated fats in that it is actually healthy for you. So, a fried egg can still be healthy for you, the question is – how do you fry YOUR eggs?
Possible short-term side effects
- allergic reaction
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effects from oil/butter used in frying
Benefits
- boosts energy
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provides necessary vitamins and minerals
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promotes cell growth and healing
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protects heart health
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helps build muscle
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helps prevent liver disease
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improves brain health
Our Wellness Pick
(what is this?)
Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer
- Gluten-free substitute
- Convenient resealable packaging
- Vegan-friendly
- Equivalent to 34 eggs
- Non-GMO
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Thank you for your feedback!
Written by Kristin Brown, DC, MS
Published on: 08-14-2016
Last updated: 12-15-2023
Thank you for your feedback!
Written by Kristin Brown, DC, MS
Published on: 08-14-2016
Last updated: 12-15-2023