Fried eggs are tasty and super versatile. They’re the perfect breakfast when served with toast and are great when added to burgers, salads, noodle dishes, and more.
But they’re also fried, which can make them higher in calories and less healthy than other ways of eating eggs.
So how many calories are in a single fried egg?
A fried egg made from a medium-sized egg can contain between 85 and 120 calories, depending on the oil used to cook the fried egg and whether the egg is drained from the oil.
As a result, the oil used to cook the fried egg increases the amount of calories. You can reduce the calories by draining the egg of oil as much as possible, or by opting for a low-calorie cooking oil.
And for information on the amount of calories in eggs, including boiled eggs, poached eggs, and omelettes, plus which cooking oil to use, make sure to keep reading!
How Many Calories In A Boiled Egg?
Boiled eggs contain fewer calories than fried eggs – simply because they are not cooked with oil. So how many calories are there in a boiled egg?
A single boiled egg contains around 80 calories.
As a result, the oil used to cook a fried egg adds up to 40 calories, depending on the oil used and how much of it is added to the pan. This is because most cooking oils are high in calories and fat.
How Many Calories In A Poached Egg?
Like boiled eggs, poached eggs are also made in boiling water. The difference is the shell is removed, however, resulting in a cooked egg that looks halfway between a boiled egg and fried egg!
If you prefer poached eggs to boiled eggs, you might be wondering how many calories there are in poached eggs.
A poached egg contains around 70 calories.
But if poached eggs are made in boiling water, like boiled eggs, why do poached eggs have fewer calories than boiled eggs?
This is because some of the poached egg is “lost” in the water (due to the removal of the shell), resulting in a slightly lower amount of calories.
How Many Calories In An Omelette?
Last but not least, how many calories are there in an omelette?
An omelette made using one egg contains around 95 calories. Depending on the oil used, this can be as much as 130 calories.
Omelettes have slightly more calories than fried eggs, as omelettes are typically made using more cooking oil. It’s also worth noting that omelettes are usually made with two (or three) eggs, which can double or triple the amount of calories!
Are Fried Eggs Healthy?
Fried eggs are generally considered a healthy food. Eggs themselves are rich in nutrients, including protein, vitamins, and minerals, while being low in carbohydrates, sodium, and saturated fat.
Even oil, which is used to cook fried eggs, can be healthy, as many cooking oils, such as olive oil, are high in healthy fatty acids and antioxidants, which are both necessary for a balanced diet.
Despite that, most cooking oils are high in calories, which doesn’t make oil, or even fried eggs, good to consume in excess – especially if you are trying to lose weight.
What Is The Healthiest Way To Eat Eggs?
Eggs are healthy no matter how they are served! But if you are trying to lose weight, the healthiest way to eat eggs is by boiling them.
Boiled eggs retain most of the nutrients and contains the least amount of calories when compared with fried eggs and omelettes.
Despite poached eggs generally containing (10) fewer calories than boiled eggs, boiled eggs are slightly healthier because some of the nutrients are not lost in the water – due to the egg remaining in its shell.
So if you are looking to lose weight and/or want to increase your protein intake, boiled eggs are the best way to cook and eat eggs!
Are Fried Eggs Good For Weight Loss?
If consumed in excess, fried eggs are not the best food for weight loss, simply because they need to be fried, which means consuming a higher amount of calories as a result of the cooking oil. The same applies to omelettes!
For that reason, if you are looking to lose weight, the best way to eat eggs is by either boiling them (boiled eggs) or poaching them (poached eggs).
Despite that, fried eggs are still considered a healthy food choice. You can also enjoy eating fried eggs and still lose weight as long as you remain in a caloric deficit.
How To Reduce The Calories In A Fried Egg
If you prefer fried eggs to boiled eggs, poached eggs, or even omelettes, you might be glad to know that it is possible to make eating fried eggs healthier!
You can do this by reducing the amount of oil you use when cooking fried eggs or draining the oil from the fried egg (as much as possible) before moving it to your plate and eating it.
You can also cook the egg using an oil or type of butter that has a lower amount of calories.
Butter and margarine contain fewer calories than most cooking oils.
But if you prefer to cook fried eggs using oil, some of the types of cooking oils that contain the least amount of calories include macadamia oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, corn oil, and peanut oil.
Despite that, most oils are high in calories and contain a similar amount (of calories), no matter whether it’s macadamia oil or olive oil, so you may as well just use the type of cooking oil you prefer. Just try to use less of it!
Conclusion
To conclude, a fried egg typically contains around 85 to 120 calories. This depends on the oil used, including the type of oil and how much is used to cook the egg.
If you are counting calories and trying to lose weight, you can reduce the calories of fried eggs by using less oil and making sure to drain the oil from the egg before eating it.
One of the most common things I talk to my clients about is calories, but so few of them actually know anything about them.
Calories is not a dirty word. If you remove emotion from it, it is simply a unit of energy.
We need calories to live and thrive, and knowing how many to consume is important to ensure that you’re living a healthy lifestyle.
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