It was, fittingly, over breakfast that naturopath Juliette Andreau informed me that eggs are one of the only “complete” foods. “They contain many of the nutrients we need,” she explained, making me regret ordering an enormous flaky croissant. “An egg has high-quality protein, fats, vitamins A, D, E, and B12, choline, and minerals like selenium or zinc.” This unrivalled nutritional profile is why she advises her clients to eat eggs every morning at breakfast: “If you digest them well and have no known allergies or intolerances, there’s no need to worry about eating them every day,” she concluded. Of course, as with everything, quality makes all the difference. “Organic, free-range eggs (even better if from a small producer) are a completely different story from industrial eggs,” Andreau pointed out.
Sign Up To The British Vogue Beauty Newsletter
You might be reading this and thinking about the recent salmonella outbreak in the UK. While there have been 259 confirmed cases and one death linked to the first cluster and another 215 linked to two other clusters, the general risk to the public remains low, the UK Health Security Agency has said. “Our food safety advice remains the same: eggs that are thoroughly cooked and handled hygienically should not present a food safety risk. Infants, young children, pregnant people and older adults should only eat raw or lightly cooked eggs if they carry the British Lion mark or are produced under the Laid in Britain scheme,” says Professor Ian Young, chief scientific adviser for the Food Standards Agency. (This does not apply to those who are severely immunocompromised and require medically supervised diets.)
As for the number of eggs to eat each day, Andreau suggests two (or three if eggs are the only source of protein in the meal). The result? “It’s easier to build muscle, you’ll have fewer morning cravings, feel full for longer, and notice a positive effect on your mood, too.”
According to Andreau, the benefits can be seen very quickly – even more so if the eggs are replacing more convenient, carb-heavy options like a couple of slices of toast or a croissant – though you should fully implement a habit for at least two weeks before hoping to notice results.
Eating eggs every day: what are the health benefits?
“Gentle cooking is key,” Andreau notes. “Ideally, eggs should be soft-boiled or poached. When the yolk remains slightly runny, all the vitamins and minerals that are sensitive to heat remain intact. By cooking them too intensely, in the form of hard-boiled eggs or omelettes, we lose some of these precious nutrients, and the fats can oxidise.”