Boiled Egg Diet: How It Works, Types, Benefits, & Recipes

The low-carbohydrate, low-calorie, and high-protein boiled egg diet plan is ideal for effective short-term weight loss.

Eggs are rich in protein, which helps increase satiety and limit indiscriminate food intake, leading to weight loss (1), (2). All you need to do is complement this diet with a few healthy, high-fiber vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fruits to reduce fat while also keeping your body nourished.

This diet, coupled with healthy lifestyle practices, helps you lose weight by 15 to 20 lbs within a short span. To help you get started, we have discussed everything you need to know about this diet in this article. Read on!

How Does The Boiled Egg Diet Aid Weight Loss?

The boiled egg diet is a two-week diet plan that requires you to have a maximum of two boiled eggs per day with other nutritious foods.

• Eggs are loaded with high-quality proteins and nutrition, like vitamins A, D, E, B12, and folateⁱ  XA form of vitamin B that helps in the formation of red blood cells and promotes tissue growth and healthy cell function. , iron, seleniumⁱ  XAn essential mineral that helps regulate metabolism and thyroid function and protects the body from oxidative stress. , riboflavin, cholineⁱ  XAn essential nutrient found in fish and eggs that helps improve liver and brain function and facilitates muscle contraction. , and the antioxidantsluteinⁱ  XAn antioxidant that helps improve vision, prevents cataracts, and helps fight oxidative stress. and zeaxanthinⁱ  XA fat-soluble antioxidant found in green leafy vegetables and egg yolks that is known to promote skin and eye health. (3).
• These nutrients help build muscle mass, improve metabolic rate and brain function, protect you from heart disease and macular degeneration, produce hormones, and strengthen the immune system (4).
• When you consume eggs, you consume proteins, which take longer to digest. Hence, you will feel full for a long duration (1). The proteins also help build lean muscle mass, which, in turn, helps accelerate your metabolism.
• Eggs are also loaded with antioxidants that help flush out the toxins, thereby reducing the stress and inflammation in your body (5). This helps prevent inflammation-induced weight gain. The water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins help strengthen your immunity, which, in turn, keeps you active and energetic.

Quick Tip

The concept of the boiled egg diet is based on the book ‘The Boiled Egg Diet: The Easy, Fast Way to Weight Loss!’ written by Arielle Chandler in 2018.

Basic Guidelines To Follow The Two-Week Boiled Egg Diet

• Take your doctor’s/dietitian’s permission.
• Follow it for two weeks for the best results.
• Eliminate all refined and processed grains.
• Adhere to the diet plan.
• Do light exercises.
• Consume at least 1200-1500 calories per day, depending on your age, height, current weight, activity level, current medications, etc.
• Have the right mindset to start this diet plan.

Quick Tip

If you have high LDL cholesterol levels, diabetes, or a family history of heart disease, then it is best not to eat more than one egg per day.

Boiled Egg Diet Plan

Image: Shutterstock

This specific diet plan is restricted to simple breakfast, lunch, and dinner with no snack options. You can drink enough water in between meals to stay hydrated.

Boiled Egg Diet Plan – Week 1

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

How You Will Feel By The End Of Week 1

By the end of Week 1, you will lose all the water weight and feel less bloated.

Boiled Egg Diet Plan – Week 2

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

How You Will Feel By The End Of Week 2

By the end of Week 2, you will feel super light and energetic. You will love the way you look, and adhering to the diet plan for 14 days will give your confidence an extra boost. All your gut problems will reduce, and your metabolism will be back on track.

There are certain low calorie snacks that you can have whenever you feel hungry without any guilt. Have them two hours after or at least one-hour post and pre-meal, respectively.

Healthy Snacks You Can Eat While On The Boiled Egg Diet

• Baby carrots and hummus
• Cucumber
• Tomato
• Beetroot juice
• Low GI freshly pressed fruit juice
• 1 digestive biscuit
• 2 saltine crackers
• Unsalted popcorn
• 10 in-shell pistachios
• Watermelon
• Yogurt
• Coconut water

You can consume these between breakfast and lunch and lunch and dinner. Avoid eating anything post-dinner.

Let’s now look into the three types of egg diet plan.

Types Of Egg Diet

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• Boiled Egg Diet – 2 boiled eggs per day along with other low-cal and high protein foods.
• Eggs And Grapefruit Diet – 2 eggs (boiled/scrambled/poached/fried) and half a grapefruit with low-carbohydrate, high-protein breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
• Extreme Egg Diet – You only consume eggs and water at every meal. This is a nutritionally imbalanced diet, and we do not recommend it.

Mentioned below are the foods you can eat and must avoid while on this diet.

Foods To Eat

• Veggies – Spinach, kale, collard greens, radish greens, Swiss chard, cabbage, purple cabbage, lettuce, Chinese cabbage, bok choy, celery, beetroot, carrot, turnip, radish, okra, eggplant, bitter gourd, bottle gourd, squash, green chili, garlic, and onion.

• Fruits – Apple, banana, kiwi, watermelon, honeydew melon, muskmelon, plum, peach, tomato, cucumber, avocado, star fruit, orange, grapefruit, lime, and lemon.

• Protein – Eggs, chicken breast, fish, tofu, soy chunks, mushroom, lentils, beans, nuts, and seeds.

• Dairy – Full-fat milk, yogurt, homemade ricotta cheese, and buttermilk.

• Fats And Oils – Olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, almond butter, sunflower butter, and flaxseed butter.

• Nuts And Seeds – Almonds, walnuts, pistachios, flax seeds, chia seeds, melon seeds, pepita, and sunflower seeds.

• Herbs And Spices – Cilantro, chili flakes, garlic powder, ginger, garlic, onion powder, oregano, rosemary, dill, fennel, fenugreek, black pepper, white pepper, cardamom, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, mace, and saffron.

Foods To Avoid

• High-sodium foods
• High-sugar foods
• Processed and frozen foods
• Packaged fruit/vegetable juices
• Soda and energy drinks
• High-fat meat
• Fried chicken, fries, pizza, and burger
• Canola oil, vegetable oil, butter, and cream cheese
• Low-fat milk and low-fat yogurt
• Chicken with skin

Here are a few easy and quick recipes for you while on the egg diet. Take the basic idea of including healthy foods and give them a tasty twist. Take a look.

Egg Diet Healthy Recipes

1. Banana Smoothie Breakfast

Image: Shutterstock

Ingredients

• 2 medium-sized bananas
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 almonds, slivered
• 1 teaspoon flaxseed powder
• 1 teaspoon dark cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 sapodilla (with the peel)

How To Prepare

1. Toss all the ingredients into a blender.
2. Blitz it.
3. Pour the smoothie into a tall glass and sip!

2. Boiled Egg Salad Lunch

Image: Shutterstock

Ingredients

• 2 large boiled eggs
• 1/2 cup iceberg lettuce
• 5-6 cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped kale
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• A pinch of salt

How To Prepare

1. Slice up the eggs, roughly chop the iceberg lettuce, and halve the cherry tomatoes.
2. Toss them into a salad bowl.
3. Add the chopped kale, dried herbs, chili flakes, salt, and olive oil.
4. Toss it well and voila! You have the perfect meal prep.

3. Mixed Lentil Soup Dinner

Image: Shutterstock

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon red lentil
• 1 tablespoon split green gram
• 1 tablespoon yellow pigeon peas
• 1 tablespoon mung daal
• 2 tablespoons chopped onions
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon dry red chili
• 1/2 tomato, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 1/2 cups water
• A handful of cilantro
• Salt to taste

How To Prepare

1. Wash the lentils and boil them in one and a half cups of water.
2. Heat a pan and add olive oil.
3. Add the cumin seeds and cook for 30 seconds.
4. Toss in the garlic and ginger. Cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the chopped onions and cook until they become translucent.
6. Add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric, salt, chili flakes, and half of the cilantro.
7. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
8. Add the boiled lentils and cook until it starts to boil.
9. Cook for 2 minutes more and then turn off the heat.
10. Garnish with the remaining cilantro and enjoy your dinner!

As you can see, it is not really tough to prepare a healthy, homemade meal. But the question is, what are the benefits of following the egg diet for two weeks, apart from weight loss? Find out below.

Benefits Of The Boiled Egg Diet

• The protein in eggs helps lower blood pressure (6), (7), (8).
• High in antioxidants and reduces oxidative stress (5).
• It lowers inflammation in the body (9).
• Enhances skin quality by reducing acne (10).
• Prevents hair fall and stimulates growth (11).
• Boosts immunity (12).
• Strengthens the bones (13), (14).

Along with aiding weight loss, this diet will also improve your overall health and appearance.

Side Effects Of The Boiled Egg Diet

• Consuming more than two whole eggs per day can lead to high cholesterol. It is safe to consume two whole eggs per day.
• Consuming boiled eggs for breakfast every day can become monotonous. Eat boiled eggs for lunch or dinner instead of breakfast. Also, try different ways of including boiled eggs in your lunch or dinner like adding them to lettuce wraps, making deviled eggs, etc.
• Boiled eggs may cause bloating in some people.
• In the initial days of the diet, you may crave food and feel hungry all the time. Drink green tea or water and snack on healthy foods if your hunger is uncontrollable.
• You may experience breakouts.
• This is not a long-term weight loss program.
• You might gain the weight back if you do not follow a healthy lifestyle after completing two weeks of this diet.

Infographic: When To Avoid The Boil Egg Diet

While the boiled egg diet may result in quick weight loss, it is restrictive and may not suit everyone. Before trying this diet, you should be aware of your health issues and family history. Look at the infographic below to be aware of the health conditions and circumstances when you should avoid the boiled egg diet.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the boiled egg diet safe?

Having a boiled egg once in a meal with a low-carb diet is beneficial if you want to lose weight. But always speak to your doctor and dietitian before starting the egg diet plan.

How much weight can you lose on an egg diet?

It varies based on your meal plan and lifestyle. Following the egg diet plan, along with exercise, can help you lose anywhere between 15-20 pounds.

Can I eat 6 eggs a day?

Eating 6 eggs a day might shoot up your cholesterol levels and make you feel bloated. But it depends on your activity level. If you are an athlete and engage in heavy exercise, you can consume 6 eggs a day. But if you do no to moderate exercise, limit your intake to 2 eggs per day. Make sure you talk to a doctor before following this plan.

How long should you boil eggs?

For a soft yoke with somewhat firmer whites, boil eggs for around 7-8 minutes. However, for hard-boiled eggs, boil them for roughly 12-13 minutes.

Which part of the egg is good for weight loss?

Egg whites are considered better for weight loss as they contain only protein and no fats and cholesterol (20).

Does eating eggs make you look younger?

Eggs contain essential fats, proteins, and other nutrients, which may contribute to your skin health when consumed as a part of a healthy and balanced diet.

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Merlin Annie RajRegistered Dietitian Nutritionist

   

Merlin Annie Raj is a Registered Dietitian based out of Hyderabad, India. She has 14 years of experience in Clinical Nutrition as well as teaching Nutrition and Dietetics to undergraduate and postgraduate students. She was awarded the ‘President’s Award’ at the 47th Annual National Conference of the Indian Dietetic Association, 2014. Merlin has conducted various weight management programs, prepared diet...more

Priyanka SadhukhanNutritionist, CDE

Priyanka is a nutritionist and a Certified Diabetes Educator. She has over 8 years of experience in nutrition and dietetics with a strong research background. She is passionate about science and how it can be applied to one’s daily lifestyle. According to her, food is the best medicine, and proper nutrition is key to achieving good health. She has also...more