Healthy, high protein egg salad is not difficult. Eggs are extremely nutritious. The protein in eggs is the most bioavailable source of protein for humans.
Each egg contains all of the essential amino acids and between 6 to 8 grams of protein per egg.
This healthy high protein egg salad has 25.6 grams of protein per serving
Read more: The Ultimate Guide to Protein
How Healthy Is an Egg Salad Sandwich
Eggs are very healthy and make nutritious egg salad sandwiches.
Vitamin B12 is an important vitamin for fatty acid and amino acid metabolism. It is only available in animal sources and eggs are an excellent non-meat source, providing 23 percent of your daily value in just one egg!
Eggs also contain important and rare nutrients such as lutein.
Dr. Blumberg at Tufts University says, “One egg yolk provides approximately 200 micrograms of lutein, and lutein in eggs is 200-300 percent more bioavailable than vegetable sources of lutein.”
The lutein in eggs exists in lipid form which means it is highly bioavailable – easy to digest.
Xeaxanthin is another important nutrient in eggs. It, along with lutein helps to prevent degenerative eye disease that can come with age.
Add in high protein greek yogurt with calcium and antioxidants from spices and this egg salad sandwich is a highly nutritious meal.
What About the Cholesterol and Fat in Egg Salad?
Cholesterol has been a popular topic over the last couple of decades.
Eggs were demonized during the 80s and 90s when rudimentary science proclaimed that eating cholesterol increased cholesterol.
We now know that this is not the case and that cholesterol is actually an extremely healthy and necessary nutrient.
There are two types of cholesterol. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is considered “bad” cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is considered “good” cholesterol.
The good cholesterol actually helps to flush out the bad cholesterol and keep overall cholesterol levels healthy.
Since cholesterol is necessary for hormone and vitamin D production, getting enough is important and eggs are an excellent source.
Healthy Fats in Egg Salad
Eggs contain about 5 grams of fat each.
The fat in eggs is healthy. Omega fatty acids and a small amount of saturated fat in eggs contribute to diet satiety and good health.
However, eating several eggs plus mayonnaise may be a bit of a fat overload, especially if the mayonnaise is made with oils that aren’t as healthy.
An easy fix is to keep some of the egg yolks while using just the whites of more eggs to increase the protein while controlling the amount of fat eaten at once. Replacing some mayonnaise with greek yogurt adds even more protein and lowers the unhealthy fat content.
Balancing macronutrients while controlling calories is important for weight maintenance.
Read more: Is A Low Carb Diet Healthy? The Real Deal with Carbs
How to Make Healthy Egg Salad
Boil 4 eggs for this recipe. I usually boil extra because they make awesome out of hand snacks and my kids love them in their lunchbox.
Another easy way to batch cook eggs is in the Instant Pot. See how here.
Mix the following ingredients.
- 1 whole boiled egg
- 3 boiled egg whites
- 1 tsp mayonnaise optional
- 2 tbsp greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp sriracha sauce or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/8 tsp sea salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp cayenne or to taste
- 1/8 tsp paprika regular or smoked
I like to chop my eggs up coarsely. Some people prefer to mash them. The choice is yours!
What to Serve with Egg Salad
Make this healthy egg salad for sandwiches or:
- Lettuce wrap
- English muffin
- On a bed of baby spinach
- Celery
- Baby bell peppers to scoop
- Bell pepper slices
- Crackers
- Pita bread
Read more: Lighter Potato Salad (with eggs!)
Other Quick Meal Prep Lunch Ideas
For other quick and healthy meal prep lunch ideas try these:
- Tangy Tuna Salad
- Healthy Veggie Egg Bake Casserole
- Chili Coconut Mango Chicken Salad Meal Prep
- Mini Meatloaf Meal Prep
Spicy Egg Salad
Ingredients
- 1 whole boiled egg
- 3 boiled egg whites
- 1 tsp mayonnaise optional
- 2 tbsp greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp sriracha sauce or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/8 tsp sea salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp cayenne or to taste
- 1/8 tsp paprika regular or smoked
Instructions
- Peel boiled eggs and add them to the bowl, using or removing as many yolks as desired
- Add remaining ingredients and mash to preferred consistency
- Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking!
Notes
Nutrition
