Egg whites contain much of the beneficial nutrients in an egg, making them a low-calorie, healthy option when losing weight. If you are both dieting and monitoring how much cholesterol you eat each day, choosing egg whites over an entire boiled, scrambled or fried egg can help you lose weight and control your cholesterol intake.
Nutritional Requirements
Eating adequate protein is important while dieting, and eggs and egg whites fall within the protein group . Although beef, pork, poultry and nuts are also in the protein group, some of those choices contain saturated fat, which is high in calories and contributes to heart disease, and high amounts of cholesterol. Egg whites have no cholesterol or saturated fat, which helps you stay within the recommended intake of 300 mg or less of cholesterol per day, and less than 10 percent of your total calories from saturated fat each day. Fats contain nine calories per gram, and eating an excess of foods high in fat may make losing weight difficult.
Calories
Egg whites are very low in calories, with a single egg white containing just 17 calories. In contrast, a whole egg contains 72 calories. As you reduce calories while dieting, using lower calorie, nutritionally dense foods such as egg whites can help you stay within your caloric allowance for the day. If you eat 1,500 calories a day, three egg whites are just 3.4 percent of your overall caloric intake for the day.
Nutrients
The whites of two eggs have a trace of fat, 7.2 g of protein and 108 mg of potassium. The protein in the egg white may be beneficial to losing weight and weight management, as protein-rich foods help you feel full, which may help you control food intake, while at the same time helping you maintain lean muscle. Two egg whites give a female 15 percent of her total protein needs, and a male 13 percent of his.
Strategies
Substituting egg whites for whole eggs is an easy way to reduce calories, fat and cholesterol. You can eliminate whole eggs completely in omelets and scrambled eggs . Add to the nutritional value of your breakfast meal by sprinkling finely chopped red peppers, broccoli and onions into your egg white mixture during cooking. When baking, use two egg whites in place of each egg in your muffin or low-calorie cake recipe. If you enjoy boiled eggs, eat the entire white, but just half the yolk, or top a green salad with chopped, boiled egg whites. If you eat breakfast at a restaurant, ask for an egg-white omelet than a whole egg .
