Eggs are an incredibly nutritious food and probably the world’s favourite breakfast item. They contain relatively few calories, but they’re packed with proteins, vitamins, minerals, healthy fats & various trace nutrients. That said, the way you prepare your eggs can affect their nutrient profile. This article explores the healthiest ways to cook and eat eggs.

Boiled

Hard-boiled eggs are cooked in their shells in a pot of boiling water for 6–10 minutes, depending on how well cooked you want the yolk to be. The longer you cook them, the firmer the yolk will become.

Poached

Poached eggs are cooked in slightly cooler water. They’re cracked into a pot of simmering water between 160–180°F (71–82°C) and cooked for 2.5–3 minutes.

Fried

Fried eggs are cracked into a hot pan that contains a thin layer of cooking fat. You can then cook them “sunny side up,” which means the egg is fried on one side, or “over easy,” which means the egg is fried on both sides.

Baked

Baked eggs are cooked in a hot oven in a flat-bottomed dish until the egg is set.

Scrambled

Scrambled eggs are beaten in a bowl, poured into a hot pan, and stirred over low heat until they set.

Omelet

To make an omelet, eggs are beaten, poured into a hot pan, and cooked slowly over low heat until they’re solid. Unlike scrambled eggs, an omelet isn’t stirred once it’s in the pan.