Both boiled eggs and mayonnaise are low in carbs; therefore egg salad is a very Keto-friendly food. What’s more, eggs are touted as one of the healthiest foods you can eat. So go ahead and enjoy your favorite egg salad recipe without guilt while on the Ketogenic diet.
At only 2 grams of net carbs per half cup serving, egg salad is a great option for low carb diets. Liven up egg salad by adding in your favorite low-carb raw veggies, like diced celery, bell pepper or green onion. Adding veggies not only boost nutrients, but it adds flavour as well as a little crunch.
However, you might want to skip the bread in that egg salad sandwich if you’re following the Keto diet and make lettuce wraps out of your egg salad instead.
How Many Carbs are in Egg Salad?
A half cup of egg salad contains 2 grams of carbs.
An egg salad sandwich made with a half cup of egg salad and two slices of whole grain bread contains 28 grams of carbs.
How Many Calories are in Egg Salad?
A half cup of egg salad contains 111 calories or 90 calories if made with low-calorie mayonnaise.
A full cup of egg salad contains 223 calories or 183 calories if made with low-calorie mayonnaise.
An egg salad sandwich made with a half cup of egg salad and two slices of whole grain bread contains 249 calories.
Nutrition Facts
| Egg Salad Serving Size: ½ cup (4 ounces) | |
| Calories | 223 |
| Total Fat | 12 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 2 grams |
| Cholesterol | 290 milligrams |
| Sodium | 453 milligrams |
| Total Carbohydrate | 2.10 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 0.5 grams |
| Sugars | 4.6 grams |
| Protein | 9.9 grams |
| Trans fat | 0.05 grams |
| Calcium | 52 grams |
| Iron | 1.55 grams |
Health Benefits
A large boiled egg contains 78 calories and a number of essential nutrients, like lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants that support healthy eyesight. Eggs are also rich in vitamin D which builds strong bones and supports immune function.
The choline found in eggs is known to improve metabolism, along with the healthy dose of potassium found in the mayonnaise.
Since eggs are a low-calorie, high protein food, they may support weight loss if a person incorporates them into a healthy diet. One large egg provides approximately 6 grams of protein.
Research studies suggest that eggs boost metabolic activity and increase feelings of satiety. Eating eggs for breakfast may stop a person from consuming extra calories throughout the day.
Studies have also shown that the vitamin E content in mayonnaise can help prevent strokes because the healthy fat can help your body better absorb nutrients. This makes sense because many vitamins and minerals like vitamins A, D, E and K are all fat-soluble.
The healthy fat and omega-3 fatty acids found in mayo is great for keeping your heart healthy. Healthy fats lower cholesterol.
Mayonnaise is also rich in vitamin K, E and choline. This condiment also contains minerals like potassium and selenium. Selenium is used by your body to fight the aging process and assists the immune system by reducing free radical damage.
How to Make Egg Salad Healthier
Try the following suggestions for a lower calorie egg salad:
- Only use half the yolks – Every 2 yolks you omit reduces each serving by 20 calories and 1 gram of fat. You’ll also lower your cholesterol intake.
- Swap out half the mayo for non-fat Greek yogurt. Low fat sour cream works well too, especially if you like your salad to have a little tanginess.
- Add raw veggies like celery, grated carrot, pickles, and green onion to bump up the nutrient quotient of your egg salad.
- Skip the bread – Make a wrap using Romaine lettuce leaves instead, or use egg salad to stuff a pepper.
- Pile egg salad on top of celery for a quick low carb snack.
- Enjoy egg salad on top of a garden salad instead of in a sandwich.
- Make a sandwich with low carb bread made with coconut flour or almond flour.
Side Effects
Eggs are a source of saturated fat and too much saturated fat has been shown to raise total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Individuals with high LDL cholesterol levels or those at risk of cardiovascular disease should consume the whites only and monitor their cholesterol intake carefully.
Keto Deviled Egg Salad Wraps Recipe
Ingredients:
- 6 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 or 2 stalks of green onion, diced
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon dill pickle relish (resist using sweet relish as it contains more carbs)
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- ½ teaspoon white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt
- 6 leaves of Romaine lettuce
Instructions:
- Boil eggs for exactly 11 minutes and peel. Chop the boiled eggs.
- Add the mayonnaise, green onion, celery, relish, mustard, vinegar, paprika, salt, and pepper to the yolks and mix together until combined.
- Serve with lettuce leafs to make wraps or enjoy on its own with a side salad.
Related Questions:
How Much Sugar is in Egg Salad?
There are 4.6 grams of sugar in a ½ cup of egg salad.
Can Eating Eggs Help you to Lose Weight?
Not only do eggs provide many health benefits, research suggests that eating eggs regularly can also support weight loss.
Because eggs are rich in protein and low in calories, they make a great food option for folks who are watching their weight. Protein assists in weight loss because it helps you feel fuller for longer periods of time. The simplest way to lose weight is to curb the intake of calories, and since eggs are less than 100 calories each, they can help you lose weight.
Studies show that a protein-rich breakfast including eggs helps individuals to eat less throughout the rest of the day. But eggs aren’t just for breakfast, they can be eaten for lunch or dinner as well. A meal consisting of two hard-boiled eggs and a cup of mixed vegetables contains only 274 calories. Add a few tablespoons of mayonnaise (healthy fat), and you not only have yourself a delicious egg salad, but you’ve got a complete meal.
It is important to note that frying eggs in oils or butter increases the caloric and fat content. A tablespoon of olive oil 119 calories. Hard-boiled is a great way to prepare eggs without using fat.
Eggs have also been found to boost the metabolism. A study conducted in 2012, suggests that diets rich in protein help treat obesity and metabolic syndrome, essentially because it makes people feel fuller for longer periods of time.
Eating eggs and other protein rich foods may help folks burn more calories than they would if they ate high carb or high fat foods.
A 2005 study compared the effects of overweight women who ate eggs for breakfast and those who had a bagel for breakfast. The results determined those who ate eggs lost more weight as compared with participants who ate the carbohydrate-rich breakfast.
Another study conducted in 2008 reported that a breakfast consisting of eggs enhanced weight loss in overweight or obese participants, but only if eaten as part of a calorie-controlled diet. Although the calorie counts in both breakfasts were equal, the participants who ate eggs for breakfast consumed less calories throughout the rest of the day. A further study from 2010 reported the same results in adult men.
In 2013, another research study was conducted on adult male participants who ate eggs for breakfast. In this study, 30 healthy men were randomly assigned to eat one of the following equal-calorie breakfasts: eggs with toast, cornflakes with milk along with toast, or a buttery croissant with orange juice.
Subjects who ate the egg-based breakfast reported feeling more satiated and less hungry than the other groups. They also had less desire to eat after their egg-based breakfast than the other participants and consumed less for lunch and dinner.
