The boiled egg diet is a fad diet that promises fast weight loss. As the name implies, the diet involves eating several servings of hard-boiled eggs per day, along with other lean proteins, non-starchy vegetables, and low carbohydrate fruits. While some appreciate the structured style of the plan and claim that it can jump-start weight loss, those beliefs don’t hold up to science. The diet is highly restrictive, difficult to follow, and generally ineffective.
This article reviews the boiled egg diet and whether it promotes weight loss and supports your health.
Diet Review Scorecard
Overall score: 1.33
- Weight loss: 1
- Healthy eating: 0.5
- Sustainability: 2
- Whole-body health: 1.5
- Nutrition quality: 1
- Evidence-based: 2
Bottom line: Although the boiled egg diet encourages eating healthy food groups and may promote short-term weight loss, it’s overly restrictive and unsustainable. Any weight you lose may be regained once you return to your typical eating pattern.
What is the Boiled Egg Diet?
Many people are currently looking for an effective way to lose weight in a short period of time. In an age where nutrition and diets have become popular as a source of weight loss, there are dozens of dietary plans that can help them. When you start a new eating regimen, you should be aware of its possible risks and benefits.
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With a plethora of different diets and lifestyles to explore, it’s important that you approach them mindfully and consider their potential impact on your health. The 14-day boiled egg challenge for weight loss is one such trend that has taken the digital world by storm and we’re here to break it down for you. The boiled egg diet is a dietary pattern that includes high amounts of eggs, lean protein, non-starchy vegetables, and low-carb fruits. So no, you won’t only be eating eggs on this diet. This diet is supposed to be low-calorie and low-carb. It claims to be able to deliver a potential weight loss of up to 25 pounds in 14 days. It may help rev up your metabolic rate and accelerate the fat-burning process. Another advantage is that it is easy to follow - all the dishes and meals are simple.
The boiled egg diet is based on a 2018 book published by Arielle Chandler, who doesn’t appear to be credentialed as a registered dietitian. The book offers a structured meal plan, recipes, and foods to eat and avoid. Although there are several variations of the diet, it typically involves eating either eggs or another type of lean protein with every meal, as well as non-starchy vegetables and one to two servings of low carb fruits per day. The author claims that because the diet is low in carbs and calories, followers can lose up to 25 pounds (11 kg) in just 2 weeks. Proponents also claim that the diet supplies nutrients that improve blood sugar management, support healthy vision, and strengthen your bones, hair, and nails. However, these claims aren’t supported by evidence.
The boiled egg diet restricts followers to specific foods for each meal of the day, and no snacks are allowed between each meal. For breakfast, followers consume at least two eggs, along with one serving of a non-starchy vegetable, like tomato or asparagus, and one low carb fruit, such as grapefruit. Lunch and dinner consist of non-starchy vegetables and either eggs or a small serving of another type of lean protein, such as chicken or fish. Although exercise isn’t required as part of the plan, light physical activity like biking, aerobics, or speed walking is encouraged to maximize results. Keep in mind that the diet is only intended to be followed for a few weeks at a time. After that, a transition period is recommended to help ease back into a regular diet.
Permitted Foods
The boiled egg diet consists mostly of eggs, lean proteins, and low carb fruits and vegetables. Calorie-free beverages are also permitted, including water and unsweetened tea or coffee without milk or cream. These are some of the foods encouraged as part of the diet:
- Eggs: whole eggs and egg whites
- Lean proteins: skinless poultry, fish, and lean cuts of lamb, beef, and pork
- Non-starchy vegetables: spinach, kale, arugula, broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini, collard greens, and tomatoes
- Low carb fruits: lemons, limes, oranges, watermelon, berries, and grapefruit
- Fats and oils: coconut oil, butter, and mayonnaise - all in small amounts
- Beverages: water, sparkling water, diet soda, and unsweetened tea and coffee
- Herbs and spices: garlic, basil, turmeric, pepper, rosemary, and oregano
Some variations of the plan also permit low fat dairy products, including skim milk and low fat yogurt and cheese.
Read also: Eggs on a Carnivore Diet
Restricted Foods
The boiled egg diet limits most foods with moderate to high carb counts, including starchy vegetables, grains, and many fruits. Sugar-sweetened beverages like soda are also off-limits, along with processed foods like sweet and salty snacks, frozen meals, and fast food. Here are some foods that the boiled egg diet restricts:
- Starchy vegetables: potatoes, sweet potatoes, legumes, corn, and peas
- High carb fruits: bananas, pineapples, mangoes, and dried fruit
- Grains: bread, pasta, quinoa, couscous, farro, buckwheat, and barley
- Processed foods: bacon, convenience meals, fast food, chips, pretzels, cookies, and sweets
- Sugar-sweetened beverages: soda, juice, sweet tea, and sports drinks
Consider that many of these restricted foods contain essential nutrients and are nutritious, healthy options for most people.
How the Boiled Egg Diet Works
The boiled egg diet consists mostly of low calorie foods like eggs, non-starchy vegetables, and low carb fruit. Thus, following the diet will likely lead to a calorie deficit, meaning that you’ll consume fewer calories than you burn throughout the day. A calorie deficit is one of many factors that may play a role in weight management. The boiled egg diet is also low in carbs. A low carb diet may enhance weight loss efforts. In fact, a review of 12 studies found that following a short-term, low carb diet significantly increased weight loss and improved several other risk factors for heart disease, such as blood pressure. In addition, a study in 164 people with overweight or obesity found that following a low carb diet for 20 weeks significantly enhanced metabolism and decreased levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin, compared with a high carb diet.
However, research into the effects of low carb diets is inconsistent. It’s also not clear whether the potential weight loss or possible health benefits of a low carb diet last long term. Keep in mind that although restrictive fad diets like this one may lead to initial weight loss, you’re likely to regain the lost weight once you resume your typical diet. Therefore, it’s not the best option for sustainable, long-term weight loss.
Potential Benefits of the Boiled Egg Diet
The boiled egg diet encourages followers to eat several healthy foods, including lean proteins, eggs, fruits, and vegetables, which are rich in many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are important to your health. The diet also limits foods that are less nutritious, like sugar-sweetened beverages and many processed foods. Besides being high in calories, carbs, and added sugar, studies show that sugar-sweetened beverages can contribute to issues like cavities, high blood pressure, inflammation, and insulin resistance. Furthermore, research shows that diets high in processed foods may be associated with a higher risk of obesity, heart disease, and cancer. However, the boiled egg diet’s downsides outweigh its potential benefits. You can incorporate the same healthy foods and limit the same less nutritious foods while following a more sustainable eating pattern that better supports overall health.
Read also: Breakfast for Weight Loss
Some potential benefits:
- High-quality protein intake: Eggs are a phenomenal source of protein and contain all the essential amino acids.
- Eye health: Eggs are full of lutein and zeaxanthin, which are antioxidants that support eye health.
- Brain health: Choline, which is found in eggs, is a nutrient that supports brain health.
- Heart health: While there is ongoing research relating to concerns about cholesterol, moderate egg consumption can be heart-healthy. Furthermore, egg consumption appears to change the pattern of LDL cholesterol (often known as “bad” cholesterol) particles from small and dense to large, which has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease.
- Convenience and versatility: Boiled eggs are easy to make and can be easily prepped in advance. They are versatile enough to be used for full meals or portable snacks.
Drawbacks and Risks
The boiled egg diet is highly restrictive and offers little variety, permitting only a handful of specific foods and eliminating entire food groups. The diet is not only difficult to follow long term, but it can also be challenging to meet your nutritional needs. Because only a few specific foods are permitted, your risk of nutrient deficiencies increases, especially if you follow the diet for a long time. For example, whole grains are rich in necessary fiber, vitamins, and minerals, while starchy vegetables like potatoes are great sources of the vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium that your body needs. Neither of these food groups is allowed on the diet.
What’s more, one egg only provides about 72 calories, meaning a diet based around eggs would likely offer little energy overall. Following the boiled egg diet may not result in enough caloric intake for most people. It’s unlikely that you would develop a nutrient deficiency by following the diet for the recommended time frame of 2 weeks. Still, prolonged calorie restriction causes serious side effects that may damage your body, including low energy levels, impaired immune function, decreased bone density, menstrual disturbances, and more. The boiled egg diet may also promote unhealthy eating habits or poor relationships with food since it eliminates entire food groups and severely restricts food intake.
- Restrictive and unsustainable: Despite the fact that this diet includes healthy and nutrient-dense foods, it is still quite restrictive. The food variety is quite poor too.
- Potential for nutrient deficiencies: Another drawback is that such a low variety of foods may lead to nutrient deficiencies if you follow the diet for longer than is recommended. For example, you know that the boiled egg diet doesn’t permit the consumption of whole grains, which are packed with vitamins, minerals, and most importantly, dietary fiber.
- Low calorie intake: You also know that this diet is low in calories. The calorie intake may even be too low for some people. Underfueling your body for a long period can lead to several health issues, including decreased bone density and low energy levels. Undereating can slow down your metabolism. A calorie deficit can potentially trigger weight loss, but when you lower your calorie intake, your body senses that food is scarce and reduces the rate at which it burns calories.
Healthier Alternatives
If weight loss is your goal, be sure to talk with a qualified healthcare professional before making drastic changes to your diet. There are many other healthy, effective, and sustainable eating patterns available that are available to you. For example, the Mediterranean diet has been associated with increased weight loss, decreased belly fat, and a lower risk of overweight and obesity. This plan is much less restrictive than the boiled egg diet and encourages a variety of nutrient-dense foods, including heart-healthy fats, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Low carb diets may also be effective for short-term weight loss without all of the unnecessary rules and restrictions of the boiled egg diet. Overall, though, it’s best to work with a registered dietitian to create an individualized plan that works for your weight loss goals and food preferences.
Sample Meal Plans
You already know what foods you can have from the 14-day egg diet food list and you can create your own meal plan using them. However, if you’re new to the world of dieting, it may be difficult to decide what to include in your daily menu. Here are some examples:
Meal Plan 1
- Breakfast: Eat your favorite citrus fruit and two hard-boiled eggs for breakfast.
- Lunch: Choose a steamed chicken filet or a low-calorie salad and a cup of Greek yogurt for lunch.
Meal Plan 2
- Breakfast: Eat your favorite citrus fruit and two hard-boiled eggs for breakfast.
- Lunch: Enjoy a grapefruit and roasted fish for lunch.
Additional Daily Meal Plans
- Eat your favorite citrus fruit and two hard-boiled eggs for breakfast. You can choose different citrus fruits to make your menu more diverse. Eat a salad with two boiled eggs for lunch.
- Start your day with your favorite citrus fruit or even have ½ glass of fresh citrus fruit juice and two hard-boiled eggs. Mix it up with the salad for lunch, perhaps a tuna or salmon salad, and eat two hard-boiled eggs for dinner.
- Eat two hard-boiled eggs and a citrus fruit for breakfast. Eat grilled fish and vegetable salad for lunch.
- Start your day with your favorite citrus fruit and two hard-boiled eggs. Two hard-boiled eggs and ½ grapefruit will be your breakfast. Eat two hard-boiled eggs for breakfast, and some chicken with vegetable salad for lunch.
- Start your day with a low-carb fruit and two hard-boiled eggs. Grilled chicken and vegetable salad will be your lunch.
- Include two boiled eggs and a low-carb fruit in your breakfast. Salad and grilled or boiled chicken will be your lunch.
- Start this day with a fruit and two hard-boiled eggs. Your second meal will consist of steamed vegetables, your favorite cheese (opt for low-fat), and a boiled egg.
- Start this day with two hard-boiled eggs. Eat steamed vegetables and grilled chicken for lunch.
Remember to stay properly hydrated during these two weeks.
Personal Experiences and Modifications
One individual shared their experience with a modified version of the egg diet, highlighting the importance of food variety and adequate protein intake. The original diet plan consisted of:
- Breakfast: Three boiled eggs and green tea.
- Lunch: Three boiled eggs, an apple, and green tea.
- Optional Afternoon Snack: An apple.
- Dinner: Oatmeal and green tea.
This person altered the plan to include two to three meals a day, each consisting of two to three eggs, plus miso soup, seafood and fish, vegetables, berries and other fruit, and nuts. They identified three main mistakes in the original diet:
- Insufficient Protein Intake: Six medium eggs only contain around 36g of protein, and a typical bowl of oatmeal contains about 5g. A sedentary adult should consume at least 0.8g of protein per kilogram of weight daily.
- Tea Consumption with Meals: Tea contains tannins, which can block the absorption of iron, especially problematic for women who need more iron.
- Massive Calorie Deficit: Cutting calories drastically can slow metabolism and lead to muscle loss.
This individual emphasized the importance of enriching the gut microbiome by eating a variety of foods, rather than just eggs and apples day after day. They also recommended eating slowly and chewing food well to feel more satiated.
Another individual, inspired by a nutritionist's "Egg Diet Plan" video, shared their routine, emphasizing the importance of:
- Looks: Monitoring for skin dehydration and eye bags.
- Health: Focusing on removing toxic fat without sacrificing overall health.
Their routine included:
- Starting the day with warm lemon water.
- Consuming 3 eggs and an apple for breakfast, with occasional additions of small portions of regular home-cooked meals to cope with cravings.
- Enjoying oatmeal with added home-cooked meals for dinner.
- Having almonds or peanuts for late-night cravings.
- Drinking 3 liters of water daily to combat dehydration from green tea consumption.