My 6 Egg Omelet Recipe
In a recent discussion on twitter about what’s considered a “normal consumption” of eggs per day, I got quite a few responses. From 2-3 eggs a day to 6 eggs a day including variations on whole eggs vs egg whites being best.
I shared my 6 egg omelet recipe through a tweet and then thought I should share the images I took a few months back while I made it one morning. These were originally uploaded to facebook and taken with my blackberry, so excuse the quality. I’ll replace them with higher quality images later.
How Many Eggs Is Normal?
So what’s considered the normal amount of eggs to consume in a day? Each of us should have our own definition of normal as @ink_slinger asked. And that’s just it isn’t it. We now know that eggs are good for us, that the “cholesterol confusion” around them has been solved and that eggs do not raise cholesterol and are not a cause for concern at all.
Eggs are finally getting the respect they deserve, yet some still fear consuming them.
Are they only for weight lifters, sports enthusiasts, people who exercise hard?
Or can egg consumption actually help people lose weight, make them feel better and improve their health?
again, depending on how you were brought up, how your eggs are produced (or where), egg consumption can have different impacts.
I remember reading a story about an interviewer asking a man who had lived to be 100 years old about his habit of consuming up to 40 eggs a day. He responded “I never thought twice about it”.
It’s just an egg. It’s the most bio adaptable source of protein for the human body and it’s what all other proteins are compared to when describing their quality.
Regardless of what your take is on this whole question, here is my 6 egg omelet recipe.
Fresh Greens Fried In Coconut Oil
I begin with slicing and dicing onion, red, yellow or orange peppers, broccoli (about a cup), 2 kale leaves de-stemmed and cut into small pieces and then fry them a little in coconut oil. Near the end, I might put a little water in the middle and then cover it with a lid to steam it a bit at the end. Fresh mushrooms would be good to add here too, I just use mushrooms as often as I should.
Add 6 Eggs To Greens
I put in another little drizzle of coconut oil and then either beat 6 whole eggs ahead of time and pour in, or just crack them individually over the mixture. I make a “mans omelet”, with none of that fancy steaming or whatever. I just scramble them up and let them cook, turning them over once, little pieces at a time. I don’t bother with a one off “flip” of the omelet. Too much trouble. At this point, I grind some black pepper over it, along with sea salt and sprinkle on a good amount of cayenne pepper. Pepper and Cayenne help to perk up the metabolism as well. Nice little weight loss tip.
Topped With Raw Spinach
I add a big heaping bunch of raw spinach. Can you have too much spinach on your omelet? I think not. Pile it high on half of the cooked eggs and get ready to fold the other half over.
Finished Omelet
Here it is done, with the other half of the omelet flipped up over the spinach.
I would then add various versions of hot sauces to this and might even add another side of steamed asparagus or more broccoli. The whole thing is then washed down with chia gel and I’m set for my morning.
So what’s your take on this question? How many eggs should be consumed in a day? I’d love to hear your responses.
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This is a great blog and a great post. I love eggs and could eat them every day for every meal. I love the versatility of them and also the nutrients they pack(high in protein).
Thanks a bunch and keep up the great work.
EGGGSSSS comeon how many of us tried raw egg after watching rocky, now i dont do the raw egg thing anymore (am grown up now lol) BUT eggs are so good you can boil um,scramble them,poach them,dry fry them, in fact you can never get bored and for me you can never eat too many, better than a kebab anyday
.-= privatestudmuffin´s last blog .. =-.
Eggs need to be cooked for the protein to be available. Raw eggs have 51% of their protein absorbed while cooked eggs have 90% absorption rate.
Try these tips:
1. Ditch the Teflon pan. Search the web for the poison it releases as it is heated up. If you do use a Teflon pan keep the heat low.
2. Cook your omelet as Rob lists above, but instead of flipping it put the pan under the broiler (about 5 inches away from the heat source) to cook the top half.
3. If you quickly whisk a lot of air into your eggs just prior to putting them into the pan the eggs will puff up when you put them in the broiler.
4. Could you give me the source for the percent of raw vs. cooked egg protein you absorb? Thanks.
What is the absorption rate for raw eggs vs cooked eggs? Got the info for you @Broomy. It’s from the Journal of Nutrition
i start mine by whisking them whilst on heat till they srart to scramble, then leave alone to set, that also heaps “raise” the omelet, but i have done the grilling the top also, i fold mine too to be honest, i just like like that,also i always put chillie in as that helps raise the metabolism
wow no raw eggs for me, everyday is a schoolday on this site
.-= privatestudmuffin´s last blog .. =-.
Great post, eggs are the best source of protein you can get.
BK
.-= BlueKayak´s last blog ..Exercise Your Way To An Active Metabolism =-.
Hi Rob
Thanks for sharing the omelette recipe. I’m just curious about the ““cholesterol confusion”” that it has been solved. Do you mean eggs contains no cholesterol, period? Or do you mean no cholesterol if you remove the yolk?
I might have missed some new research.
hey Rob,
thanks for this great post. keep up the great work.
Hey man
Nice recipe! I gotta say though, I myself tend to be a bit careful about the number of egg yolks i use in my omelette. I usually use one whole egg, including yolk, and then add about 4-5 egg whites. Throw in some onions,spinach, tomatos and coriander, Put a lil drop of olive oil in the pan and cook that baby up!
=)
– Tek
@Tek, how do you mean cautious about the amount of yolks in your omellet. By removing the yolk, you remove the nutrition. The white is just protein and lacking nutrition. What’s your reasoning for removing the yolk? Do you know how much protein is in a yolk?
Great info and great blog! Nice job on this post. It’s very informative and making me hungry. I’ll def try this recipe and let you know how it goes!
I love eggs, I grew up on them. Now that I live in the country with my husband (a former fat guy)we eat allot of farm fresh organic eggs. Eggs are the best! eat as many as you want! It’s usually 2-3 per day for us (each) not including the eggs I bake and cook into things total 4? Maybe more.
I’m glad the cholesterol confusion has been cleared up too. Nice to know dietary cholesterol has nothing to do with the body producing cholesterol as a result of a bad diet choices/lifestyle/genetics.
I had a suite mate in college (early eighties) that just ate the whites. He was a lean bodybuilder type and usually wore gym shorts around his room, and also regularly sick. He should have caught on that something was not working.
Look at the number of animals that eat eggs as a primary food source and that should calm your worries about them. When I took a nutrition classes decades ago, the egg was the standard of nutrition for the World Health Organization.
I do well on 2 or 3 eggs for breakfast along with a meat and potatoes. Try to avoid the hash browns that are presoaked in fats to make them stick together and then deep fried like at McDonalds and many fastfood chains, same goes for tater tots. The best are grilled with no fat prior to cooking. My bloodpressure went up 10 point in 3 months from McDonalds hashbrowns (living in a motel room at the time) and returned to normal eating the 2 egg mcmuffins without the cheese and no hash browns, even though I was drinking a medium coke with a refill every morning. I really recommend switching to tea as the colas are just all around bad for your teeth, waistline, and pH levels, but that’s another story.
I’m doing pretty well on 6 eggs per day (two whole eggs and four egg whites). It’s a filling breakfast/lunch and a good way for a veggie like me to get lots of protein in one hit!
Love the look of that 6 egg omelet! I am a huge fan of eggs. Its bad that everyone is so scared of egg yolks cause they are great for you. True, the yolk in the eggs have cholesterol, the unknown truth is that the yolk also contains Choline. Without choline both fat and cholesterol accumulate in the liver, so choline actually helps keep liver health optimum. Choline also helps lower homocysteine which is a risk factor for heart disease. The egg yolk is the only part of the egg which has this powerful nutrient in it. The egg yolk also holds the healthy Omega-3 fats that everyone has been raving about recently.
Why & when did you start eating meat/eggs again after being veg? How do you go back??
The 6 egg omelet looks pretty damn good. I agree that you never have too much fresh spinach. I’m really not an omelet. I usually eat egg whites when I make my omelets now.
@MDB The best potatoes are no potatoes. Eggs, I eat at least 6 hardboiled eggs a day. I believe the egg to be the perfect food. And they are so cheap! You just can’t beat the price for the amount of nutrients they provide!
Aaron it depends a lot on your activity level and metabolism. The preferred source of energy for performance athletes is starches. The Irish centuries ago practically lived on them like Asians eat rice. If you are a couch potato, then you should eat only a small portion (half to 1/4 of a Wendy’s baked potato). Nerve impulses depend on potassium found in Potatoes and Bananas. Athletes that ride a bike for 4 hours will suffer from fatigue for days until they get enough potassium. Potatoes are a great source of vitamin C.
Right now I am losing weight (5 pounds in two weeks) and the only exercise was shoveling the driveway (2 1/2″ snow and 1/2″ snow) and going up and down the stairs for laundry. My house thermostat is at 66 or 67 degrees Fahrenheit, so I also have an extra layer of clothes on.
I have been eating a lot of lean pork (pork loin with the fat trimmed off before cooking) and chicken breast, green beans (1/2 can at a time), 2 pounds per week of dry roasted unsalted peanuts (no added fat). I also had sweet potatoes, canned pineapple (20 oz can in one sitting), Mandrin Oranges (15 oz can in one sitting), blueberries, green or red leaf lettuce (medium plate) with an Olive Oil (and soybean oil – yuck) Italian Dressing or Consorzio Mangoe Fat-Free Dressing. 2 or 3 large eggs (yolk and all) several times a week. Canned Tuna with Brown Rice and Olive Oil (may have been something else in that), Almonds, Walnuts and Pecans. I cannot recommend people eat the amount of nuts I have been. To help me metabolism them I take a L-Carntine supplement.
I been drinking 3 mugs of hot green tea (young whole leave, not teabag – Shanghai Chinese friends say very slimming effect – lot more than soft drinks at least) per day and trying not to drink my beloved Coke-a-Cola (up to 24 ounces on the days I have it). Look up what high fructose corn syrup does to your liver (fatty liver just like alcohol, increase appetite, does not affect insulin much). I even had a Big n Tasty meal, hold the mayo, extra quarter meat well done (get rid of an extra tablespoon of fat) with greasy fries and a Coke on ice at McDonalds last night.
1 teaspoon of flax seed or flax seed meal per day helps too (fat is 50% omega 3 and rich in ligans). If you are lucky your egg laying chicken eats some flax seed too.
I eat my protein first and then my carbohydrates. This reduces the insulin response. So I cut back on carbs, but do not eliminate them from every meal. Eating fruit when I crave a coke. Got to say the most important thing is give up soft drinks. Your carbohydrate level will depend on how active you are, how sensitive you are and if you are trying to lose weight. Big for me too, now mom is in Florida, is only eating when I am hungry or maybe a few hours after that, drinking lots of water (takes water to hydrolyze [break apart]the carbon bonds in the fatty acid chains to burn the fat as energy). If you’re carbohydrate levels are low enough then your body will produce ketones, which have a sick sweet smell that will be notable on your breath like diabetics get when they go into ketosis (which is why some doctors are so scared of low carbohydrate diets).
I have an condition called Malasorbion that require me to take digestive enzymes, vitamin, minerals and amino acids for what ever is deficient in my diet or not being absorbed properly, which is why I study health and nutrition so much. Latest studies in the last year college Bio 127 – Cell Biology and Chem 251 – Organic Chemistry (for chemical engineer majors). My hope is if I eliminate 95% of the high fructose corn syrup from my diet and lose 60 pounds (I am 6′-2″ 262 pounds) that my liver, gall badder and pancreas function will return t normal. I cannot eat cheese or drink milk, so lettuce is very important part of my diet.
Donnell,
You can have too much spinach, and you would likely feel it if you get there. I believe the calcium in spinach is bound to phytic acid (also found in wheat and other grains) and it also contains oxalic acid [like rhubarb does]. The phytic acid in spinach and grains will not interfere will calcium absorption in other greens. So spinach is very nutritious, but eat some other greens, broccoli and/or almonds too.
I have had spinach grow under a layer of snow (from summer crop going to seed). Not sure if all varieties can do that.
According to this article iron absorption is good.
see http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/reprint/114/3/526.pdf and other site on the web or some nutrition and medical books.
Why Former Fat Guy 6 egg Omelet works.
In the liver there is a group of sulfur bearing amino acids that pass methyl groups around. Without Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 and Betaine, this cycle stops at homocysteine. I think it is part of the fat burning cycle. Anyway it involves cysteine and methionine in the metobolism as well. So spinach provide both the Folic Acid and Betaine and eggs the B12 (unless you lack an intrinsic factor to absorb it). Beets are another good source of Betaine. I have read this is not to be confused with Betain Hydrochloride found in digestive enzymes.
I think the book I read it in is “Methyl Magic, Maximum Health Through Methylation” by Craig Clooney, PhD. mine copy is in storage, but it looks familar.
http://www.amazon.com/Methyl-Magic-Maximum-Through-Methylation/dp/0836235851/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261587775&sr=1-1
@MDB (myself) at 8:40
I should say if you eat potatoes, new potatoes have a lower glycemic index. Yams, Sweet Potatoes and Squash is better. For rice, long grain has the lower glycemic index.
Also that a can of fruit, if I misjudge my activity level, my blood sugar can crash (fatigue or shakes), my toes tingle, fuzzy thinking and hungry again within an hour or worst immediately. After my blood sugar reaches a high enough level, my nose is stuffy too. So better to keep portions small or skip. I have less problems with potatoes, but same thing keep portions small or skip.
If you blood sugar is up, then you insulin is up, which means your not going to lose weight until you bring it back down. The 20 minute walk, climbing stairs (3 or 4 floors) etc.
what is “chia gel”?
Great post Rob. Eggs are one of the best sources of protein available. When I was a competitive bodybuilder about 15 years ago, I used to eat over a dozen egg whites each day, with only one or two yolks. However, since then I have learned that you need the entire egg.
I love what you do with the fried veggies. We do this quite often as well. My wife and I also love to fry green tomatoes in coconut oil. Since coconut oil doesn’t change chemically when heated, it’s actually healthy to fry foods with it. It can actually help speed up your metabolism.
For some great info on coconut oil, check out http://www.cancertruth.net/newsletter_2009dec.html/#Coconut
Anyway, keep up the good work!
I came across your blog whilst trying to find out how to publicise mine! I love your recipes, and your story is a real inspiration! I’m training for the London Marathon this spring, and have spent the last year working on turning myself from a couch potato into a marathon runner. It’s been hard work, but finding blogs like yours and seeing the changes you’ve made makes me sure I can do it!
I started doing Weight Watchers in July 2009 and I have really learned a lot. I have lost 50 of my 135 pound goal. As a recovering fast-food junkie, I get my quota every weekday by ordering scrambled eggs. It’s cheap, healthy, and filling. On the radio the other day, I heard them talking about a study that proved eating eggs in the morning curbed your appetite the rest of the day. Have you heard about that one? I would love to find a link that explains it further. Thanks for the inspiration and information!
I started my own blog last week and am exciting about adding another level of accountability to my journey. I would love any advice you have to offer. Thanks! – Kirsten
I lift weights on a regular basis, but I don’t eat red meat or pork and I eat very little chicken, turkey or fish. I rely on eggs (along with milk and whey protein powder) to supply me with the protein I need to build and maintain muscle mass.
Most people think eggs cause high cholesteral and are cautious about eating them. Going to try that recipe out tonight!
Thanks for the information!
Kelly
@ Results Not Typical Girl
Proteins and Fats do not spike insulin levels and you should not get hungry again until you need more food. With low glycemic meals you may go into a fat burning mode were glucagon levels rise (the opposite of insulin). In the absence of carbohydrates cells will burn fats and create ketones as a waste product instead of burning fat and carbohydrate together. (This condition is undesirable if you are a type one diabetic, but allows you to burn fat faster. Some say it causes “fruity” breath and it will also change the smell of urine)
High glycemic carbohydrates (potatoes, bread, cake, sugar, short and medium grain rices) typically cause a spike in insulin, in response to high blood sugar,that leaves a person hungry within a hour. More sensitive people many even start to shake, get drowsy or fall asleep with low blood sugar. Insulin tries to store blood sugar in the liver and muscles and store excess as fat or get rid of it through the kidneys (frequent urination typical of functional hypoglycemics and diabetics). In Hyperinsulinemia and type II Diabetes lipids inside the cells interfere with the function of insulin.
Former fat guy’s 6 egg omelet would be enough to feed two people in many cases. The kale is a great source of magnesium, calcium, vitamin C, betacarotene, folic acid and many other nutrients. The folic acid helps the liver function properly for a fatburning metabolism. His other vegetable choices are all excellent.
I would not try to go all day without eating another meal, because you don’t want your body to think you are starving. 3 to 6 meals with exercise and you can still burn a lot of fat.
6 meals is more typical of low fat vegan diets. Like those of Dr. Neal Barnard books http://pcrm.org/shop/index.html (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine – PCRM.ORG) and Dr. McDougal (“The McDougal Plan”)
Jorge Cruise (jorgecruise.com – also on facebook) is very good at get sugar out of the diet too).
Congradulation, sounds like you are well on your way. You don’t have to be hungry to lose weight. You can’t lose weight if you insulin levels are up.
@MDB, I’d challenge you on the “recipe could feed two people”. There’s really not a lot of calories in this omelet recipe. 6 large eggs are 445 calories. Veggies are essentially free calories (nominal calories to begin with, matched with the fiber) and then the coconut oil. If I had to guess, I’d say there are 550 to 600 calories in this.
wouldn’t really feed two people if you ask me. Barely feeds one.
with calorie tapering, eating bigger at breakfast (which I propose as the best way to burn fat and lose weight, while still eating and keeping up energy levels), a big breakfast at the beginning of the day and smaller meals to follow, ending with 100 or 200 calories meals in the evening, this recipe is a way to start the day strong.
add a little oatmeal and you’re Scooby!
@Rob
When I am just studying and not doing weight training I can eat 3 eggs cooked in a small aluminum Teflon sauce pan with glass cover with a teaspoon of olive oil wiped around to make the nonstick work. I will not be hungry for 4 to 6 hours after that, no snacks needed or maybe a handful of nuts and green tea. I am trying to add more of your ingredients, but usually I am in a rush in the morning. Maybe when I get my omelet pan out of storage.
When I do weight train. I might be able to eat your omelet. People should adjust the recipe proportionate to what makes them full. Not go hungry or be stuffed. That will vary with their activity level among other things.
I’ve known body builders to burn as much 10,000 calories per day and the average guy does what 2,000 to 2,500? I don’t really worry about calories, but more about what makes me feel good and function well. Keeping sugars down and avoiding high glycemic foods when I can.
When I am feeling lazy and need something to eat before bedtime I will eat a frozen Amy’s vegetarian meal (not many calories). Just enough to do the job and not wake me up in the middle of the night.
I used to eat a double quarter pound hamburger (lettuce and tomatoes,no cheese, no mayonnaise) small or medium fries and 20 oz coke for lunch. So how ever many calories that is, works. Now I am trying to give up the Colas and eat healthier. Not sure what I’ll do when I return to work.
This is the first post I’ve read, so I don’t know your philosophy but it sounds like you have some Nourishing Traditions (Sally Fallon) mentality… eggs and coconut oil are both fabulous and healthy…
Yes, you do need to ditch the teflon… go for cast iron… NT also recommends cooking the spinach to destroy anti-nutrients prior to consuming.
We eat A LOT of eggs… yolk and all. My 5 yo can even make her own egg scramble at breakfast, with no assistance from me. All my kiddos start the day with 2-3 eggs, hubs is a 4 egg guy and each day varies for me.
I use REAL pastured butter or coconut oil to cook in… and our veggies of choice are zucchinis, mushrooms, and asparagus. We enjoy our spinach in our daily kefir fruit smoothies.
great site, and great accomplishments.
are you ready for the next level?
check out jan kwasnieski’s optimal nutrition.
http://homodiet.netfirms.com/
don’t knock it till you have tried it. this is how you get ripped by stuffing your face with as much as you want, lie around in bed and wake up in the a.m. with six pack abs.
Love the blog, came across it trying to find something similar to what I am having for breakfast everyday and three times a day every other day (training days) since the 9th of may.
It consists 1 cup of fat free cottage cheese, 1 cup of raw egg whites, 1/2 a cup of raw rolled oats, 1 cup of water, 4 tablespoons of ovaltine chocolate and 4 table spoons of ovaltine malt. I usually add a banana in every other shake.
I dont know how healthy this is but it tastes great once I blend all of it and it keeps me full for 4 hours. 652 total calories, 95.5g total carbs, 62g protein (including banana). I also supplement this with a B-complex, multivitamin, flax+DHA and CLA taken throughout the day. All ears for any advice! BTW I also switch the whole choco+malt for fresh strawberries and a banana sometimes.
Great post, eggs are the best source of protein you can get.<– I agree on this. However, if you're planning to loss weight and concerned of what foods to it, it's better to find out first your body type. Loosing weight fast would really depend on your body type and their you will learn how and where to start!
Great post and hope this will be shared to anyone!
@Dr Berg, Agreed. Most of my audience are the heavier individual, not the “just overweight”, but rather then “greatly overweight”. It’s been my experience that the body type that gains that much weight are Kapha body types and or Protein body types.
Vata tend to never gain weight of any kind and Pita can burn off anything once they get moving.
It’s the protein body type / Kapha that this post is directed towards.
The other purpose of the post is to show that we do not have to avoid whole eggs. it’s the yolk where the nutrition lies. Avoiding it is, IMHO, not a good plan.
Thank you for your comment
Yeah! I love my eggs. I used to eat probably 5-6 a day but not all the yolks. (It never quite seem natural to throw away some of the yolks though, but I did it because everyone else did… I know better these days.)
I ended up eating so many omelets that I got a little burnt out on them and gave them up for a while.
I finally came back around and, now, I’ve been eating several whole eggs just about everyday and love every last bite. If you think about it, it’s like eating an entire chicken. Tons of nutrition packed in there.
I would only use Egg Whites because I am overly fat now and I need to lose at least 50 lbs to be confident enough to add the yolk to my diet. By that time I will have energy to burn. Keep me in your prayers.
@Karl, might I present to you, for your consideration, that it’s the avoiding of fat’s and the yolk that is keeping you from your goals? What if everything you’ve ever thought about food was wrong and is actually keeping you fat and or unhealthy?
consider eating the yolks, but start with 3 eggs instead of 6. Then simply account for the calories (not the fat) and eat less later.
Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, supper like a pauper.
Eat big in the am, and then progressively less through the day.
voila.. eat the eggs, increase your nutrition, lose weight, feel better.
ooohhh… and then improve the quality of the eggs…. ya… switch from store bought to farmers market bought. Better eggs have more nutrition. Store bought eggs are just like potato chips. They look like a food but aren’t really.
the nutrition is IN THE YOLK, not the white.
I would try your idea of adding spinach to omelet.