Hard-boiled eggs are easy and convenient when leading a busy lifestyle. Not only are they easy to make, but they also last in the fridge—shelled or unshelled—for up to a week. The six grams of inexpensive, high-quality protein each egg boasts isn’t their only nutritional benefit; they’re also rich in selenium, riboflavin, and vitamins D and B12. Additionally, research suggests that consumption of eggs can help increase satiety and yield significant weight improvements.
Luckily, as easy as it is to peel and pop them in your mouth, it’s just as easy to add them to enticing recipes. Click on through for some healthy options.
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In a Sandwich
An egg salad sandwich is a typical choice, but it can go beyond just that. This concoction from Slim Sanity puts a creative and healthy twist on the classic recipe. It combines hard-boiled eggs and bacon with avocado and Greek yogurt for a creamy texture, similar to the real thing. You’ll get over 20 grams of protein per serving from the eggs, yogurt, and bacon, and 5 grams of filling fiber from subbing the avocado in for mayo. To cut calories and fat even more, use slices of turkey bacon instead of regular bacon. Serve the mixture as is or in-between two slices of whole-grain, or gluten-free, bread. Egg salad still not your thing? Try this ricotta hard-boiled egg and smashed pea sandwich recipe from Naturally Ella, which layers sliced hard-boiled eggs on top of a ricotta and smashed pea mixture.
Take a stab at French cuisine with this broccoli gribiche recipe from The Wimpy Vegetarian. What’s a gribiche? It’s a cold, mayonnaise-style sauce made from emulsifying hard-boiled eggs yolks and mustard with oil. What about those leftover egg whites? Don’t worry – you can chop them and add them to the sauce as a final touch, just before dousing the roasted vegetables with it.
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Straight-Up Deviled
As popular as these bite-sized appetizers are, they aren’t the easiest on your waistline, thanks to the mayonnaise. This lightened-up deviled eggs recipe from A Kitchen Addiction subs in non-fat Greek yogurt for the mayonnaise, which not only cuts the calories and fat, but also adds protein without compromising on taste.
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Stuffed with Guacamole
You might call this one the deviled egg’s first cousin. Similar to deviled eggs, the hard-boiled egg yolks are separated from the egg whites and mixed with other ingredients, then returned to the empty egg white shells. Instead of mixing the egg yolks with a creamy, milk-based ingredient, this recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen calls for avocado, along with other guacamole staples.
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The B.E.L.T Sandwich
There’s a new spin on B.L.Ts—meet the B.E.L.T. sandwich—a combination of bacon, egg, lettuce, and tomato. Start by layering turkey bacon, a sliced hard-boiled egg, lettuce, and tomato between two slices of whole-grain or gluten-free bread.
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Wrapped In Meat
Known as a “Scotch egg,” this popular British creation consists of a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage, which is then breaded and fried. For a lighter version, The Healthy Foodie opted to omit the breading, replace the sausage with ground chicken, and bake rather than fry them.
Kedgeree, another traditional British dish, is a unique, Indian-inspired combination of flaked fished, hard-boiled eggs, and curry. Traditionally served over rice as the base, this Paleo diet-friendly version from Fresh Planet Flavor gets its grain-free foundation from riced cauliflower.
For those of you who can’t stomach the thought of pickled hard-boiled eggs here’s a recipe from Eat Your Greens that’s not nearly as intense. Known as “shoyu tamago,” or “soy sauce eggs,” this Japanese staple combines soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar to add a little salty, sour, and sweet to plain hard-boiled eggs. Opt for low-sodium soy sauce or use low-sodium tamari if gluten-intolerant.
Grate hard-boiled eggs just like you would cheese in this recipe from Pinch and Swirl. This recipe takes less than 30 minutes and requires only four ingredients, including the eggs. Feeling a bit more ambitious? Check out this recipe from Skinny Ms, in which the asparagus and grated egg concoction is layered atop grilled salmon fillets for a protein-rich, heart-healthy meal.
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In Cookies
Yes, you’ve read that correctly. Hard-boiled eggs are incorporated into your classic chocolate chip cookie dough for a denser final product in this recipe from Cookies and Cups. Although these cookies are far from guilt-free, the extra protein from the eggs can’t hurt!
