What Nobody Tells You About Eggs + The Best Egg Substitutes

This is the part, where I have to convince you to keep reading. Do you like eggs? Then I have bad news, so stop reading if you are not ready to hear it. But the truth is out there anyway, so maybe you don’t want to stay Jon Snow, who knows nothing, right? 😀 In this article, you will learn what eggs really are, what they do to your body and what are the best egg substitutes.

Why am I doing this? Because I want to help you even if you are transitioning to a vegan/plant-based diet or you want to eat fewer eggs or maybe you are allergic to them. Anyway, I am happy that you are here and you are reading this article, because it means that you care about your health, which is a good thing! 🙂

Disclosure: Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a small commission. Keep in mind that I only recommend products because I love them and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. You will buy the product(s) on the same price, and the decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

Disclosure 2: I am no doctor or dietitian, and these are my own experiences and all the information I share with you can be found in the book: How not to die, or in The Complete Guide to Even More Vegan Food Substitutions, if not, I link the source.

What are eggs and why do people eat them?

In my previous article, I mention eggs as the first thing I would get rid of… For me, it was probably the easiest as I never liked them. I don’t know why but I found them weird to eat.

First of all, they come out of a chicken’s bottom and if that is not enough you eat the ovum that should have become a baby chick… It is like you would eat a human’s egg that leaves her body when she doesn’t become pregnant… Sorry for being harsh but this is the truth and I promised you the truth. But maybe you knew this already if you listened to the biology lessons in school. 😀

Eating eggs is a tradition, humans have been eating eggs for thousands of years. It is hard to give up a tradition like this. In the past, it was easy to take away the eggs from a bird. You might not have to kill for it. And it is easy to make, you can eat it on its own, so simple, right?

What is happening now?

But nowadays millions or even billions of people eat egg almost every day and normally (as nature or God made it) a chicken produce ca. one egg in a month. And they live free and they can run or fly sometimes. But the egg industry must produce a lot of eggs daily because there is a need for eggs. So what do they do?

They put hundreds or thousands of hens in cages, and they can’t move, they become aggressive and try to hurt each other. The people have a solution for that, they cut off the hen’s beak so they can’t peck each other. What a nice treatment… 🙁

And because we need a lot of eggs, the egg industry and their scientists genetically modify chickens so they can give 200-300 egg in a year instead of 12-17. Imagine that! And do you know what happens with male baby chickens? They end up in the trash, smashed to death or minced… Remember this next time you want to buy eggs!

What else do you need to know about eggs?

Okay, so what do we hear about them? They have a lot of protein, they contain vitamins such as B12 or B2, eggs are loaded with choline, an important nutrient for the brain and so on…

“Eggs are among the most nutritious foods you can find, providing virtually all the vitamins and minerals you need.”

This quote is from www.healthline.com

Well, some of this might be true, but eggs are not for us to eat. This is not how it should be… It is what the egg industry wants you to believe! And of course, there are studies that “prove” they are right, but these studies were sponsored by them!

Other than that, they are one of the unhealthiest food for humans!

Why? Read the following:

• the egg increases LDL (bad) cholesterol,
• it can cause asthma for children,
• you can get Salmonella, which can be a fatal infection for children or elderly people, studies had shown that Salmonella survives in scrambled eggs as well as in fried eggs,
• eggs contain palmitate (saturated fat), which causes insulin resistance, and the more saturated fat you have in your blood, the greater the risk of developing type 2 diabetes,
• the egg contains an anti-inflammatory compound called arachidonic acid, which – they think – can spoil our mood by causing brain inflammation and sometimes leads to depression. Even the amount of arachidonic acid in a single egg per day increases the arachidonic acid level of the blood significantly,
• even the lower intake of one egg per day can double the risk of cancer progression (mostly prostate cancer), the responsible compound is choline, which can be found in the egg.
• Choline in the egg, as well as carnitine in the red meat, is converted into a toxin called trimethylamine by some intestinal bacteria at carnivores. Trimethylamine, as oxidized in the liver, increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and premature death.
• there is a hormone called insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which helps cancer grow, and it is a key regulatory factor in cell growth. The secretion of IGF-1-hormone is caused by the consumption of animal proteins like meat or eggs.

And I could continue, but I think it is enough to stop eating eggs. Anyway, the choice is yours, I did what I could, now it is up to you! 🙂

Let’s move on and see what can we do to replace eggs!

The best egg substitutes

So it is time to give something to you instead of eggs. It always depends on the situation what can you use as an egg substitute. You can skip the boiled egg as it is, I think you don’t need to replace it with anything. But if you want to make pancakes for example or scrambled eggs or some kind of cake, you can make these without eggs.

1. Linseed or flaxseed

Okay, now you probably wonder how can a seed be one of the best egg substitutes? Well, it is a special seed!

With ground flaxseeds, you can also replace eggs for baking. Instead of each egg in the recipe, stir a tablespoon of ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons of water until it is gummy. Unlike hen’s eggs, flaxseed is not only cholesterol-free but also contains a lot of soluble fibers that will lower your cholesterol levels rather than raise it.

From the book ‘How not to die’ by Dr Greger

I like to use this because it is really easy, healthy and cheap! I usually make “meatballs” with it. But you can use it in many ways!

2. Chia seed

The second superfood on the egg substitutes list is chia seed. Chia seed is really a superfood because it is a healthy source of Omega-3 fatty acids, it contains a lot of protein, and a good amount of fibre. Other than that, chia seed (because of the fibre intake) can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, not like the regular egg…

Take one tablespoon of chia seed, put it in a coffee grinder, and then mix with 3 tablespoons of water. Wait a few minutes until it becomes gummy, just like with linseed. 🙂 You don’t have to grind it, but it will be less visible in a ground form.

In this case, chia seeds are used as binder or thickener. You can add the “chia egg” to meatballs, burgers, sauces or dressings.

3. Peanut butter or any nut butter

It can be tahini, cashew or almond butter, it depends on what are you making.

You can use these as a binder or something that gives moisture in vegan burgers, fritters or meatballs.

Making your nut butter has never been easier. All you need is the chosen nuts and a high speed blender. And some patience. 😉

Put the nuts in the blender and blend until you get a creamy texture. Yepp, that’s all! It can take some time though, it depends on your blender, from 5 minutes up to 15 minutes. Almonds are the hardest to blend, so I suggest the start with peanuts or walnuts. They are good on their own, but you can add some salt or a little bit of oil if you want a really smooth consistency.

But you will have your homemade nut butter and you don’t have to buy an expensive one in the store. 🙂

4. Silken tofu

Oh, tofu is one of my favourites! It is good for many things and a decent source of protein and other minerals.

Tofu consumed as part of a whole-foods, plant-based, low-carb diet may reduce LDL cholesterol levels.

Source: https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/tofu/

What is tofu exactly? Tofu, or bean curd, is a popular food derived from soya. It is made by curdling fresh soya milk, pressing it into a solid block and then cooling it – written on the site of BBC GoodFood.

So how can you use this awesome food as an egg substitute?

The easiest way to make “scrambled eggs” from it. You can use silken or just normal tofu. You need to smash it to little pieces so it would look like eggs, and for the colour, just add some turmeric while cooking. Make it like you make your scrambled eggs. 😉 Add more spices or vegetables (not bacon, haha :D) and fry them. This makes tofu one of the best egg substitutes. Just look at this picture. 😉

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 A bejegyzés megtekintése az Instagramon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Helen (@theplantifulchef) által megosztott bejegyzés, Márc 18., 2019, időpont: 11:53 (PDT időzóna szerint)
 

Another way to use tofu:

Take 1/4 cup (60 g) blended soft silken tofu and add it to dressings or sauces. It also makes veggie burgers bigger. You can use this to make biscuits, cakes, muffins, waffles or pancakes.

Note: this version may result in heavier consistency, so adding 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of baking powder would be recommended as leavening material.

5. Vegan Yogurt

It should be unsweetened and natural and you can use this for both sweet and savoury meals as binding material or something that gives moisture.

You can use this just like the silken tofu above, add to dressings or use to make veggie burgers bigger.

6. Cornstarch

Take 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and mix with 2 tablespoons of water. It is good for burgers, hash browns, biscuits, muffins, waffles, cakes and pancakes.

This is a cheap and easy way to replace eggs, so why don’t you try it? 😉

7. Chickpea Flour

Chickpea flour is one of my favourite from egg substitutes. Just like cornstarch it is relatively cheap and an easy alternative.

You can make omlettes just by adding water and some spices you like 🙂

If you don’t have time to make dinner or breakfast, go for chickpea omlettes! They are ready in 5 minutes and fill you up. 😉

Mix the chickpea flour with spices and then add water. It should be like a pancake consistency. Then fry them exactly like pancakes. It’s so easy! 🙂

If you mix 1/4 cup of chickpea flour with 1/4 cup of water, you can add this mixture to biscuits or cakes.

Another way to use it if you don’t fry the mixture for omelett and you make it a little bit thicker, then cut some courgette/zukkini and cover them with the mixture and fry carefully. It is an alternative for batter.

So, I think these are the best egg substitutes for cooking/baking. You can easily use them and they don’t cost you a fortune.

But if you want some more, read The Complete Guide to Even More Vegan Food Substitutions: The Latest and Greatest Methods for Veganizing Anything Using More Natural, Plant-Based Ingredients. I know, it has a really long title. 😀

But it is an awesome book! I think it is a must-have for all vegans, especially for beginners. 😉

There is one more thing I want to write about. Now you know the best egg substitutes, but we should take a look at the nutrition.

The nutritional value of the egg

What does a boiled egg contain?

1 medium cooked, hard boiled egg contains:

• 68 kcal,
• 5,5 g (animal) protein,
• 0,2 mg B2,
• 0,6 mg B5,
• 0,5 nanogramm B12,
• 228,8 IU Vitamin A,
• 4,7 g (1,4 g satured) fat,
• 164,1 mg cholesterol,
• 13,6 nanogramm Selenium,
• 0,5 mg Iron,
• 0,5 mg Zinc

These are the most important components of egg, I think. Let’s see how else can you get these!

If you eat 12 g of pumpkin seeds, you will have the same calories. And these are the nutrients

• 3,6 g protein,
• 5,9 g (1 g saturated) fat
• 0,5 mg B3,
• 0,2 mg Copper,
• 0,5 mg Manganese,
• 66 mg Magnesium,
• 140,9 mg Phosphorus,
• 0,9 mg Zinc,
• 1 mg Iron

It sounds pretty good, right?

You can get much more Iron and Zinc by eating a tablespoon of pumpkin seeds and it contains more than a half the amount of protein in the egg!

What about chia seeds, one of the best egg substitutes?

14 g chia seeds contain:

• 68 kcal,
• 2,3 g protein,
• 0,2 mg B6,
• 0,9 mg B3,
• 0,1 mg B5,
• 99,2 nanogramm Vitamin K (110% of your daily targets)
• 4,3 g (0,5 g saturated, 2,5 Omega-3) fat,
• 88,3 mg Calcium,
• 0,1 mg Copper,
• 2,3 mg Iron,
• 54,6 mg Magnesium,
• 0,4 mg Manganese,
• 120,3 mg Phosphorus,
• 56,9 mg Potassium,
• 7,7 nanogramm Selenium,
• 0,6 mg Zinc

And what can chickpeas offer you?

You can eat 42 g of boiled chickpeas for 69 kcal. It contains:

• 3,7 g protein,
• 1,1 g fat,
• 72,2 nanogramm Folate,
• 0,1 mg B6,
• 0,1 mg B5,
• 0,2 mg B3,
• 20,6 mg Calcium,
• 0,1 mg Copper,
• 1,2 mg Iron,
• 20,2 mg Magnesium,
• 0,4 mg Manganese,
• 70,6 mg Phosphorus,
• 122,2 mg Potassium,
• 1,6 nanogramm Selenium,
• 0,6 mg Zinc

Sweet potatoes are a really good source of Vitamin A, for the same calorie as an egg (68 kcal), you can eat 89 g of sweet potato and you will get 14008,6 IU Vitamin A! Yes, you read it right! It is 61 times more than the amount in 1 egg, ridiculous. 😀 Also, it has a pretty good amount of Manganese, Copper Magnesium, B5, B6, Vitamin C, E or even Calcium. It is high in fibre and really low in fat! 😉

And you can make a lot of meals from sweet potato, not just sweet potato mash or fries… I like to use it for cream soups or stews.

Selenium, Vitamin B12 and a healthy food

Okay, but where can you get your Selenium from? The best source is brazil nut (hint: this is one of my favourite nuts), just one piece is more than enough for your daily amount of Selenium. Only one single nut! In this case, brazil nuts can be one of the best egg substitutes.

If you are allergic to nuts or you don’t like it, you can eat brown rice, sunflower seeds, mushrooms, oatmeal or spinach, but they are not as good as brazil nuts.

You are probably thinking about Vitamin B12, right? The truth is, it mostly comes from animal products or B12 fortified products. So you can get fortified non-dairy milk or yogurt, fortified nutritional yeast or B12 supplements. I take a B complex supplement that is specially for vegans. I never had problems with not getting enough B12…

Now it is the time for me to like mushrooms, because I realized that they are really healthy. 243 g of mushroom contains:

• 68 kcal,
• 5,3 g protein,
• 1,2 mg Copper (136% of your daily amount),
• 5,2 mg B5 (105%),
• 10,8 mg B3 (77%),
• 0,7 mg B2 (66%)
• 0,2 mg B1 (16%),
• 0,2 mg B6 (18%),
• Vitamin C (13%),
• Selenium (53%),
• Zinc (26%),
• Fibre (21%)

Oh, this is amazing! I love Mother Nature. 🙂

Eggs or no eggs?

So as you can see one egg contains a few nutrients, but so do these plant-based foods and it is possible to get what you need from other sources. 😉 Why would you choose eggs now that you know the whole truth?

You have learned the side effects of eating eggs and what are the best egg substitutes both in baking/cooking and in nutrition. Now you can decide what to do, but I hope you will try these amazing foods. 🙂

Thank you for reading thus far, I hope you will benefit from this! 🙂 Save this article for later. 😉

Enjoy your Sunday!

Love,
Suzie