A healthy keto diet deserves a healthy source of vegetables or meats for sufficient nutrients. As I am an egg lover myself, I went through intensive research to include eggs in the keto diet.
I have found that eggs are friendly toward keto, but you need to stick to a certain amount of consumption. With that being said, how many eggs per day can someone eat on keto diet?
To answer the above question, you need to figure out the carbohydrate content in a single egg and calculate the numbers with the minimum carbohydrate consumption in a keto diet.
You do not have to go through all the trouble. I have done all the calculations for you; just stay with this article.
Table of Contents
Understanding About The Keto Diet
A keto diet is termed a low carbohydrate diet that uses fats and proteins to provide the necessary energy for the body. The main aim of the keto diet is to go under a ketosis stage, thus resulting in weight loss.
What is ketosis? There are actually two types of the keto diet, to begin with- dirty keto and clean keto. The minimum carbohydrate intake requirement in dirty keto is 30-50 grams per day. On the other hand, the clean keto intake includes 15-20 grams per day.
When you concentrate on this level of carbohydrate intake, your body will slowly run out of stored carbohydrates, plus you are not providing enough for the respiration to take place.
The metabolic activity in your body starts to break down stored fat and protein and use it as the source of respiration. This breakdown of stored fat and protein results in losing weight, which is highly observable within the first two weeks of the keto diet.
Therefore, losing weight due to the low carbohydrate intake phase is known as ketosis. Now, to further dig into the topic of how many eggs per day can someone eat on keto diet, you need to know about its nutritional values, and this is explained in the later section.
Consuming carbohydrates as less as possible will not result in a faster ketogenic act towards ketosis. This is a misunderstanding common among many people.
If the intake level falls to be negligible, the effect might result in keto flu. It is known as one of the side effects of the keto diet. If you ever suffer from keto flu, my suggestion will be to increase the carbohydrate intake to compensate for the effect.
The symptoms of keto flu are as follows:
- Tiredness
- Frequent Nausea
- More sweating
- Itchy Nose
- Sudden Headache
Nutritional Compositions Of An Egg
Experts found out that one large-sized egg contains about 72 calories. The macronutrients present in an egg are as follows:
- Fat- 4.8 grams
- Protein- 6.3 grams
- Carbohydrate- 0.4 grams
- Fiber- 0 gram
- Net Carbs- 0.4 grams
- Cholesterol- 186 milligram
The presence of micronutrients in one egg is as follows:
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Iron
- Phosphorus
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B complex
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Choline
- Zinc
How Many Eggs To Eat On A Keto Diet Per Day?
As you can see from the above, the carbohydrate content in a single large-sized egg is 0.4 grams. This value is way below the threshold range of a dirty and clean keto diet.
So, we can confirm that eggs are keto friendly to include in either dirty or clean keto. Now, let’s do the calculation. Considering clean keto first, the minimum carbohydrate intake is given by 15-20 grams.
If one egg contains 0.4 grams, a person who is on a clean keto diet can consume up to 39 eggs per day. Now, nobody will survive if they eat 39 eggs in one day. Though it is nutritious, too much of anything is always harmful.
The theoretical value for the number of eggs per day on a dirty keto diet will be even higher. But doctors and my research suggest it is diet-friendly to eat 6-8 eggs per day at a definite interval.
Obviously, you will have other sources of food which will fill up the carbohydrate intake. As long as you keep your threshold value under control, you are good to eat as many eggs as your body can take.
Keto Egg Fast- What Is It?
If you wish to stick your eating plan only to eggs, then there is a perfect diet plan for you called egg fast. This type of fasting allows you to lose weight drastically, and the food source is only eggs.
This type of diet is quite common in keto communities. But, unlike any other fast, it is quite extreme to follow as the carbohydrate intake decreases very rapidly, which might result in keto flu.
Are you curious about this weight-losing egg fast? Then learn about the rules and regulations involving egg fast.
- You should eat at least six eggs a day. If you have a problem eating boiled eggs, you can also enjoy other egg-related dishes.
- The duration of each meal should not be more than 5 hours apart.
- Add butter or mayonnaise to your egg fast and eat 1-2 tablespoons after every meal.
- Alternatively, you can also go for a full-fat cheese at every interval of your eating.
- After you wake up in the morning, make sure to freshen up and eat an egg within 30 minutes of your waking to account for a startup with the fat.
- Finish your meal 3 hours before going to bed.
- After consuming the last meal, take a random walk for 30-40 minutes for faster oxygen circulation, which results in more respiration and helps indigestion.
- Drink a lot of water before going to bed. My suggestion will be at least 5 glasses.
- This cycle should be repeated not more than 4-5 days.
Eating only eggs for the 4-5 days does sound tough, and that is why I will recommend not to go for the egg fast unless you are physically fit for it. Performing egg fast can significantly affect the body, such as keto flu, and why go through all the troubles when you can lose your weight gradually.
Many natural keto diets are based on vegetables, fruits, meats, and other organic fibers that are healthy for the body. Try them out!
Healthy Benefits Of Eating Eggs
There cannot be a single doubt that eggs are considered the most delicious and affordable poultry food ever. Other than being suitable keto, eggs are also very nutritious and come with many health benefits such as:
Adequate Amount Of Protein
Proteins are a great source for the muscle build-up of an athlete, and it also promotes respiration inside the body, which in turn intensifies the body’s metabolic actions.
Furthermore, it helps to increase bone density and prevents kidney damage. Last but not least, proteins increase the hunger level in a human, which is the key to losing weight if you sustain that hunger.
Provides An Efficient Nerve Responses
The yolk of a big egg contains 140 milligrams of choline. Choline is a necessary component for the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter.
Due to the production of more neurotransmitters, the carriage of chemical signals from one neuron to the cells becomes quite efficient and fast.
Source Of Vitamins
If you look at the micronutrients section, you will find that eggs are a good source of vitamins– vitamins A, B complex, C, and D.
First of all, vitamin A will improve your eyesight, and vitamin A is an absolute gem for those who suffer from night blindness. Other than that, it lowers the risk of sudden heart attack and supports healthy growth of the human body.
Second, vitamin B complexes are responsible for the formation and development of red blood cells and DNA. Also helps in energy metabolism, healthy vision, and maintaining a healthy functioning immune and nervous systems.
Third, there is vitamin C responsible for the production of the body tissues, and it also helps in functioning the immune system that keeps your body healthy from foreign diseases.
Lastly, vitamin D controls the usage of electrolytes in the body, such as potassium, calcium, and many others. The electrolytes also help in improving the immune system, and vitamin D is the prime source of all.
Accounts For A Good Immune System
Eggs contain several electrolytes and vitamin D in it. As mentioned above, electrolytes and vitamin D improve the immune system. Vitamin D also plays an important role in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, making it essential for the maintenance of healthy bones and teeth. Therefore, eating eggs regularly will give you an adequate supply of vitamin D and electrolytes inside your body.
Negative Impacts Of Eating Eggs
Like any other poultry food, eggs also have certain disadvantages. A large-sized egg contains about 186 milligrams of cholesterol, and too much fat and cholesterol in the body can block the arteries and veins in the blood.
The blocked arteries and veins result in higher blood pressure, which will lead to a sudden stroke. But now you know how many eggs per day can someone eat on keto diet.
Therefore, eating eggs will benefit you more than become a health hazard if you follow the standard rules.
Keto Recipes Regarding Eggs
After knowing the exact number of eggs to eat daily will be relatively easy to construct such recipes regarding eggs. Here are some recipes that are both keto friendly and healthy to give a try:
- Breakfast egg cups
- Ground beef omelet
- Keto baked eggs
- Egg casserole with zucchini and ham
- Egg salad
- Cloud eggs recipe
- Keto egg drop soup
Suitable Alternatives Of Eggs
If you can’t consume eggs due to an allergy or intolerance or want to stay away from animal products while on keto, you may look into other low-carb protein and fat sources.
While looking for plant-based food as an alternative to the keto diet, I can list the followings:
- Avocados
- Pecans
- Chia seeds
- Macadamia nuts
- Almonds
Other than that, the animal-based alternatives to eggs are:
- Shellfish
- Meat
- Other poultry food
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the minimum number of eggs to eat per day for a keto dieter?
As keto dieters focus more on protein fat rather than carbohydrates, eating 6-8 eggs daily will account for sufficient protein, fats, and less carbohydrate intake.
2. Is it viable to eat boiled eggs on the keto diet?
No matter how you like your eggs to be, they are all full of protein and fat and contain the minimum amount of carbohydrates. Therefore, any forms of egg on the keto diet are suitable to eat.
3. Can we eat scrambled eggs on the keto diet?
Preparing scrambled eggs requires other additives such as sweets, sauce, olive oil, etc. If you can ensure that the ingredients of the scrambled eggs will not cross the threshold value of carbohydrates for the keto diet, then it is best to enjoy scrambled eggs during breakfast.
4. Does egg fast enhance weight reduction of the body?
Egg fast is a way to lower your carbohydrate content by eating only eggs. Normally, this diet cycle lasts for 4-5 days. During this time, due to a lack of carbohydrates, your body will start to break down stored proteins and fat, which eventually leads to losing body weight.
5. Are there any health side effects of eating eggs?
Yes. Eggs contain huge cholesterol, resulting in the blockage of arteries and veins in the blood vessel. This increases the chance of frequent heart attacks. But studies suggest that this effect is not noticeable until the consumption amount has crossed the limit, which differs from person to person.
6. Can I add cheese to an egg recipe?
Eating cheese with egg is only applicable when a person is on an egg fast. I will not recommend including cheese in the keto diet; the carbohydrate content increases drastically and hampers the ketogenic effect of the diet.
7. What are the vitamins present inside an egg?
Eggs are rich in four groups of vitamins- vitamin A, B complex, C, and D. Eggs also contain decent amounts of vitamin E and K.
8. What are the effects of overeating eggs?
Overeating eggs will result in gastric ulcer-type problems. This might start a chain reaction to more vomiting, nausea, and many other effects.
Final Thoughts
Are eggs keto friendly? Yes! Eggs are suitable for both dirty and clean keto diets. How many eggs per day can someone eat on keto diet? Well, the answer mainly depends on your physical capability.
Apart from being nutritious, delicious, and keto friendly, eating too many eggs per day might result in certain gastric and diarrhea. Still, for those on a keto diet or egg fast, 6-8 eggs consumption regularly might keep you away from such a disaster.
If you did find this article helpful, give it a thumbs up and mention it to your other friends who seek to start a keto diet or an egg fast.
