Poached eggs instead of fried can save 100 calories!

HeidiCooksSupper
HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,839 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I love the runny yolks of fried eggs on something crunchy. Today's breakfast crunchy was a pair of potato hash-brown patties. To save calories of the fat for frying eggs, I decided to search "how to poach eggs" online, found simple instructions and had a very tasty result with 100 saved calories by avoiding the tablespoon of butter I normally fry them in. I know, I know. Some of you are saying, "Yeah, so?" because this is not a radical new thing but for me, a 70+ old fart, it was a radical idea! Yummy!

Replies

  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,848 Member
    I just had poached eggs on toast for lunch.

    Get yourself a poacher pan, or apparently those microwaveable cups you can get work OK too.
  • SafariGalNYC
    SafariGalNYC Posts: 1,477 Member
    👍

    Omitting oil to cook saves me a bunch of calories.
    I routinely poach eggs and fish.
  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,353 Member
    Poaching also has approximately one gazillion times less mess than frying. Just rinse the sieve and dump the pan when you’re done!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,222 Member
    edited September 22
    While not denying the lower calories of poached eggs (nor omitting to admit that I can't personally stand a runny yolk!), I found that I can fry eggs in my well-seasoned cast iron frying pan in 5g of oil or less, which is only about 45 calories max. Since I'm a statistically unusual weirdo who often comes up short on fats, that's usually a win for me.

    (I suspect zero-fat frying works in modern non-stick pans. I don't trust them, since multiple generations of the coatings have ended up questionable for health.)

    The big point, though: Figuring out the best food choices and cooking methods that are most yummy to our personal tastes, and most calorie-appropriate in our individual nutritional context . . . that's always a win.

    Congrats on the realization!
  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 2,856 Member
    edited September 22
    I do fried or scrambled eggs in my small non-stick pan with 1-2g non-stick spray. Easier than poaching. I do like a poached egg, but I only take the time to poach if I have farm fresh eggs.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,221 Member
    edited September 23
    Well, sure leaving out the fat will reduce your total calories which leaves room for more nutrient dense foods like vegetables for example, it's a win in that context, especially if you happen to use seed oils. And anytime when dieting you can increase the nutrients helps mitigate the deficiencies that can be problematic when dieting, so that's a good thing. For me personally about 70% of my calories come from fat with about 80% natural sources from the foods I consume, so for me I consume a lot of eggs, a lot, which on average are about 18-20 week and I use butter unless I poach them. Personally I make and use eggs in many different ways and not too sure I could reduce that to 1 option only, but for you I see why your doing it and I'm happy for you.
  • poodle_whisper
    poodle_whisper Posts: 14 Member
    you can bake your eggs in the oven in a muffin tin. and if you turn on the broiler at the last minute you'll get that crispy edge.
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,259 Member
    Have you tried braised eggs?

    Little bit of butter or oil in a hot pan. Add your egg (or eggs) and a shot glass (1.5 to 2 ounces) of water, then put on the lid. Set your timer. I like three minutes. Pan is easier to clean. Eggs cook quickly because the steam cooks the top while the pan cooks the bottom.

    I think I use five to ten grams of butter - about half a tablespoon.

    I have to ask though - how many calories and how much fat are in the hash browns? Is the butter actually de minimis?

    Another way I like to cook eggs is:
    • Start a serving of grits in a small sauce pan.
    • Cook them about half way with the lid on, stirring a couple times. Two or three minutes maybe.
    • Crack egg or eggs into a small dish, then pour them on top of the grits.
    • Put the lid back on and let it cook two or three minutes, then stir more.
    • When the eggs are done, put them in a bowl and add seasonings of your choice and, if you want, the butter you didn't use to cook them.

    Poaching is great too. A friend adds a little vinegar to his cooking water. He says he doesn't have to get the water swirling at all, and his eggs hold together beautifully. I haven't tried it. I do the water swirl method - takes practice to get the speed right. I also have an "egg poacher" that is really an egg steamer, and it does still use some butter or oil. I haven't used it in a long time.

    And of course you can hard cook eggs in their shell and keep the yolk pretty loose and runny if that's what you like. It's what I do. For duck eggs, I cook them a little more. They are so rich, and eating them less cooked can upset me belly.

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