The Boiled-Egg Diet: How It Works, What to Eat, Risks, and More
Diet & NutritionDiet Types

The Boiled-Egg Diet: Does It Really Work?

The Boiled-Egg Diet: Does It Really Work?
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Updated on January 10, 2026
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Do you like eggs? Do you really like eggs? Then the boiled-egg diet might appeal to you, especially if you’re looking to lose weight. The truth, however, is that this fad diet will not lead to long-term changes that improve your health — but if you’re still curious, read on to learn how this plan works, its pros and cons, and how to follow it safely.

What Is the Boiled-Egg Diet?

The boiled-egg diet consists of eating a minimum of two to three hard-boiled eggs per day, either in meals or on their own. This diet has gained popularity among celebrities, with actor Nicole Kidman and Charles Saatchi (ex-husband of celebrity chef Nigella Lawson) having reportedly followed it.

How Does the Boiled-Egg Diet Work?

There are several versions of the boiled-egg diet. We’ll dive into the options below, but the typical version is similar to low-carb Atkins, author Arielle Chandler writes in The Boiled Egg Diet. According to the book, a day’s meals generally look like this:

  • Breakfast: At least two eggs and one piece of fruit (low-carb vegetable or protein optional)
  • Lunch: Eggs or lean protein and low-carb vegetables
  • Dinner: Eggs or lean protein and low-carb vegetables

How to Cook It: Hard-Boiled Eggs

There’s more than one way to hard-boil eggs, and the best way is to not boil them at all. Everyday Health staff nutritionist Kelly Kennedy, RDN, shares her recipe for steaming the perfect hard-boiled egg.
How to Cook It: Hard-Boiled Eggs

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Is the Boiled-Egg Diet Good for You?

Overall, this diet contains nutritious food, but it’s not considered a balanced diet. The boiled-egg diet is extremely restrictive and low-calorie. “I don’t think you should be on a diet that requires an obsession with one food,” says Lisa Young, PhD, RDN, the New York City–based author of Finally Full, Finally Slim.

Eggs, the main staple of the diet, are nutritious in moderation — just not as your only or main food. The American Heart Association recommends a few eggs per week (or less, depending on your LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol levels).

“Eggs make a great breakfast,” says Dr. Young. “A hard-boiled egg is a nutritious snack, but I think that consuming a variety of foods is a healthier way to eat.”

One of the many benefits of eggs is their high protein content. Eggs are a high-quality protein source. One large boiled egg has 71.5 calories, 6.2 grams of protein, 4.98 grams of fat, and 0.48 grams of carbohydrates.

“Eggs are a complete protein and contain nutrients like vitamin D and choline,” says Amy Shapiro, RD, founder and director of Real Nutrition in New York City. A complete protein is an ingredient that contains all the essential amino acids in adequate amounts.

 Choline is a nutrient that helps produce neurotransmitters — chemicals in the brain that regulate memory and mood, among other functions.

While some studies have found that egg protein can help increase satiety, potentially helping dieters lose weight, “there’s nothing magical about eggs for weight loss,” says Shapiro.

Side Effects of Eating Mostly Boiled Eggs

The boiled-egg diet is low-calorie and restricts several high-fiber foods like whole grains and beans. As a result, you might not get enough fiber in your diet — it’s recommended that adults get at least 25 to 38 grams per day.

Too little fiber can increase your risk of constipation, especially if you eat mostly eggs, as they have 0 grams of fiber.

 Beyond aiding in digestion, adequate fiber consumption may help decrease inflammation associated with chronic disease.

Is It Safe to Follow the Boiled-Egg Diet?

Because the boiled-egg diet is restrictive, it’s not for everyone. People with a history of disordered eating, chronic health conditions, or those taking certain prescription medications should check in with their healthcare provider before trying drastic diets like this.

Shapiro notes that this diet takes its cues from the 1960s, a time when “it was considered ladylike and demure to restrict yourself,” she says. But this is not healthy. It may help you lose weight quickly, but it’s not sustainable and will not provide the essential nutrients needed for overall health.

There’s also the concern over cholesterol. While past research pointed to cholesterol in eggs contributing to high blood cholesterol levels, recent studies have found that the dietary cholesterol in eggs has little impact on your blood levels.

 If anything, Shapiro notes it’s the saturated fat in food that raises cholesterol, not necessarily dietary cholesterol.
The 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise that dietary cholesterol consumption should be “as low as possible without compromising the nutritional adequacy in the diet.” But saturated fat intake should be less than 10 percent of the calories per day for optimal heart health.

Because boiled eggs only have about 1.6 grams of saturated fat (and about 186 milligrams of cholesterol), “I wouldn’t worry about eating hard-boiled eggs daily,” says Shapiro. She adds that simple carbs and sugar are more likely to increase cholesterol and triglycerides.

But if eggs are the only thing you’re eating, the saturated fat could add up, leading to high LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, which raises your risk of heart disease.

So are eggs good or bad for you? In moderation, they can be a nutritious addition. But talk to your doctor if you have concerns about your cholesterol or fat intake.

How to Make the Boiled-Egg Diet More Balanced

The boiled-egg diet is generally not recommended, especially if you have underlying health conditions. If you are going to incorporate more eggs into your diet, there are ways to add other essential nutrients to make your diet more balanced.

Variety and hitting all the key food groups are important to overall health. Here are some foods to add to the boiled-egg diet to make it more nutritious:

  • Whole grains such as oats, barley, or wheat bran
  • Resistant starch, such as potatoes or brown rice
  • Fruits and vegetables of all kinds (Americans only get 1.5 cups per day, but need at least five servings to help lower the risk of chronic disease)
  • Lean protein sources such as fish, chicken, turkey, and plant-based proteins like soy, beans, and legumes
  • Healthy fats such as nuts and seeds, avocado, and olive oil

The Takeaway

  • The boiled-egg diet is a fad diet that involves eating mostly eggs, some fruits, lean protein, and some fat.
  • The boiled-egg diet is extremely restrictive and low-calorie, and not generally recommended for people with a history of disordered eating or underlying illness. While cutting calories initially leads to weight loss, it’s unsustainable and unhealthy long-term.
  • Eggs, in moderation, can offer essential vitamins and minerals like choline, vitamin D, and protein. But they also contain saturated fat, which, in large quantities, can increase LDL cholesterol and contribute to heart disease risk.
  • Eating a balanced diet of whole grains, vegetables and fruit, lean protein, and healthy fat is a more sustainable eating plan.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Stromstodd J. Nicole Kidman’s Hard-Boiled Egg Diet for Cold Mountain. Your Next Shoes. January 16, 2020.
  2. Mitchelson T. Cracking Up: Our Hard-Boiled Volunteer Tries Charles Saatchi’s Egg-Only Diet. Daily Mail. October 3, 2008.
  3. Merschel M. Here’s the Latest on Dietary Cholesterol and How it Fits in With a Healthy Diet. American Heart Association. August 25, 2023.
  4. Eggs, Whole, Cooked, Hard-Boiled. U.S. Department of Agriculture: FoodData Central. October 31, 2024.
  5. Interactive Nutrition Facts Label – Protein. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. October 2021.
  6. Choline. National Institutes of Health. June 2, 2022.
  7. Puglisi M et al. The Health Benefits of Egg Protein. Nutrients. July 15, 2022.
  8. Dietary Fiber: Essential for a Healthy Diet. Mayo Clinic. December 24, 2025.
  9. Constipation. Mayo Clinic. April 15, 2025.
  10. Kabisch S et al. Impact of Dietary Fiber on Inflammation in Humans. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. February 25, 2025.
  11. Haward R et al. Debunking the Myth: Eggs and Heart Disease. Cureus. May 9, 2024.
  12. 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  13. Saturated Fat. American Heart Association. August 23, 2024.
  14. Healthy Eating Plate. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. January 2023.
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Sylvia E. Klinger, DBA, MS, RD, CPT

Medical Reviewer

Sylvia Klinger, DBA, MS, RD, CPT, is an internationally recognized nutrition expert who is relentlessly passionate about helping people fall in love with creating and enjoying delicious, safe, and nutritious foods.

As a food and nutrition communications professional, Dr. Klinger is a global nutrition professor, award-winning author, and the founder of Hispanic Food Communications.

She is on the board at Global Rise to build a formal community nutrition program as part of an ambitious initiative to create a regenerative food system in Uganda in partnership with tribal and community leaders. This program included an extensive training session on food safety and sanitation that displayed cultural sensitivity and various communication strategies and incentives to spread these important food safety and sanitation messages into the communities.

Her Hispanic background fuels her passion for nutrition, leading her to empower and encourage those in her community through the foods they enjoy in their kitchens. At the same time, she understands everyone’s needs are different and seeks to individualize nutrition and exercise to best fit each person and their journey to a happy, safe, and healthy life.

Her latest book, The Little Book of Simple Eating, was published in 2018 in both Spanish and English.

In her spare time, Klinger explores food and culture all over the world with her family, realizing the power a healthy lifestyle has to keep people together.

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Jessica Migala

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Jessica Migala is a freelance writer with over 15 years of experience, specializing in health, nutrition, fitness, and beauty. She has written extensively about vision care, diabetes, dermatology, gastrointestinal health, cardiovascular health, cancer, pregnancy, and gynecology. She was previously an assistant editor at Prevention where she wrote monthly science-based beauty news items and feature stories.

She has contributed to more than 40 print and digital publications, including Cosmopolitan, O:The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Woman’s Day, Women’s Health, Fitness, Family Circle, Health, Prevention, Self, VICE, and more. Migala lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, two young boys, rescue beagle, and 15 fish. When not reporting, she likes running, bike rides, and a glass of wine (in moderation, of course).

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