A staple of picnics and family dinners, tasty deviled eggs make for a delightful bite-sized offering. However, the filling for deviled eggs can be loaded with calories and fat, making it a less-than-ideal choice for people who are looking to snack without packing on the pounds.
Tip
Each deviled egg, which consists of half a hard-boiled egg and its filling, contains around 80 calories, according to the USDA's FoodData Central.
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Calories in Deviled Eggs
The process for cooking deviled eggs starts with making hard-boiled eggs, which are perfectly healthy on their own. One medium-sized egg has nearly 63 calories, 5.5 grams of protein and 4 grams of fat, plus just 62.5 milligrams of sodium. Although each egg contains about 164 milligrams of cholesterol, a study published in June 2018 in Nutrients concluded that there's no dietary evidence to implicate cholesterol in the development of heart disease.
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But although cholesterol's not so much of a concern, those searching for a healthy nibble will run into problems when the yolks of the eggs are removed, mixed into a calorie-heavy dressing and used as a filling. The exact number of calories in deviled eggs depends on how the filling is made and what ingredients are used. However, each half of a medium-sized egg with filling can be expected to contain about 80 calories, as well as 7 grams of fat and 3 grams of protein.
A note for those on a low-carbohydrate diet: the total number of carbs in deviled eggs is exactly zero, provided you follow a classic recipe. However, even those who are losing weight by cutting back on carbohydrates should be aware of how many calories they're consuming each day and make sure they're not overdoing it — even on a treat like tasty deviled eggs.
Read more: The 20 Best Ways to Use Eggs
Cutting Calories and Fat
Luckily, not all is lost for egg lovers, as there are a number of ways you can cut down on fat and calories in deviled eggs. While you can use reduced-fat or light mayo in place of the traditional kind to reduce the calories, the American Heart Association also recommends decreasing the total number of egg yolks you use in making the deviled egg filling.
For example, when you make a batch of deviled eggs out of one dozen eggs, you only need to use eight to 10 yolks to make the filling. Although you will still get the taste of the creamy yolks, this tactic cuts calories from each serving.
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital recommends replacing the mayonnaise that's traditionally used in deviled eggs with fat-free Greek yogurt. Not only does it decrease the amount of fat in deviled eggs, but it also increases the nutritional value by providing calcium and vitamin D.
You could also whip cottage cheese until it's smooth and use it to replace part or all of the mayonnaise, as well as increase the protein content of your deviled eggs by using hummus in the filling. For an increase in healthy fats and some ultra-tasty deviled eggs, whip avocado into the filling.