Sure, eating salad is a great way to get more produce into your diet, but a giant bowl of leafy greens can also be truly boring. If you add a delicious egg to it, however, not only will your salad taste better; it’ll also be even healthier. According to a new study from Purdue University, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eggs help salad eaters absorb more nutrients.
In the study, participants sampled salads made with raw veggies; some were topped with eggs, and others weren’t. People who ate raw veggies with eggs absorbed up to 3.8 times more carotenoids — compounds that give plants their bright colors, and which may help prevent chronic diseases in humans — than those who ate egg-free salads. The antioxidants lycopene, lutein, and beta carotene are all types of carotenoids.
You may have heard that topping your salad with a dressing that contains fat will also increase nutrient absorption. But, eggs have some advantages over salad dressing: They provide an extra dose of protein as well as choline, a nutrient that may help fight breast cancer.
Whether you poach it, fry it, or hard-boil it, make sure you eat the whole egg, since most of the nutrients are concentrated in the yolk. For more healthy salad ideas, check out our guide to the most nutritious toppings.
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