Spinach & Egg Diet

If you eat only spinach and eggs, your diet might get a little boring but it would still be nutritious. Both foods are renowned for their health-giving properties, bountiful nutrients and antioxidants. What sounds like a diet regimen for bodybuilders or ballet dancers may indeed be prove beneficial to anyone seeking inexpensive simplicity.

An egg-and-spinach salad is rich in nutrients. (Image: OksanaKiian/iStock/Getty Images)

Healthy Meal Planning

Good diets require planning. (Image: Pogonici/iStock/Getty Images)

Sensible diets usually emphasize a wide selection of whole foods for meeting daily nutrient requirements. A diet consisting of only eggs and spinach can provide an economic array of essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Cost-wise, egg protein is relatively cheap when compared to red meat and milk, and spinach's antioxidants rival those of any high-priced designer greens.

The Positives of Eggs

Eggs are a healthy diet food. (Image: Ryan McVay/Photodisc/Getty Images)

Healing Naturally by Bee lists an egg's total protein as 6.3 g, with the yolk contributing 2.7 g and the white 3.6 g to taht total. This is "complete protein," containing all amino acids required by your body. Eggs also provide essential fatty acids and vitamins A, E, D, and K. Their yolks are rich in choline for cell membrane health, body-weight management and cholesterol control, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. A large egg yolk, per All About Eggs, contains 195 mg of cholesterol. The daily limit for dietary cholesterol is 300 mg and your body manufactures its own cholesterol if it does not get enough from food. Certain cholesterols called high-density lipoproteins actually transport dangerous cholesterols out of the blood, promoting healthy arteries.

The Positives of Spinach

Spinach's deep green leaves have antioxidants. (Image: oxyzay/iStock/Getty Images)

Spinach has abundant iron, folate and vitamins C and B, all of which combat arterial plaque build-up. According to The Worlds' Healthiest Foods, folate also reduces the effects of homocysteine, a blood-chemical whose excess may hasten heart attacks. Spinach's magnesium, potassium and calcium work with sodium in the body to regulate water retention and prevent high blood pressure. According to the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, carotenoids in spinach delay age-related macular degeneration and vision loss. Carotenoids also act like antioxidants, fighting harmful oxygen molecules that attack healthy cells.

The Negatives of This Diet

One drawback is this diet's lack of absorbable calcium. Spinach's calcium works with other minerals inside the body, but its bioavailability is low; your body does not easily absorb it alone. You must also limit yolks to one or two per day, for dietary cholesterol control. Egg whites can be used liberally. To thwart boredom, vary your recipes as much as possible.

Suggestions For Meals

The egg: classic and nutritious. (Image: Lisovskaya/iStock/Getty Images)

Eggs' versatility means they can be poached, fried, scrambled or baked. If you enjoy the velvety yolks in soft-cooked eggs, restrict yourself to one classic soft-boiled or sunny-side up fried egg a day-and it need not be only at breakfast. Bank on egg whites for the remainder of your meal preparations, and use spices and low-sodium condiments such as fresh tomato sauce to enhance the flavors. Prepackaged egg-whites for scrambling are available in grocery refrigerators. Spinach salad with deviled eggs and spinach-egg souffle are classic recipes that are easy to find and make.