Low-Fat Healthy Deviled Eggs

Although for many, they tend to conjour up mayo-laden memories from the 1970s, deviled eggs are one of my absolute favorite vegetarian hors d’œuvre.

While some shun whole eggs for their fat and cholesterol content, the nutrient profile of egg yolks is pretty sweet! Yolks – in moderation, of course – are a great source of choline, lutein and lysine.

The inherent portion size and protein content in deviled eggs make them a truly sensible finger food, and my aversion to mayonnaise yielded a lower-fat version that subbed in Greek yogurt for a greasier counterpart. While some traditional recipes can tote upwards of 6 grams of fat per piece, each piece in this recipe contains only 2.5 grams!

 

The entire process takes under an hour, and only 8 ingredients – mostly basic spices – go into this easy vegetarian appetizer.

For starters, select your eggs. I opt for free range and certified humane whenever possible. Although I wish I could say I only consumed free-range dairy, that’s not entirely true, yet eggs are so inexpensive that even an organic, certified humane dozen will run you less than $4. Technically, there’s no difference between brown eggs and white eggs – only the breed of the hen – so the nutritional content and flavor don’t have a thing to do with the shade of the shell!

Gently arrange your eggs in a large saucepan and cover them with enough water that none of the shells are uncovered. Bring the water to a nice, rolling boil, then cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid, remove them from the heat, and move the pan to a cool burner.

After 15 minutes, remove the eggs from the pan and immediately immerse them in ice water:

Let them enjoy the ice bath for at least a half hour, and then you’re free to peel them. You know they’re perfectly done if you slice them down the middle (long-ways) and there is no greenish rim of sulfur around the yolk!

On to the “stuffing”!

Start making your deviled egg filling by removing the yolks from the whites. I found that this was easiest to do if I gently yet firmly grasped the egg and gave it a slight squeeze – the yolk should pop right out!

Once all your egg yolks have been separated, drop in your yogurt and all of the spices expect for paprika and mash it with a fork until it’s a light, fluffy whip!

All that’s left is to fill the cavity with filling, spreading it a little bit beyond the actual dent, and garnish the tops with a generous shake of paprika!

The finished product looks a lot more complicated – and indulgent– than the recipe really is, and the reduced-fat (and mayo-free!) deviled eggs are ready to refrigerate and serve with breakfast or as a snack, appetizer, or even on top of a salad beast!

Low-Fat Healthy Deviled Eggs

Vegetarian, serving size one-half egg

Ingredients:

• 8 large Grade A eggs
• 3 heaping tablespoons fat-free plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• dash of white pepper
• dash of paprika (for garnish)

Directions:

• Place eggs in a large pan and completely submerge in water. Bring the water to a boil, then cover pan and remove from heat.
• Allow the eggs to sit in the hot water for 15 minutes, then immediately transfer them to ice water and soak for another half hour or until completely cooled.
• Crack and peel your eggs. Slice them in half long-ways and remove the yolks.
• In a small bowl, mix together your egg yolks, Greek yogurt, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, salt and white pepper. Since this deviled egg recipe calls for no mayo, an extra dash of yogurt may be necessary to get the creamy consistency right!
• Pipe or spoon the egg filling back into the cavities in the hard-boiled egg white. Sprinkle the tops with paprika and transfer to a serving plate!

 

 

 

 

Let’s go all “Gulliver’s Travels” for a minute – which end of the egg do you usually crack? Are you a “little-ender” or a “big-ender?”

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