Ah, college: the era of underage drinking, finals week breakdowns, and irresponsible decisions.
It also tends to be the age of unhealthy eating. Whether it’s dining-hall cheese fries or 3 a.m. Artichoke pizza, the freshman 15 is a real thing, regardless if you’re a freshman or not. Cup noodles and dollar pizza are a lot easier than homemade green juice and multi-course meals.
But it doesn’t have to be an all-or-none principle. There is a way to enjoy easy food without sacrificing healthiness, and it comes in the form of eggs. Yep, you read that right. Eggs are one of the most versatile foods and stand as a great source of protein, healthy fat, and essential vitamins/minerals.
They're also perfectly acceptable for every meal. Here’s some of my go-to egg-cellent hacks for eggs any time of day.
Scrambled eggs with cream cheese
We’ve all heard the note of adding milk for fluffier, creamier eggs, but the real secret ingredient is cream cheese. Bonus points if it is whipped–even better if it’s scallion-flavored. Mixing 3 tablespoons into beaten eggs, with some obligatory salt and pepper, will make for a wonderful eggy experience.
DIY Egg McMuffin
We all love Egg McMuffins, but our doctors don’t love all of the sodium. Luckily, it’s easy to mimic. To get a perfectly rounded egg that will fit on the English muffin, cut an onion in half, cut a half inch thick slice, and separate the outermost ring from the rest. Put this in the pan and crack the egg into the ring’s center, and watch as the egg stays contained and perfectly spherical.
The yolk is no joke
rainvt on Flickr
What do you do with your leftover egg yolks when making an egg white omelette? Throw them out, don’t you? Such a waste! The yolks are jam-packed full of nutrients and all that good stuff, so instead of tossing it, get your money’s worth and make mayo. All you need is a yolk, oil, salt, lemon juice, and white vinegar. Full recipe here.
Still not a joke
torbakhopper on Flickr
Do you hate egg whites? Slimy and bland, they’re just supporting characters to the real star of the show: the yolk. To enjoy a poached yolk without having to get through the whites, cook the egg sunny-side up until the whites are solid, cut the whites off, and drop the yolk into boiling water for about a minute. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and boom: a perfect poached yolk.
Something sweet
Eggs are savory superfoods, but they can also be sweet, and still easy, thanks to 2-ingredient pancakes. 2 eggs, 2 bananas, and you’re good to go. The pancakes come out light, sweet, and crispy. The full recipe is here.
Stop the stench
Perry Goh on Flickr
Love hard-boiled eggs, but hate the stench? Add a tablespoon of white distilled vinegar to the water before boiling, and notice that the sulfur smell will be considerably reduced.
An appealing peel
katrienberckmoes on Flickr
Not only can you avoid the stench, but you can also avoid the super annoying little shell pieces that ruin the peeling process. This tip is two-fold: first, start with already boiled water. The cold-start boiling method actually makes the shell harder to peel. Second, plunge the eggs into an ice bath for 5 minutes immediately after boiling, before peeling.
Lazy egg-stravagance
HomeSpot HQ on Flickr