Eggs vs Nuts: What's healthier to eat for breakfast?

Breakfast has always been termed as the most important meal of the day. ‘Eat like a King’ has been the phrase since time immemorial, emphasizing how important it is to have a nourishing meal in the morning to keep you fueled up throughout the day. The debate now is what is a better breakfast option? Is it boiled eggs or a sunny side up or is it just a handful of nuts?

Nuts, including almonds, walnuts, pistachios and others, are rich in healthy fats, fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. They provide a diverse range of nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, magnesium and antioxidants, contributing to overall health. In comparison, eggs offer protein, vitamins (A, D, B12) and other minerals. However, numerous studies have proved that nuts have more nutrients essential for various bodily functions.

In a study titled ‘Substitution of animal-based with plant-based foods on cardiometabolic health and all-cause mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies’ published in the journal BMC Medicine, researchers found out that “a shift from animal-based (e.g., red and processed meat, eggs, dairy, poultry, butter) to plant-based (e.g., nuts, legumes, whole grains, olive oil) foods is beneficially associated with cardiometabolic health and all-cause mortality.”.
Further, the study also mentioned that “there was moderate certainty of evidence that replacing one egg/day with nuts (25 g/day) was associated with lower CVD mortality.”

The research found that people who were able to swap about 50 grams of processed meat with an equal amount of legumes(beans, pulses or the likes) slashed their risk of developing CVD or dying from CVD by 23%. Further, the risk was slashed low by 27 % if they had 28-50 gms of nuts instead of meat.

As compared to eggs, nuts are an excellent source of dietary fiber, which helps support digestive health. The fiber content in nuts aids in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels and contributes to a feeling of fullness, potentially assisting in weight management. On the contrary, while eggs offer a small amount of fiber, nuts outshine them significantly in this aspect.
However, as reported by DailyMail, "the authors caution that this is only based on results from a single study."

As the world moves towards a more plant-friendly and vegan lifestyle, nuts, seeds and lentils can help you adopt sustainable ways and practices of living. Plus, for people who are vegetarians, this study comes as an excellent evidence that one does not have to be a non-vegetarian to complete their nutritional requirements. In fact, consuming plant based options is becoming more and more beneficial as well as holistic for the body and mind.
But again, at the end of the day, it is totally upto people what they are more comfortable with! All bodies are different and so is the way it reacts to foods. Some people might feel more lethargic when they have meat while for others, it might be the perfect source of energy. Thus, it is important to listen to your body and do what feels right to you.