Is it OK for Kids to Eat Eggs Every Day for Breakfast?
Eggs are nutritious and high in protein, but they're also high in cholesterol. Although your child needs some cholesterol to grow healthy and strong, too much cholesterol in the diet is linked to high blood cholesterol levels later in life, which can lead to heart disease.
Eggs are nutritious and high in protein, but they're also high in cholesterol. Although your child needs some cholesterol to grow healthy and strong, too much cholesterol in the diet is linked to high blood cholesterol levels later in life, which can lead to heart disease. Give your child a variety of nutritious foods for breakfast, including eggs, to help her grow up healthy and strong. Consult your child's pediatrician before making any changes in her diet, especially if she has health conditions or allergies.
Nutrition Facts
One large egg contains approximately 6 grams of protein, 72 calories, 6.28 grams of fat, 71 milligrams of sodium, .36 grams of carbohydrates and 186 milligrams of cholesterol. However, this nutritional profile is just for the egg, not other ingredients used in preparing it. If you use 1 tablespoon of butter to cook the egg, for example, you add 102 calories, 11.52 grams of fat, 91 milligrams of sodium and 31 milligrams of cholesterol to your child's breakfast.
Cholesterol Recommendations
Kids and teens ages 2 and older should consume 300 milligrams or less of cholesterol per day to keep cholesterol at a healthy level, according to the KidsHealth website. Children ages 8 months to 1 year may eat an egg three to four times a week; however, because babies can be sensitive to egg whites, you should just give them the yolks until their first birthdays, notes MedlinePlus. Although one egg might not be enough to satisfy your child's appetite for breakfast, adding other foods, like fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein and whole grains instead of an additional egg is a more nutritious option.
Cholesterol Considerations
Instead of serving your child two eggs for breakfast, try serving him an egg and a piece of toast with 100 percent fruit jelly one day and an egg with bell peppers and spinach on another. Although technically your child may eat one egg each day and still stay under the recommended cholesterol intake guideline of 300 milligrams per day, he is likely consuming cholesterol from other foods he eats throughout the day as well. Keep his cholesterol levels at a healthy level by serving eggs only a few times a week -- not every single day.
Egg Whites
If your child is a picky eater and insists on eggs for breakfast, try serving scrambled egg whites for breakfast. The white of one large egg contains 3.60 grams of protein, 17 calories, 55 grams of sodium and no cholesterol. Prepare egg whites scrambled with tomato, onion and a small amount of cheese to give your child a nutritious egg breakfast she can eat every day without the added cholesterol. You can also try combining one egg yolk with several egg whites if your child doesn't like just the whites.