Egg whites are the healthiest part of the chicken egg. The yolk, then, is the least healthy part of the egg. It may be OK to occasionally eat small amounts of egg yolk, depending on your cholesterol levels and current health. Talk to your doctor to find out how much egg yolk is healthy for you.
Egg White
The egg white is the healthiest part of an egg because it is an excellent source of heart-healthy protein, yet it has no cholesterol. High blood cholesterol levels can lead to heart disease. Egg whites are also low in calories, so they can easily fit into almost any diet.
Egg Yolk
The yolk of an egg contains a great amount of cholesterol, which is what makes it so unhealthy. The yolk of a large chicken egg contains approximately 213 mg of cholesterol. A healthy individual can safely consume up to 300 mg of cholesterol per day. But if you have high cholesterol, heart disease or other condition that requires you to watch your cholesterol intake, you may need to limit it to 200 mg or less per day. One egg yolk would put you over your daily limit. Ask your doctor what's right for you.
Substitutions
If a recipe calls for a whole egg, make the dish healthier by replacing the egg with either two egg whites or a cholesterol-free egg substitute. These substitutions will remove the cholesterol and lessen the calories in the dish. If you're baking a cake or brownies, add up to 1 tbsp. of sunflower oil or vegetable oil to help keep it moist.
Considerations
If you eat an egg, avoid consuming other foods with cholesterol for the rest of the day. Certain meats, especially fatty cuts of red meat, contain large amounts of cholesterol and shouldn't be eaten with eggs. Opt for more grains, vegetables and fruits for the remainder of the day.
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