Recipe Makeover: Egg Salad
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Leaner, Greener Egg Salad
Egg salad is a lunch-time favorite, a go-to because it's quick, easy to prepare, and rich in filling protein. It's a "salad" by name, yes, but a typical homemade version can load on more than 23g of fat and almost 900mg sodium—suddenly making your so-called light lunch feel anything but. We knew a rescue was in order.
Classic
377 calories per sandwich
23.4 grams total fat
894 mg sodium
Makeover
297 calories per sandwich
12.3 grams total fat
591 mg sodium
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How We Did It
To start, we looked to one of our favorite ingredients to replace most of the mayo: avocado. When mashed to a smooth puree, it keeps our salad nice and creamy, with a fruity richness. But wait—avocado is high in fat, right? One tablespoon of the green stuff contains only 2g fat—much better than mayo's 11g fat. Crunchy quick-pickled celery stands in for pickle relish to save sodium. To reduce sat fat just a bit more, we hold out a couple of the egg yolks and drop white sandwich bread in favor of a whole-grain variety with crunchy sunflower seeds to boost fiber; a handful of the nutty nuggets go into the salad, too, for textural appeal. Our lightened sandwich is a whole-grain, feel-good handful you'll be happy to tote to work.
Tip: To prevent avocado from browning in leftover egg salad, place any remaining salad in a bowl and cover surface with plastic wrap. Then cover the entire bowl tightly with plastic wrap.
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Avo Puree
Mashed avocado replaces most of the mayonnaise, keeping the salad creamy and rich while lowering calories, fat, and sodium.
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Quick Pickles
A speedy soak in vinegar, water, and sugar pickles celery, saving 230mg sodium per tablespoon over pickle relish.
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Fewer Yolks
We hold out two egg yolks to keep fat and calories in check. Use them chopped on salads, grated on steamed asparagus, or sliced on toast.