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Diet

Egg-Free Diet

Best Bets

Egg substitutes:

  • Commercial egg substitutes are available, but label reading is imperative; many low-cholesterol egg substitute products contain egg white
  • Check the label on mayonnaise-substitute products for egg content
  • Soft tofu can resemble eggs when spiced and scrambled with cheese, vegetables, or breakfast meats

Baking:

  • Soy flour can replace eggs in baked goods and casseroles
  • Xanthan gum, water, or vinegar can also be used in place of eggs in some recipes
  • Extra baking powder, oil, cornstarch, flour, tofu, or unflavored gelatin can be used for some products with good results

Foods to Avoid

To avoid eggs and egg products ask about ingredients at restaurants and others’ homes, read food labels, and become familiar with the technical or scientific terms for eggs. The following list is not complete. Consult with a healthcare professional before making any significant changes to your diet.

Note: Some of the foods on this list only rarely contain eggs (for example: sausage, sherbet, coffee).

  • Albumin
  • Baby foods (some)
  • Bavarian creams
  • Beers (some)
  • Beverages (prepared)
  • Breaded foods (some)
  • Breads (some; especially those with shiny crusts)
  • Cakes
  • Candy (some)
  • Coffee (some; to produce clarification)
  • Cookies (some)
  • Consommés
  • Creamed foods
  • Creamed pies
  • Cream puffs
  • Croquettes
  • Custards
  • Doughnuts
  • “Egg Beaters”
  • Egg noodles
  • Egg rolls
  • Egg whites
  • Egg yolks
  • Egg substitutes (some)
  • Eggnog
  • Fondue
  • French ice cream
  • Fritters
  • Frostings
  • Hollandaise sauces
  • Ice cream
  • Marshmallows
  • Mayonnaise
  • Meat or fish in batter
  • Meringues
  • Muffins (some)
  • Pancakes (most)
  • Pie fillings (some)
  • Powdered or dry eggs
  • Prepared meats (egg as a binding agent)
  • Pretzels (some)
  • Puddings
  • Root beers (some; used to produce foam)
  • Salad dressings containing eggs
  • Sausages
  • Sherbets
  • Simplesse® (fat substitute)
  • Soups (some)
  • Soufflés
  • Tartar sauce (and other sauces)
  • Wine (some; to produce clarification)
  • Waffles

Other words that may indicate egg:

  • Apovitellenins I & VI
  • Globulin
  • Livetin
  • Lysozyme
  • Ovalbumin
  • Ovoglobulin egg albumin
  • Ovomucin
  • Ovomucoid
  • Ovotransferrin
  • Phosvitin

Nonfood Factors

Exercise as you normally would. Experts recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity most days of the week.

Is This Diet Vegetarian-Friendly?

Yes. In fact, other than an allergy to eggs, the main reason someone would avoid eggs altogether is to follow a vegan or a lacto-vegetarian diet.

Eating Out

Call ahead to find out what the restaurant offers. Make sure that you are getting complete answers to your questions. Ask what you can have, instead of what you can’t, and understand that most restaurants can’t guarantee that your food will be egg-free, since the chance of contamination in a traditional kitchen is high. Good choices include:

  • Chips and salsa
  • Poultry, fish, beef—make sure to check if there are eggs in any breading or sauces
  • Fruit desserts that don’t have custard or pastry crusts made with egg
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The information presented here is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires December 2025.