4 ways to make healthier egg salad

Watch: Low-Fat or Olive Oil Mayonnaise. Which is healthier?

It was egg salad that made me fall in love with hard-boiled eggs. Prior to that, I'd always seen those perfect ovals of white as a missed opportunity for an omelet. Sure, I loved dyeing Easter eggs, but eating them? No thanks.

When I finally tried an egg salad sandwich for the first time, I fell in love. The delicate texture of whites and creamy yolks mixed with mayo and served on dark, crusty bread is pure comfort. Now they're a favorite for me: a deli-counter go-to and a day-after-Easter indulgence to look forward to.

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Of course, traditional egg salad isn't exactly the healthiest meal. Combining multiple eggs, salt and mayo on the aforementioned crusty bread is rich in calories. One of those deli egg salad sandwiches I love so much can have 600 calories or more and 6 grams of saturated fat. Yikes!

That's why I enjoyed working on a story about making healthier egg salad in EatingWell Magazine's March/April issue. Using a few simple techniques, we slimmed down egg salad without sacrificing any of its flavor. Our tricks are so simple:

Ditch Half the Yolks. Next time you make egg salad, start with 8 eggs for 4 servings, discard or set aside half of the yolks. Every 4 yolks you don't use saves you 2 grams of saturated fat and 59 calories per serving.

Slim Your Sauce. Instead of just using plain old mayonnaise, try mixing 3 tablespoons each of nonfat yogurt and low-fat mayo, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt (this is for 4 servings). The result tastes every bit as good as the egg salad you remember, but with 115 fewer calories and 2 grams fewer of saturated fat per serving.

Get Creative. Adding raw veggies, like carrots or celery, gives egg salad great texture and, even better, gives you extra fiber, making the whole meal more filling.

Here are 4 egg salad recipes I love:

Cobb Egg Salad
The bacon, blue cheese and avocado in this egg salad make it decadent. Serve it open-face on a piece of toasted whole-grain bread.
Get the Recipe: Cobb Egg Salad & More Egg Salad Recipes

Niçoise Egg Salad
Green beans, tuna and olives make this Niçoise-style egg salad recipe substantial. Serve it over salad greens.
Get the Recipe: Niçoise Egg Salad & More Hard-Boiled Egg Recipes

Veggie Egg Salad
Crunchy carrot, cucumber and scallions are a colorful addition to this vegetarian egg salad recipe. Pack it with some crunchy crackers and tomatoes for a healthy, light lunch.
Get the Recipe: Veggie Egg Salad & More Egg Salad Recipes

Sweet Southern Egg Salad
Crunchy celery, gherkin pickles and sweet onion flavor this Southern-style egg salad recipe. Serve on pumpernickel toast or a bed of lettuce.
Get the Recipe: Sweet Southern Egg Salad & More Recipes for Your Leftover Easter Eggs