The fried egg hack that cuts serious calories

With about seven grams of protein, eggs are one of the healthiest ways to start your day - unless you fry them in too much oil, that is.

But changing the type of oil you use to cook this breakfast staple could make them a lot healthier, and even taste better, reports the Daily Mail.

Using olive oil instead of vegetable or sunflower oils could ensure you have the perfect runny yolk every time, and also provide you with essential antioxidants.

Studies had previously suggests that using vegetable oils to fry food may be bad for your health due to the production of toxic chemicals called aldehydes during the heating process.

But though olive oil is classed as a vegetable oil, research has shown that heating monounsaturated olive oil creates fewer aldehydes than other vegetable oils.

It can also help to create the perfect fried egg as olive oil has a low smoke point, and heats up much more quickly, according to Brit+Co.

The egg will become crispy more quickly, while leaving the yolk perfectly runny in the middle - making it the ideal oil choice.

However, some people avoid using olive oil as the oil has a savoury flavour that can absorb into the eggs.

But Brit+Co experts state that the mellow taste of olive oil can actually be the perfect canvas for other flavours if you are having it as part of a larger breakfast.

Butter often leaves a salty and creamy taste behind but the lighter taste of olive oil will make your breakfast less rich and healthier for you, it's said.