Introduction to Egg Nutrition

Eggs are a highly nutritious food produced by hens around the world. Eggs come in a variety of sizes and there is no nutritional difference between brown and white eggs.

Serving Size

• Eggs come in a variety of sizes including small, medium, large, extra large and jumbo. One large egg is approximately 50 grams and contains about 70 calories.

Macronutrients

• Eggs are high in protein, with approximately 6 grams in a single large egg. They do not contain any carbohydrates.

Fat and Cholesterol

• Eggs are considered moderately high in fat and extremely high in cholesterol. Much of the fat and cholesterol is found in the yolk, so you can choose to eat only the egg whites to eliminate the fat and cholesterol from your diet. Also, most of the fat is monounsaturated fat and the cholesterol in eggs does not appear to increase bodily cholesterol.

Micronutrients

• Eggs contain many important micronutrients, including riboflavin, choline, phosphorus, selenium, folate, iron, zinc, lutein and vitamin B12.

Enrichment

• Some farmers involved in egg production add specific things to the hens' diet to increase the content of beneficial ingredients in their eggs. Some common enrichment methods produce eggs high in lutein, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and omega-3 fatty acids.