5 Egg Nutrition Facts That You Should Know About

Akash Sehrawat

5 min read | Aug 26, 2019

Introduction

 

I get this question a lot, ‘Akash. Should we really eat eggs?’

 

Considering that eggs are a common food ingredient worldwide for various dishes, there is still a lot of confusion around their nutritional facts.

 

In this article, I will discuss 5 egg nutrition facts that you should know about! Let’s get started.

5 Egg Nutrition Facts

 

1) A Chicken Is Hatched From An Egg, Not Egg White Or Just Egg Yolk

 

Nature works in synergy and not in isolation. So, keeping science aside, eat food as nature intended them to as ‘whole.’

 

2) Nutrition In An Egg Is Divided

 

As opposed to conventional wisdom, nutrition in an egg is divided into egg white and the yolk. Consider this chart:

 

 

Image source: The World’s Healthiest Foods

 

Notice that omega-3 fatty acids are only available in egg yolk.

 

Related Article: Omega 3 Fatty Acids Benefits And Daily Requirement

 

In addition, most of the fat and water-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, K, B5, B6, B12, folate, and choline are only found in yolks. Choline is one other very important nutrient only found in egg yolks.

 

My suggestion is to eat an egg as a whole.

 

3) Cholesterol In Eggs Is Not A Problem At All

 

The evidence is pretty clear that you can eat up to 3 whole eggs daily. I have written a very detailed post on the studies and research related to cholesterol and eggs. 

 

Related Article: Is Egg Good For Health? | How Many Eggs Can I Eat In A Day?

 

4) The Color & Firmness Of The Egg Yolk Determine The Quality Of The Egg

 

There are predominantly three egg-yolk colors! See the image below

 

 

Image source: 1wideopennets. com

 

Hens lay eggs, and the product [eggs] is as healthy as its source [hens!] If hens are pasture-raised-which means they are allowed to graze on the green pastures throughout the day, where they eat insects, worms, grass, and even weed which is their natural diet, then the yolk color will be dark orange (the one on the extreme left).

 

The orange color is due to the compound called Carotenoids. Carotenoids are anti-oxidants, and this compound gives the egg yolk an orange color. This class of nutrients is found mainly in pasture feeds.

 

On the other extreme, when hens are caged, free-range, and cage-free (see chart below), basically, they spend very little time out in the pastures eating their natural diet, i.e., insects and worms. In this case, hens mostly eat a commercial feed of soy and corn! And the color of the yolk from these hens will be pale yellow!

 

Because it’s way cheaper to stock up a lot of hens in cages, and even cage-free does not require a significantly large portion of land, these eggs are cheaper!

 

 

Image source: 2https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-are-cage-free-eggs-2216573

 

Bottom line- Egg yolk’s color is widely regarded as a good indicator of an egg’s health.

 

Dark orange color, however, is very tough to get. They are super-expensive, plus their availability is very limited. According to Organic Egg Scorecard, one such brand I consumed for about a year was the best in the United States. 3https://www.cornucopia.org/scorecard/eggs/

 

Please do note because people are willing to pay a premium for orange yolks, companies have started to add synthetics and other coloring agents in the feeds of a hen so that the color of the yolk comes out to be orange!

 

Don’t worry!!

 

A fool-proof method to procure a superior egg is to just look at the label. As you can see in the picture above -the keyword on Stueve Organic eggs is Pasture-Raised.’

 

Pasture-raised eggs are nutritionally superior to cage-free/free-range eggs and should be preferred. In one egg-testing project by Mother Earth News in 2007, it was concluded that pasture-raised hens contain, 4https://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/free-range-eggs-zmaz07onzgoe

 

-1/3 less cholesterol

 

-1/4 less saturated fat

 

-2/3 more vitamin A

 

-2 times more omega-3 fatty acids

 

-3 times more vitamin E

 

-7 times more beta carotene

 

To find pastured producers near you, check out your local sources. 5www.eatwild.com, 6www.localharvest.com

 

What About The Shell Of An Egg? Is A Brown Egg Superior To A White Egg?

 

This just depends on the breed of hens. For example, hens that lay brown eggs are larger in size and need to be fed more; therefore, you will find brown eggs to be more expensive than white eggs!

 

5) You Should Eat Soft-Boiled And Keep Your Yolk Slightly Running

 

If you cook your eggs too much, you oxidize the cholesterol in the yolk, which then contributes to chronic inflammation in your body.

 

The Best Options Are

 

-Soft boiled

 

-Poached

 

-Sunny Side Up-Half Fries (without cooking the yolk)

 

-Omelette (slightly under-cooked)

 

 

It’s best to avoid scrambled eggs as the yolk is thoroughly cooked, which may oxidize the cholesterol in the eggs leading to health issues! However, science is still inconclusive about whether oxidized cholesterol is harmful or not!

Conclusion & My Recommendation

 

Ideal Choice

 

Pasture-Raised Eggs

 

You’ll find these words written on the box that the eggs come in. In most cases, the yolk you’ll get from these eggs will be orange, could be dark orange too! There is a slim chance of golden-yellow or bright yellow-colored yolks but never Pale-Yellow. Also, the yolk from pasture-raised hens will be firm, intact, and never runny!

 

If hens are pasture-raised, the feed will most probably be organic, non-GMO, and free from herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, and antibiotics. Although you cannot assume this, this fact should be mentioned on their box and/or on their website.

 

Secondary Choice

 

For most people, availability and budget (pasture-raised eggs are expensive) can be an issue. Then opt for:

 

Organic, Non-GMO 

 

These are also free from herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, and antibiotics.

 

&

 

Free-Range

 

Hens are allowed some time in pastures, but the area is small and limited. The color of the yolk from free-range, even cage-free, may be bright yellow or even orange. It’s very, very tough to know if the company is adding coloring agents to produce orange yolk or mixing.

 

Lastly, if you still prefer to eat egg whites to fulfill your daily quota of protein, that’s fine! Just ensure you include at least 2 whole eggs along with the egg whites to ensure you ingest everything that this superfood has to offer.

 

What do you think about these egg nutrition facts? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments below!

Skill-Based Education.
Global Recognition.
Powerful Community Building

Secure a certificate of completion in as little as a day by graduating from one of our free courses.

Create Free Account

Get Access to Our Free Courses. No Credit Card Required.

Fabulous Body Membership

Your All-Access Pass to A Fabulous Body & A Rewarding Career

25+ Certificate Courses & Programs, All Included
Learn More

15 Day Free Trial, 100% Money-Back Guarantee

About Akash Sehrawat

Akash is a creator of 25+ programs and certificate courses in which more than 200,000 students have enrolled both on Udemy and Fabulous Body's native platform. Akash is also an author of three books that can be found on Amazon. His answers on Quora have gathered more than 12 million views in less than a year.

Comments

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments