Egg: nutrition per 100 g

1. 01

   Complete protein, moderate amount

   A raw whole egg supplies 13.3 g of protein per 100 g, about 25 per cent of a sedentary man's daily requirement and 29 per cent of a woman's. It ranks 14th of 14 in the meat, poultry and egg group for protein only because it holds more water than meat; its protein is complete and easily digested once cooked.

2. 02

   Highest cholesterol in the tables

   At 366 mg per 100 g, egg ranks 1st for cholesterol of the 253 foods with a value in IFCT 2017, and almost all of it sits in the yolk. For most healthy adults the saturated fat of the whole diet matters more, but people with high LDL or diabetes should agree an egg limit with their doctor.

3. 03

   Folate, riboflavin and vitamin E

   Egg gives 49 micrograms of folate per 100 g, 16 per cent of a man's daily requirement and 22 per cent of a woman's, ranking 2nd of 10 foods in its group. Its 0.19 mg of riboflavin places it 27th of 241 foods, and its 1.47 mg of vitamin E ranks 33rd of 242.

4. 04

   Selenium, retinol and DHA

   Within its group, only chicken liver beats egg for selenium, at 40.4 micrograms, and for retinol, at 198 micrograms per 100 g. Egg also brings 76 mg of DHA, an omega-3 fat found mostly in fish, which matters in homes that eat eggs but rarely eat fish.

Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.

• Anda bhurji: eggs scrambled with onion, green chilli, tomato and a pinch of turmeric, eaten with pav or roti.
• Mutta roast from Kerala: halved boiled eggs in a slow-browned onion masala with curry leaves, served with appam or porotta.
• Dimer dalna: the Bengali egg and potato curry, with the boiled eggs fried lightly in mustard oil so they hold the gravy.
• Akuri: the soft Parsi scramble with ginger, coriander and green chilli, taken off the heat while still creamy.
• A sliced boiled egg in a chapati roll or folded into vegetable pulao lifts the protein of a light meal.

The cholesterol and saturated fat of an egg sit in the yolk, so people told to limit cholesterol often keep the whites and cut back on yolks; a doctor or dietitian can set the right number. Egg is also one of the commonest food allergies in young children. Raw or runny eggs can carry Salmonella, so cook eggs until the white is set, particularly for pregnant women, older people and toddlers. Finally, the cooking fat counts: a ghee-rich bhurji or a fried egg adds far more fat than the egg itself.

Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.

• Chicken (broiler)

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Country chicken (desi)

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Duck

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Quail

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Milk

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Paneer

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

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