How Much Protein Is in One Egg?

One of the biggest problems with a lot of diets is a protein deficiency. While there are plenty of other protein sources aside from meat, very few of them have the same value per measurement. When you’re trying to get in shape and improve your muscle tone, this protein deficiency can become an even bigger problem – muscles are built of protein, after all.

One of the common substitutes for meat (or just an additional protein boost) is the egg. It’s been widely known for a long time that eggs are a very high source of protein and several important vitamins. They’re a renewable resource, relatively affordable, they keep for a long time, and they’re very flexible in a culinary sense.

That said, the idea of a protein supplement where a single scoop is equivalent to six egg whites is pretty impressive in anyone’s book. But, to really appreciate the protein our scientifically-formulated supplement can provide for you, we should take a look at the actual scientific facts regarding an egg’s protein content.

How Much Protein is in One Egg?

The first thing to look at is the protein content index, which ranks multiple foods with a number between 1 and 100. Unsurprisingly, the egg is at the top, with a score of 100, where other notoriously high-protein foods such as fish, legumes, soy and dairy sit considerably lower. But that doesn’t really say all that much about the direct protein content of an egg.

An egg is divided into two components – the whites (called albumen in biology) and the yolk. Each has its own protein value:

  • Egg White – 3.6 grams of protein.
  • Egg Yolk – 2.7 grams of protein.

This adds up to a total of 6.3 grams of protein. However, since the yolk contains a significant calorie count along with its slightly lower protein value, dietitians often suggest leaving it out of most if not all egg-based dishes if possible.

With just the whites in mind, a single large egg contains about 3.6 grams of protein. This is, in some food classification systems, sufficient to label an egg as a serving of meat, by caloric and protein values.

Egg Nutrition FactsEgg Nutrition Facts

Along with their high protein value, eggs also provide essential vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, calcium, zinc and iron. Unfortunately, most of this is contained largely within the yolk, and the calories the yolk contains tend to outweigh these values significantly.

When eating only egg whites, you are still getting some of these vitamins and minerals, to a more diminished amount. This means you will want to be sure that you’ve other healthy sources of these vitamins in your diet, to account for this margin of error.

On average, for a single meal, it’s advised to only eat one or two eggs, which is the standard quantity for a plate of scrambled eggs, or a healthy egg white omelet. This is because even the whites do contain a decent amount of cholesterol and calories (just far less than the yolk). This means that, for an average plate of scrambled egg whites with milk, you’re only getting about 14 grams of protein.

If a protein-rich, but healthy, diet is your goal, eggs are healthier than a lot of meats, they do have a higher protein content than other sources, but their caloric content makes them less effective than you might think.

On a side note, we’re all familiar with the cliché seen in movies where people on strict diets or in training, throw a raw egg or two into a protein shake or orange juice in the morning. This is actually not nearly as beneficial as you’d think. A raw egg is not nearly as digestible as one that is cooked, and the same could be said for any other protein source. Cooking foods chemically treats them in a way that the body can far more easily absorb and use them in an efficient manner.

Dietary Concerns

Some more specialized diets can be more difficult, when it comes to the use of eggs as well. While ovo-lacto and partial vegetarians include eggs, dairy and poultry/fish in their diets, true vegetarians and vegans do not eat any form of animal product, which eliminates eggs from their diet altogether.

Also, for diets, the heavy use of butter, margarine and oils is discouraged due to their high cholesterol and fats, which are often necessary in significant quantities in order to properly cook eggs in a palatable way.
With all of this in mind, eggs aren’t as practical for balanced diets as one might think. Modern, formulated supplements rarely have these problems, aiming to provide the protein without the calories, in smaller, but very tasty servings as well. Most diets are compatible with these supplements as well!

Our Formulated Protein Powder

Our specially formulated powder provides the protein of six egg whites from a single scoop, while eliminating the caloric disadvantages inherent to eggs. At the same time, this excellent supplement can easily be scrambled just like egg whites or used for omelets or in other egg dishes using similar consistencies and textures.

It shouldn’t matter what type of diet you’re following, this powder will provide the high levels of protein you need – especially during breakfast, when you need the energy and muscle growth power only protein can produce.
When you do the math, the practicality and health benefits of this powder, compared to something like eggs, fish or meat is significant. To get the protein content of this powder from regular foods, you’ll have to eat multiple servings a day, and re-balance other aspects of your diet to account for the caloric content of these foods. This means a stricter exercise regime and the elimination of other occasional treats you shouldn’t have to deny yourself just to get your protein.

We invite you to visit our store today and compare the protein in our scientifically-designed supplements to eggs, fish, legumes and other well-known protein sources. We believe the math will speak for itself entirely!

The post How Much Protein Is in One Egg? appeared first on Gaspari Nutrition.


Older Post Newer Post

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published