Information On Nutrients In Eggs

Eggs are considered to be among man’s first foods as they are highly nutritious and easy to obtain. They are chockfull of proteins, minerals, and vitamins and are the favored breakfast food in most countries. However, eggs are much more than just a simple breakfast food; through the years we have perfected ways to include them in practically every meal right from soups and salads to cakes and desserts. They are an excellent culinary ingredient as they are versatile and can be included in various types of cuisine. They are easy to digest and can be included in a toddler or child’s diet plan. Before you include them in your regular diet, you should understand the breakup of nutrients in eggs as overindulgence over a prolonged period could cause health problems.

The list of nutrients is rather impressive as it not only contains proteins, carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals, but also every single essential amino acid.
Our bodies require several different types of essential amino acids for almost all organ functions. While it is possible to include various foods in your daily diet in order to obtain all the essential amino acids, you can simply include an egg in your diet to ensure that you meet your amino acid requirements.
In order to correctly understand the basic egg nutrients content and figures, consider the egg yolk nutrition separately from the egg whites nutrition. The method of cooking also affects the nutritional value of egg, so this is another factor that you will need to take into account.

For instance, one ounce of raw egg contains:

118 mg of cholesterol while the same amount of hard boiled egg will have 119 mg of cholesterol.
Ounce of fried egg has 128mg of cholesterol.
Furthermore, certain hard boiled egg nutrients may be destroyed during the cooking process while the egg protein undergoes favorable changes and becomes more easily digestible.

Egg nutrient facts are very important for those who wish to keep a track of their daily nutritional intake. The nutritional value of chicken eggs, duck eggs, and quail eggs differs slightly and so you would need to know the type of egg as well as the egg size in order to determine its value. Also read more on health benefits of eggs

These are the egg nutrients and values for one large (50 g) hard-boiled chicken egg:

Calories= 77
Protein= 6 g; Fat= 5g; Carbohydrates= 0.5 g
Vitamin A= 70 mcg
Vitmain B2= 0.25 mg
Vitamin D= 43 IU

Nutrient Content Of Egg Yolk

It is extremely nutritious and in fact the amino acids are just one of the many nutrients in egg yolk. The egg yolk also contains Vitamins A, D, E, and K while the egg white contains sodium, potassium, and magnesium. The cholesterol content in egg yolk is very high and this is often a cause for concern. There are many doctors who insist that individuals with high cholesterol should avoid egg yolks, while other studies suggest that egg yolk may not have a negative impact on cholesterol levels.

Cholesterol And Eggs

In order to understand this enigma of egg nutrient composition, it is important to differentiate between good (HDL) and bad (LDL) cholesterol. Eggs contain good cholesterol and some of the nutrients in eggs may actually help to decrease bad cholesterol levels. In addition to this, keep in mind that consuming foods that are high in cholesterol may increase your cholesterol levels slightly; but consuming foods that are rich in saturated fats and trans fats will drastically increase your cholesterol levels.

Nutrients in white boiled eggs:

Fat, proteins, sodium, and potassium. You can check the exact egg nutrient breakdown on the egg carton label as this will ensure that the details pertain to that particular egg size.

Nutrients In Eggshells:

Apart from the egg white and the yolk, eggshells too contain nutrients. Calcium is considered to be one of the most important nutrients in egg shells as about 95 per cent of the egg shell consists of Calcium Carbonate. Several independent medical papers and research reports confirm that consuming even half a teaspoon of powdered eggshell can help to strengthen the bones and prevent conditions like osteoporosis.

Using Hard Boiled Egg In Your Diet:

You could include a single hard boiled egg in your daily breakfast plan, but this would get monotonous after a while.
In order to add variety to your meals, introduce hard boiled eggs into your diet, by including it in your daily meals.
You can use slivers of boiled egg to decorate meat pies, roast chicken platters, and similar dishes.
You can also mince a hard boiled egg and sprinkle it over a salad or a large bowl of soup.

Egg Salads For You Diet:

Egg salad is another delicious option but use only fresh vegetables and ingredients to preserve the important nutrients in egg salad.
The most common egg salad recipes include ingredients like mustard and mayonnaise which are high in sodium and fats.
If you must use these ingredients, then use the low-fat and low sodium varieties as this will minimize their impact on your health.
Include fresh ingredients and herbs like onions, bell peppers, dill weed, and celery to increase the nutritive value and flavor of egg salad.
This simple change can introduce a wide variety of important nutrients into the egg salad recipe. For instance, bell peppers contain antioxidants; onions contain several anti-cholesterol compounds; and celery contains dietary fibers and Vitamin C; and so including them in an egg salad recipe would significantly increase the nutritional value of this dish.

Devilled Eggs:

They are a little troublesome to prepare but they are extremely delicious and very popular with both kids and adults. Devilled eggs are hard boiled eggs that are sliced in half with a spoonful of filling instead of the yolk. You can choose from a wide variety of devilled eggs recipes and tweak the recipe to suit your tastes. Many recipes for both sweet and savory foods include eggs. When following a recipe, make sure that you use the correct size eggs as the wrong size egg could ruin your entire dish.

Nutritional Benefits Of Eggs

Most calories from nutrients in eggs come from cholesterol contained in the egg yolk and so you can use only the whites to drastically decrease your calorie intake. The other nutrients from eggs include iron, zinc, phosphorous, potassium, and magnesium.

Brain: Egg also contains choline which is an essential nutrient that supports brain development and function. This nutrient is also responsible for memory and muscle control and a severe choline deficiency can result in liver and kidney damage.
Concentration: Eggs are a very healthy breakfast option for kids as research shows that the regular consumption of eggs helps to increase attention span and has a positive influence on concentration abilities.
Eyes: Eggs also contain certain antioxidants that help to protect the eyes and prevent cataracts later in life.
Obesity: Obesity in kids has become a common problem and nutritionists often recommend eggs for an obesity diet plan for kids. This is because kids who consume a single hard-boiled egg along with their breakfast are less likely to binge as the protein in the egg keeps them satiated for a longer period. Do not try to force your child to eat eggs but instead find ways to include them irregular meals. Tasty snacks like French toast or an egg salad sandwich would be an excellent way to include eggs in your child’s diet plan.

Submitted on September 21, 2011