Eggs · Egg

Protein in egg

Egg (whole hen's egg, raw) has 13.3 g of protein in every 100 g. Here's what that means for your day, how it compares, and how to count it right.

The short answer

100 g of egg has 13.3 g of protein and 135 kcal.1 That's about 27% of the 50 g of protein ICMR-NIN suggests a day for a 60 kg adult.2

13.3 gprotein per 100 g
135kcal per 100 g
40%of calories from protein
151 gfor 20 g protein

Nutrition in 100 g of egg

Per 100 gAmount
Energy135 kcal (564 kJ)
Protein13.3 g ± 0.3
Fat9.2 g
Carbohydrate0 g
Fibre0 g
Water76.5 g
Edible portion, per 100 g. IFCT 2017 food code M001 (“Egg, poultry, whole, raw”), averaged across 6 regions of India. ± is the spread between samples.

IFCT measured eggs raw, boiled and as an omelette. Figures are per 100 g of the edible part, without the shell. Egg sizes vary, so weigh yours for an exact count.

How much egg for your protein?

The amounts below are worked out from IFCT's figure of 13.3 g per 100 g. To see how egg fits into a whole day, add it in the day builder.

To getEat aboutCalories
10 g of protein75 g101 kcal
20 g of protein151 g204 kcal
30 g of protein226 g305 kcal

How egg compares

Egg has more protein per 100 g than 55% of the 542 foods in IFCT 2017. Here it is beside the other eggs we cover:

EggsProtein / 100 gkcalFrom protein
Omelette16.5 g17040%
Egg yolk15.7 g29722%
Duck egg14.6 g18233%
Boiled egg13.4 g14837%
Egg13.3 g13540%
Desi egg13.1 g16832%
Egg white10.8 g4599%
Per 100 g. “From protein” is the share of calories that comes from protein.

Other foods with similar protein: walnuts (14.9 g), rajgira (13.3 g), quinoa (13.1 g), sooji (11.4 g), bajra (11 g). For more protein per 100 g, try soybean (37.8 g), masoor dal (24.4 g), moong dal (23.9 g). See every food on one protein chart.

Protein quality

Egg protein contains all the essential amino acids in good proportions, which is why it is often used as the reference protein. The white is mostly water and protein; the yolk carries the fat and also has protein.3

Common questions

How much protein is in 100 g of egg?

13.3 g, according to the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 from ICMR-NIN. That's for egg, per 100 g of the edible part. 100 g also gives 135 kcal.

How much egg gives 20 g of protein?

About 151 g. That's roughly 40% of the 50 g a day ICMR-NIN suggests for a 60 kg adult.

Is egg a good source of protein?

40% of its calories come from protein, and it has more protein per 100 g than 55% of the 542 foods in IFCT 2017. Egg protein contains all the essential amino acids in good proportions, which is why it is often used as the reference protein.

Is the protein in egg white or yolk?

Both. Per 100 g, raw egg white has 10.8 g of protein and raw yolk has 15.7 g (IFCT 2017). The white has almost no fat; the yolk carries the fat and most of the calories.

References

  1. Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR), Hyderabad. nin.res.in. Read through the open-data copy by Subhajit Sahu (ifct2017, MIT licence).
  2. ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. Nutrient Requirements for Indians: Recommended Dietary Allowances and Estimated Average Requirements. 2020. nin.res.in
  3. WHO/FAO/UNU Expert Consultation. Protein and amino acid requirements in human nutrition. WHO Technical Report Series 935, 2007. who.int