How much protein is in an egg? | Exercise.com Learn: Your Fitness Business Resource

How much protein is in an egg?

Tyler Spraul is the director of UX and the head trainer for Exercise.com. He has his Bachelor of Science degree in pre-medicine and is an NSCA-certified strength and conditioning specialist. He is a former All-American soccer player and still coaches soccer today. In his free time, he enjoys reading, learning, and living the dad life. He has been featured in Shape, Healthline, HuffPost, Women's...

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UPDATED: Aug 25, 2020

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  • Eggs are a good source of protein, but not the best source.
  • You should not rely solely on eggs to meet your daily protein nutritional needs.
  • If you feel you are not getting enough protein in your daily diet, consider taking a protein supplement.

An average-sized egg contains about six grams of protein. This number can vary slightly depending on whether the egg is small or extra-large, but this is the amount usually found in an average-sized egg.

According to the USDA, “Large eggs now have 14 percent less cholesterol than previously recorded, down from 215 to 185 mg per egg.”

According to the American Egg Board, “They also have 64 percent more Vitamin D than before, at 41 IU per large egg.”

Remember, along with a healthy diet, exercise is also an important component of your overall health. If you are looking for an exercise routine, look no further. Go PRO today for access to certified personal trainers, workout plans, and more.

Should Eggs Be Included in My Regular Diet?

The first thing you need to consider if you want to include eggs in your diet is whether or not you have high cholesterol. If you do, eating a whole egg may not be good for you.

In this case, you could simply eat the egg whites, although they don’t have the same nutrients as a whole egg.

If you already have good physical fitness and you eat a well-balanced diet, there is no reason you shouldn’t include eggs as part of that diet.

In addition, eggs are very filling and typically keep you full longer if you eat an egg with your meal.

Are Eggs the Best Source of Protein?

No, not by a long shot! While eggs have a decent amount of protein, especially considering their size, the best source for protein is tuna, which has 40 grams of protein in a six-ounce can.

To calculate how much protein you need in a day, try this easy method provided by Livestrong.com.

If you aren’t big on eating meat, which contains the most protein of any other source, and you struggle to get protein from other sources, then you might want to try a protein supplement.

One type of protein supplement is an egg protein supplement. The benefit of taking an egg protein supplement is you get all the health benefits provided by eggs without any of the fat or cholesterol.

When you use an egg protein supplement, you can get about 24 grams of protein in a single serving, which is generally one scoop of the powder.

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This combined with other protein sources in your diet should generate a healthy amount of protein each day.

Is It Better to Get My Protein From Eggs or From a Protein Powder?

Since one egg doesn’t even provide for a quarter of your daily protein needs, it is safe to say that it would be much healthier for you to get your protein from a powder source rather than an egg source.

Since it would take nearly nine eggs each day to equate to your minimum protein needs, eating eggs for this purpose would be entirely too unhealthy.

What Are Other Protein Supplement Options?

Whey protein powder is a very popular choice for protein supplements. Simply put, whey protein powder is a milk-based protein powder.

Typically the whey is a blend of whey protein isolate, whey peptides, and whey protein concentrate.

Whey protein powder is a viable protein alternative for men and women who are vegetarians. However, this is not an appropriate option for vegans because of the milk component.

For vegans, there are protein powders that use a vegetable base. For example, you can find rice protein powders, pea protein powders, hemp protein powders, and more.

Without milk or eggs, the amount of proteins per serving in vegan alternatives is much lower than it is with other products.

Should I Include a Protein Supplement as Part of My Daily Diet?

If you are eating a well-balanced diet of meat or fish, fruits, veggies, and beans, then you should be getting enough protein in your diet. However, you need to be honest with yourself about the foods you are eating.

If you aren’t eating a well-balanced diet, including a protein supplement may be wise. You do want to ensure that you choose a natural protein supplement made from food products and not synthesized elements.

If your protein supplement is food based, your body will absorb more of the protein and nutrients it provides, which will lead to a healthier body overall.

Just keep in mind that buying natural isn’t cheap and you can expect to pay more for better supplements.

Whether you get your protein from a balanced diet that includes eggs or protein supplements, don’t forget that working out is also important to total body health!

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