A Look at Protein Foods: Eggs

This article will break down the macronutrient numbers and ratios, vitamin/mineral content, and sodium/cholesterol content for eggs.

The debate over which protein foods are best for natural bodybuilders can be a heated one, and is beyond the scope of this article. This article presents raw data, and only raw data. Just remember that a natural food source, such as eggs, is a better protein meal then protein derived from a processed food such as frozen pizzas or entrees. Processed food almost always contains high sodium, and added chemicals.

Eggs

Eggs are a nutritionally dense protein food that should be a staple for natural bodybuilders. Eggs are also an extremely flexible food, and can be eaten with potatoes, as omelets, hard-boiled with a splash of hot sauce, or scrambled with onions and salsa. They fit into almost any lifestyle, and work well together with numerous starchy foods.

Eggs are a quality protein source, and are rich in vitamins A, E, K, B12, riboflavin, and folic acid. Eggs are also rich in the minerals iron, zinc and calcium. They also contain all 8 essential amino acids.

Egg yolks often get a bad rap because of their fat content. An average yolk contains 5 grams of fat. Of this fat, 1.6 grams are saturated fat. A natural bodybuilder requires dietary fat – and saturated fat – for energy and proper health. Eggs are one of the best sources for this fat.

Exploring the issue of saturated fats, the FDA recommends that an individual eat 20 grams of saturated fats per day on a 2,000 calorie diet. An active, natural bodybuilder who requires 3,000 to 4,000 calories per day would obviously require more saturated fats. This requirement could go as high as 30 to 40 grams per day, or more.

Adding four whole eggs per day provides only 6.4 grams of saturated fat, and 20 total grams of overall dietary fat. As you can plainly see, there is little reason for a natural bodybuilder to avoid the egg.

The following is a nutritional and macronutrient breakdown of various sizes of eggs:

One Jumbo Egg (63 grams)

90 calories, 8 grams of protein, 6 grams of fat, 0 grams of carbs

266 mg cholesterol, 88 mg sodium, 2 grams of saturated fat

46.6 mg Omega 3’s, 723 mg Omega 6’s

• 6% Vitamin A
• 3% Calcium
• 6% Iron
• 6% Vitamin D
• 3% Vitamin E
• 3% Thiamin
• 18% Riboflavin
• 5% Vitamin B6
• 7% Folate
• 14% Vitamin B12
• 9% Pantothenic Acid
• 12% Phosphorus
• 5% Zinc
• 29% Selenium

One Extra Large Egg (56 grams)

80 calories, 7 grams of protein, 6 grams of fat, 0 grams of carbs

237 mg cholesterol, 78 mg sodium, 2 grams of saturated fat

41.4 mg Omega 3’s, 643 mg Omega 6’s

• 5% Vitamin A
• 3% Calcium
• 6% Iron
• 5% Vitamin D
• 3% Vitamin E
• 3% Thiamin
• 16% Riboflavin
• 4% Vitamin B6
• 7% Folate
• 12% Vitamin B12
• 8% Pantothenic Acid
• 11% Phosphorus
• 4% Zinc
• 25% Selenium

One Large Egg (50 grams)

71 calories, 6 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat, 0 grams of carbs

211 mg cholesterol, 70 mg sodium, 2 grams of saturated fat

37.0 mg Omega 3’s, 574 mg Omega 6’s

• 5% Vitamin A
• 3% Calcium
• 5% Iron
• 4% Vitamin D
• 2% Vitamin E
• 2% Thiamin
• 14% Riboflavin
• 4% Vitamin B6
• 6% Folate
• 11% Vitamin B12
• 7% Pantothenic Acid
• 10% Phosphorus
• 4% Zinc
• 23% Selenium

One Medium Egg (44 grams)

63 calories, 6 grams of protein, 4 grams of fat, 0 grams of carbs

186 mg cholesterol, 62 mg sodium, 1 grams of saturated fat

32.6 mg Omega 3’s, 505 mg Omega 6’s

• 4% Vitamin A
• 2% Calcium
• 4% Iron
• 4% Vitamin D
• 2% Vitamin E
• 2% Thiamin
• 12% Riboflavin
• 3% Vitamin B6
• 5% Folate
• 9% Vitamin B12
• 6% Pantothenic Acid
• 8% Phosphorus
• 3% Zinc
• 20% Selenium

One Small Egg (38 grams)

54 calories, 5 grams of protein, 4 grams of fat, 0 grams of carbs

161 mg cholesterol, 53 mg sodium, 1 grams of saturated fat

28.1 mg Omega 3’s, 436 mg Omega 6’s

• 4% Vitamin A
• 2% Calcium
• 4% Iron
• 3% Vitamin D
• 2% Vitamin E
• 2% Thiamin
• 11% Riboflavin
• 3% Vitamin B6
• 4% Folate
• 8% Vitamin B12
• 5% Pantothenic Acid
• 7% Phosphorus
• 3% Zinc
• 17% Selenium

Eggs for Natural Bodybuilders

A typical protein feeding of eggs for a natural bodybuilder consists of 4 extra large eggs. They can be prepared in any number of ways. I prefer to hard-boil them, as boiling requires the least amount of preparation time. Just boil and go.

Four extra large eggs contains 28 grams of protein, only 8 grams of saturated fat, and a wealth of vitamins and minerals…including vitamin D, A, iron, calcium, and B vitamins.

Eggs have several other health benefits. They are rich in choline, which boosts brain health and reduces inflammation. Choline also has a positive impact on cardiovascular health.

It has also been revealed that eggs improve lipid panels, including cholesterol levels. Yes, you read that correctly. Eggs are good for cholesterol. There is no need for a natural bodybuilder to eat only egg whites.

Steroid users, on the other hand, have to fend off bad lipid panels. Because of this, they try to weed out anything perceived as a threat. This is one of the primary reasons why egg yolks have been labeled “evil” by the lifting community.

As we have seen, moderate egg consumption is good for you. Drug-using lifters generally eat more food then their natural counterparts, so steroid users tend to gravitate to protein foods with limited saturated fats.

Add 4 eggs to your daily diet. Besides being a great protein source, they are one of the healthiest foods you can eat.