The most common type of egg is chicken. They occupy a separate niche among other food products and are used as an important ingredient in the preparation of various dishes. In addition, chicken eggs themselves are a dish and can be prepared in many ways. Moreover, the calorie content of eggs is comparable to energy-rich foods such as animal meat and some varieties of poultry meat.
What are eggs made of?
The nutritional and beneficial properties of chicken eggs are determined by the set of elements contained in them, which are necessary for the normal functioning of the human body. Each of them has substances such as magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sulfur, potassium and calcium. In addition, they are rich in vitamins A, B2, B12, D and E.
In order to find out how many calories in an egg, you need to look at its size. By their size, chicken eggs are usually divided into several categories, which are determined not only by weight, but also by the quality of the product. Eggs of the A-Extra category are considered the best, which means that they are less than 7 days old. Category “A” follows - over seven days, and category “B”. The latter involves additional processing of the product for long-term storage.
In addition, the calorie content of eggs depends on the grade. For example, the weight of a product of the first grade exceeds 70 grams. The second, respectively, includes eggs weighing 65-70 grams, the third - 60-65 grams. And so on, until the seventh grade, to which eggs weighing less than 45 grams belong.
Now everyone can calculate the calorie content of eggs, based on the fact that 100 grams of the product contains 156.9 kcal and consists of 11.5 grams of fat and 12.7 grams of protein. For example, the largest egg will “charge” a person about 110 kcal, and the smallest - only 70 kcal.
How useful are eggs
The main beneficial properties of eggs include good assimilation by the human body of the constituent elements. In the egg protein there are almost all the necessary amino acids, as well as a large number of vitamins and minerals. Moreover, despite the high cholesterol content, they contain phospholipids that lower its level in the blood, and choline, which regulates fat deposits.
Of course, even with all these positive qualities, cholesterol should not be discounted. Most nutritionists do not recommend consuming more than one egg per day. And for people of older and older age, this amount is better to limit to two or three pieces per week.
As for the peculiarities of heat treatment of this product, the chemical composition and calorie content of a fried egg does not differ from the calorie content of a boiled or raw egg . However, in their raw form it is better to use them not very often, and in the summer it is advisable to exclude them from the diet altogether. The raw product may contain salmonella bacteria, which are the cause of a dangerous intestinal disease - salmonella.
Protein or yolk?
Despite the fact that when evaluating the caloric content of eggs, the characteristics of proteins and yolks are often not taken into account, it is nevertheless necessary to know about some differences in their structure. Most importantly, almost all healthy proteins are found in egg white. It consists of 85% of water, and the rest is occupied by high-quality proteins. It is especially interesting to know for athletes who want to keep fit and not get better due to body fat.
At the same time, fats mostly remain in the yolk. Their content here can reach up to 65-70%. Therefore, this product must be carefully consumed by the elderly and those who are prone to overweight.
How to determine the quality of eggs
Under the shell is a protective film, which does not affect the calorie content of eggs or their weight. But it allows you to store this product for a long time. Despite this, the hostess will not hurt to know one simple but reliable way to check the freshness of this product. To do this, it is enough to pour ordinary water into some container and dip a raw egg into it .
If it drowned - its freshness is less than three to four days. If it floats at the surface, then the period increases to two to three weeks. If part of the egg appeared from the water, then its freshness will be in great doubt.