Egg vs. Egg Yolk
Nutrition comparison of Egg and Egg Yolk
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
egg
versus
egg yolk
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in egg and egg yolk:
- Both egg and egg yolk are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin D, calcium, calories, cholesterol and protein.
- Egg yolk has more thiamin, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12, however, egg contains more niacin.
- Egg yolk is a great source of iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Egg (Egg, whole, raw, fresh) and Egg Yolk (Egg, yolk, raw, fresh) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both egg and egg yolk are high in calories. Egg yolk has 125% more calories than egg - egg has 143 calories per 100 grams and egg yolk has 322 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, egg is heavier in protein, lighter in fat and similar to egg yolk for carbs. Egg has a macronutrient ratio of 36:2:62 and for egg yolk, 20:5:75 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Egg | Egg Yolk | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 36% | 20% |
| Carbohydrates | 2% | 5% |
| Fat | 62% | 75% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both egg and egg yolk are low in carbohydrates - egg has 0.72g of total carbs per 100 grams and egg yolk has 3.6g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Egg and egg yolk contain similar amounts of sugar - egg has 0.37g of sugar per 100 grams and egg yolk has 0.56g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both egg and egg yolk are high in protein. Egg yolk has 26% more protein than egg - egg has 12.6g of protein per 100 grams and egg yolk has 15.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Egg yolk is high in saturated fat and egg has 67% less saturated fat than egg yolk - egg has 3.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and egg yolk has 9.6g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both egg and egg yolk are low in trans fat - egg has 0.04g of trans fat per 100 grams and egg yolk does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Both egg and egg yolk are high in cholesterol. Egg yolk has 192% more cholesterol than egg - egg has 372mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and egg yolk has 1085mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Both egg and egg yolk are high in Vitamin A. Egg yolk has 138% more Vitamin A than egg - egg has 160ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and egg yolk has 381ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Both egg and egg yolk are high in Vitamin D. Egg yolk has 166% more Vitamin D than egg - egg has 82iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and egg yolk has 218iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Egg yolk has 146% more Vitamin E than egg - egg has 1.1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and egg yolk has 2.6mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Egg and egg yolk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - egg has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and egg yolk has 0.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Egg yolk has more thiamin, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12, however, egg contains more niacin. Both egg and egg yolk contain significant amounts of riboflavin and pantothenic acid.
| Egg | Egg Yolk | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.04 MG | 0.176 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.457 MG | 0.528 MG |
| Niacin | 0.075 MG | 0.024 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 1.533 MG | 2.99 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.17 MG | 0.35 MG |
| Folate | 47 UG | 146 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.89 UG | 1.95 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both egg and egg yolk are high in calcium. Egg yolk has 130% more calcium than egg - egg has 56mg of calcium per 100 grams and egg yolk has 129mg of calcium.
iron
Egg yolk is a great source of iron and it has 56% more iron than egg - egg has 1.8mg of iron per 100 grams and egg yolk has 2.7mg of iron.
potassium
Egg and egg yolk contain similar amounts of potassium - egg has 138mg of potassium per 100 grams and egg yolk has 109mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
carotenoids
Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]
For specific types of carotenoids,
| Egg | Egg Yolk | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 503 UG | 1094 UG |
| beta-carotene | ~ | 88 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 38 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, egg yolk has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and EPA than egg per 100 grams. Both egg and egg yolk contain significant amounts of DHA.
| Egg | Egg Yolk | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.048 G | 0.103 G |
| DHA | 0.058 G | 0.114 G |
| DPA | 0.007 G | ~ |
| EPA | ~ | 0.011 G |
| Total | 0.113 G | 0.228 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, egg yolk has more linoleic acid than egg per 100 grams.
| Egg | Egg Yolk | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.188 G | 0.438 G |
| linoleic acid | 1.555 G | 3.538 G |
| Total | 1.743 G | 3.976 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Egg g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Egg Yolk g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does egg or egg yolk contain more calories in 100 grams?Both egg and egg yolk are high in calories. Egg yolk has 130% more calories than egg - egg has 143 calories in 100g and egg yolk has 322 calories.
Is egg or egg yolk better for protein?
Both egg and egg yolk are high in protein. Egg yolk has 30% more protein than egg - egg has 12.6g of protein per 100 grams and egg yolk has 15.9g of protein.
Does egg or egg yolk contain more calcium?
Both egg and egg yolk are high in calcium. Egg yolk has 130% more calcium than egg - egg has 56mg of calcium in 100 grams and egg yolk has 129mg of calcium.