Egg Consumption is Associated with Greater Intake of Several Nutrients to Encourage and Lower Total and Added Sugar in US Children and Adolescents
Authors: Papanikolaou Yanni , Fulgoni Victor L 
Published: November 2023

Authoritative recommendations encourage eating patterns that include a variety of protein foods in nutrient‐dense forms. Protein intake remains an integral component of normal growth and development during the childhood and adolescent years as does meeting recommendations for nutrient intakes. The present study examined egg consumption and associations with nutrient intakes and weight‐related measures in children and adolescents 2–18 years‐old (N=3,299) and compared to non‐consumers of eggs (N=17,030). Egg consumers were defined as those children and adolescents consuming eggs (i.e., with the exclusion of mixed meals) during a 24‐hour recall. Associations with nutrient intakes and markers of growth variables were evaluated using data from What We Eat in America, the nutrient intake component of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001–2012. Mean energy and nutrient intakes were adjusted for the sample design using appropriate weights. Covariates used in the analyses were age, gender, ethnicity, poverty‐income‐ratio, and energy (kcal) for non‐calorie variables. Egg consumption was associated with greater energy intake compared to infants not consuming eggs (2152±29 vs. 1959±10 kcal/day; p<0.0001). Egg consumers had greater protein (76±0.7 vs. 68±0.3 g/day), total choline (402±5 vs. 226±1 mg/day), lutein + zeaxanthin (1035±49 vs. 711±19 mcg/day), vitamin D (6.7±0.1 vs. 5.8±0.1 mcg/day), potassium (2274±24 vs. 2215±14 mg/day), and phosphorus (1329±13 vs. 1248±5 mg/day) and selenium (110±1 vs. 90±0.5 mcg/day; all p's≤0.026). Egg consumers also had greater consumption of total fat (78±0.6 vs. 72±0.3 g/day), monounsaturated fat (29±0.3 vs. 26±0.1 g/day), saturated fat (27±0.3 vs. 25±0.1 g/day), and sodium (3305±28 vs. 3103±14 mg/day), with lower added sugar (18±0.4 vs. 21±0.2 tsp eq/day) and total sugar (125±2 vs. 137±1 g/day; all p's<0.0001) vs. non‐consumers of eggs. Egg consumption was also associated with lower intake of dietary folate, iron, and niacin relative to non‐consumers of eggs. No associations were observed when comparing results for heights and weight‐related measures. When compared to non‐consumers of eggs and regardless of food security, poverty‐income‐ratio and WIC status, egg consumption was associated with greater lutein + zeaxanthin intake per day. The current data show that consumption of eggs in American children and adolescents is linked with several nutrient intakes, including higher protein, vitamin D, potassium, lutein + zeaxanthin, choline, selenium and phosphorus and lower added and total sugars relative to non‐consumers. Egg consumers also have less of several nutrients to be encouraged and greater intake of nutrients to limit, thus presenting opportunities for educational strategies to potentially increase consumption of nutrient‐dense foods in combination with eggs, including foods from the grains, dairy, fruits and vegetable groups.

Support or Funding Information

This study was supported by the Egg Nutrition Center.