Egg rolls are made by wrapping shredded vegetables, seasonings and sometimes meat in thick flour-and-egg pastry. Chinese restaurants typically deep-fry their egg rolls, but the egg rolls can also be baked or steamed. Deep-fried pork egg rolls offer nutrients from the meat and vegetables, but the trade-off is a high quantity of saturated fat and calories.
Protein
Meat-filled egg rolls are significantly higher in protein than those that contain only shredded vegetables. Pork egg rolls have 10 g protein each. This amount translates into about one-fifth of your recommended daily intake of protein.
Fat and Calories
One fried pork egg roll typically contains about 220 calories and 12 g total fat. Of that fat content, about 2 g are saturated fat. That fat content represents about 18 percent of the total fat and 15 percent of the saturated fat that the average person on 1,200 calorie diet should eat for the day. On the bright side, the egg roll contains "good" fats as well, with 3 g polyunsaturated and 6 g monounsaturated fats.
Carbs and Fiber
The crispy coating of an egg roll translates into 9 g of carbs per roll. But those carbs don't translate into fiber, unfortunately. Fried egg rolls do not provide any dietary fiber.
Sodium
Chinese food is notoriously salty, and fried egg rolls are no exception. The 511 mg of sodium in a fried pork egg roll represents 21 percent of your recommended sodium intake for the day.
Vitamins and Minerals
The vegetable and meat content in a pork egg roll combine to offer a range of nutrients. Pork egg rolls have 3 percent each of the DV for vitamin A and calcium; 7 percent of the DV for vitamin C; and 9 percent of the DV for iron. Pork egg rolls are also high in vitamin K, B vitamins, manganese and selenium.
Options
The Center for Science in the Public Interest suggests ordering spring rolls rather than egg rolls when you dine at a Chinese restaurant. Spring rolls have about half the fat and calories of egg rolls, and three-quarters of the sodium. If you purchase store-bought egg rolls, read labels carefully and buy the brands lowest in saturated fat, calories and sodium. The average heat-and-serve pork egg roll product is lower in saturated fat and calories, and somewhat lower in sodium, then its deep-fried counterpart, according to USDA figures. Chicken and vegetable varieties have even fewer calories and fat grams.
References
- Center for Science in the Public Interest; Chinese Restaurant Food; Jayne Hurley and Bonnie Liebman
- HealthAliciousNess: Nutrition Facts Comparison Tool
- My Fitness Pal: Calories in Fried Pork Egg Roll
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Calculate the Percent Daily Value for the Appropriate Nutrients
- RecipeTips.com: Egg Roll
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