Quail eggs are a specialty food item often found in Asian markets or specialty food shops. Quail eggs are about one-quarter the size of chicken eggs, but have a similar flavor. Like the chicken egg, cooked quail eggs are a good source of protein, but high in cholesterol. If quail eggs are part of your healthy diet, knowing the nutrition information can help you make adjustments to fit it in.
Calories
Quail eggs are significantly smaller than chicken eggs, making it difficult to eat just one. One hard-boiled quail egg contains 14 calories. Typically, five quail eggs equals one serving, at 70 calories. By comparison, one large hard-boiled chicken egg contains 75 calories. If you follow a 2,000-calorie diet, one serving of boiled quail eggs only meets about 4 percent of your daily calorie intake, making it a low-calorie food choice.
Protein and Carbohydrates
Five hard-boiled quail eggs contain 6 g of protein, the same amount found in one chicken egg. The protein in the quail eggs provide your body with all of the essential amino acids, making them a high-quality source of protein. How much protein you need to eat each day depends on your age and sex. In general, healthy adult men need about 56 g of protein a day, and healthy adult women 46 g a day. One serving of quail eggs meets about 10 percent of your daily protein needs. Hard-boiled quail eggs do not contain any carbs.
Fat and Cholesterol
While quail eggs are a good source of protein, most of the calories in the eggs come from its fat content. Five hard-boiled quail eggs contains 5 g of total fat, 2 g of saturated fat and 380 mg of cholesterol. Consuming too much saturated fat and cholesterol can increase your blood cholesterol levels and risk of heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends you limit your total fat intake to 25 to 35 percent of calories, saturated fat to less than 7 percent of calories and dietary cholesterol to less than 300 mg a day. One serving of the boiled quail eggs meets more than a day's worth of your daily cholesterol needs.
Vitamins and Minerals
Quail eggs are a nutrient-rich food, providing your body with a number of essential vitamins and minerals. Five quail eggs contains 1.64 mg of iron, 14.4 mcg of selenium, 30 mcg of folate, 244 IU of vitamin A and 25 IU of vitamin D. Quail eggs are an especially good source of the trace mineral selenium. Your body needs adequate intakes of selenium to make antioxidant enzymes that protect your cells against free-radical damage, which might decrease your risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease or cancer.
References
- The Kitchn; "What's the Deal with Quail Eggs?"; Faith Durand; March 2007
- Dummies.com; "Hard-Boiled Quail Eggs with Matcha Salt"; Judi Strada et al.
- USDA Nutrient Database: Egg, Quail, Whole, Fresh, Raw
- "The Complete Book of Food Counts"; Corrinne Netzer; 2009
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Protein
- American Heart Association: Know Your Fats
- Office of Dietary Supplements; "Selenium"; November 2009



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