How many eggs a day is healthy? No upper limit, but a portion guide
The short answer
French dietary guidelines set no maximum number of eggs. The benchmark lies elsewhere: 2 eggs replace one portion of meat or fish of about 100 g, and Manger Bouger (the French public health nutrition programme) advises rotating meat, poultry, fish, eggs and pulses over the week. A 50 g egg provides 70 kcal and 6.4 g of protein. One egg a day, or two a few times a week, fits easily into that rotation.
What the guidelines say
| Profile | Protein portion |
|---|---|
| Adults, and children from age 11 | 2 eggs, or about 100 g of meat or fish |
| Children aged 4 to 6 | 1 egg, or 50 g of meat, poultry or fish |
| Aged 7 to 11 | amounts increased gradually |
Manger Bouger points out that you don’t need to eat meat, fish or eggs every day: pulses and wholegrains can take over.
What one egg provides
| Per 50 g egg | Amount | Share of reference value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 70 kcal | |
| Protein | 6.4 g | |
| Fat | 4.9 g, of which 1.3 g saturates | |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.45 µg | 11% of 4 µg |
| Iodine | 18 µg | 12% of 150 µg |
| Vitamin D | 1 µg | 7% of 15 µg |
| Cholesterol | 186 mg |
According to Anses, the French food safety agency, the egg is an inexpensive food of excellent nutritional quality, with a little vitamin B12, iodine and vitamin D. It is not a major source of any of these nutrients, as our rankings of foods high in vitamin D and the most protein-rich foods show.
What about cholesterol?
All the cholesterol in an egg is in the yolk. Ciqual gives quite different values depending on how it is prepared, from 222 mg per 100 g for a soft-boiled egg to 372 mg for a raw egg, which works out at between 110 and 190 mg per egg. Current French guidelines set no number of eggs not to exceed. If your doctor is monitoring you for high cholesterol, adjust things with them, taking your whole diet into account.
Anses hygiene rules
- Never wash eggs, either before storing them or before using them.
- Throw away broken or cracked eggs, even if you planned to cook them for a long time.
- The 28-day date is a best before date: an intact egg remains safe to eat for several weeks afterwards if hygiene has been respected, but it whisks up less well.
- Dishes made with raw eggs, such as mayonnaise or chocolate mousse, should be eaten straight away, or within 24 hours if kept in the fridge.
Frequently asked questions
How many eggs a day can you eat?
French guidelines set no maximum. Two eggs count as one portion of meat or fish, to be rotated with other protein sources over the week.
How much protein is in an egg?
About 6.4 g for a 50 g egg, according to Ciqual, or 12.8 g per 100 g.
How many calories are in an egg?
About 70 kcal for a large 50 g egg, and 53 to 62 kcal for a small or medium egg of 38 to 44 g.
How many eggs for a child?
Between the ages of 4 and 6, one egg replaces a 50 g portion of meat or fish, according to Manger Bouger. The portion then increases up to 2 eggs by around age 11.
Should eggs be kept in the fridge?
According to Anses, it is not compulsory if they were sold at room temperature, but you should avoid temperature changes: once chilled, they need to stay in the fridge.
Other quantity guides
how many seeds a day, how many almonds a day, how much coffee a day, how much sugar a day, how much red meat a week, how much fish a week, how much cheese a day, how many walnuts a day, how many bananas a day, how much water to drink a day, how much dark chocolate a day, how much rice per person, how much pasta per person.
Our sources
- Manger Bouger (Santé publique France), guidelines on meat, poultry, fish and eggs.
- Anses, infographic Consommation des œufs.
- Ciqual 2025 table (Anses); USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, « Egg, whole, raw, fresh ».
