How much carbs are in an egg: The answer might actually surprise you

You’re staring at a carton of Grade A large eggs. If you are on Keto, or maybe just watching your blood sugar because your doctor gave you "that look" at your last physical, you need to know one thing: how much carbs are in an egg.

Zero, right? That is what the fitness influencers say.

Actually, no.

It is a tiny amount, but it is not zero. If you eat ten of them—and honestly, some bodybuilders do—those fractions of a gram start to matter. Most people think of eggs as pure protein and fat packages, like little yellow and white biological machines designed to build muscles. While they are nutritional powerhouses, they do contain a trace amount of carbohydrates.

The actual breakdown of how much carbs are in an egg

Let's get specific. According to the USDA FoodData Central database, a single large egg contains roughly 0.36 grams of carbohydrates.

Wait. Why does the nutrition label on the back of the carton say 0g?

Food labeling laws in the United States allow companies to round down to zero if a nutrient is less than 0.5 grams per serving. It’s a legal "freebie." But if you’re tracking every single macro to stay in deep ketosis, you should probably count it as 0.4 or 0.5 grams just to be safe.

The carbs aren't in the fat. They are mostly in the white.

Egg whites contain most of the protein and a tiny splash of glucose. The yolk, which is the rich, fatty center, has almost no carbs at all. It is mostly lipids and vitamins. If you’re eating an omelet made of three large eggs, you’re looking at about 1.1 grams of carbs. Not a dealbreaker for most people, but definitely not "zero."

Does the size of the egg change the math?

Size matters here. A "Jumbo" egg isn't just a marketing term; it actually weighs more and holds more nutrients.

• Small Egg: Roughly 0.3 grams.
• Large Egg: The standard 0.36 to 0.4 grams.
• Extra Large: About 0.45 grams.
• Jumbo: Hits that 0.5-gram mark where it technically shouldn't be rounded down anymore.

If you are baking or doing some heavy-duty meal prep, these decimals add up. If you use a dozen eggs for a weekly frittata, you’ve just added 5 or 6 grams of carbs to the pan before you even throw in the peppers and onions.

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Why do eggs even have carbohydrates?

It sounds weird. Eggs are animal products. Usually, we associate carbs with plants—potatoes, bread, fruit.

But think about what an egg is. It’s a life-support system. It contains a tiny bit of free glucose to provide immediate energy for a developing embryo. It's nature's battery pack. Even though we are eating unfertilized eggs from the grocery store, that biological blueprint remains the same. The carbohydrate content is essentially a microscopic energy reserve.

Cooking methods and "hidden" carbs

This is where people usually mess up. They ask how much carbs are in an egg, get the answer "basically none," and then go to a diner and order a "healthy" scramble.

The egg itself hasn't changed. But the chef? They probably added a splash of whole milk or heavy cream to make those eggs fluffy. A tablespoon of milk adds about 0.7 grams of carbs.

Then there is the pan. If you use a non-stick spray, you’re fine. If you use butter, you’re mostly fine. But if you’re eating "egg bites" from a coffee shop chain, look at the ingredients. Many of those use potato starch or rice flour as a stabilizer to keep them from getting rubbery in the heater. Suddenly, your "zero carb" snack has 9 grams of carbs.

Be careful with:

1. Omelets at restaurants (many add pancake batter for fluffiness).
2. Deviled eggs (sugar in the mayo or relish).
3. Egg salad (hidden sugars in the dressing).

Comparing eggs to other "low carb" proteins

If you’re looking at your plate and wondering if eggs are the best bang for your buck, they usually are.

Compare the egg to a 3-ounce serving of chicken breast. The chicken is a true zero-carb food. No glucose, no glycogen left in the muscle tissue. But the egg offers something chicken doesn't: choline and lutein.

Choline is huge for brain health. Most Americans are actually deficient in it. Lutein is great for your eyes. So, while the chicken might win the "zero carb" trophy by a hair, the egg wins the "nutrient density" gold medal.

What about the cholesterol?

For decades, we were told eggs were heart-attack pellets.

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"Don't eat the yolks!" doctors said.

We now know that for most of the population, dietary cholesterol (what you eat) doesn't have a massive impact on blood cholesterol (what sticks to your arteries). The liver regulates cholesterol production based on how much you take in. While some "hyper-responders" need to be careful, the American Heart Association has largely backed off the "one egg a day" limit for healthy individuals.

When you strip away the yolk to avoid cholesterol, you are stripping away the flavor and the vitamins. And ironically, you're left with the egg white, which is where that tiny bit of carbohydrate actually lives.

The "Egg Fast" trend

You might have seen people on TikTok or Instagram doing an "egg fast." They eat nothing but eggs, cheese, and butter for three to five days.

The goal is to break a weight loss plateau. Because the carbohydrate count is so low—remember, we established how much carbs are in an egg is about 0.4g—your body stays in a state of ketosis.

Is it healthy? Short term, it’s probably fine for a healthy adult. Long term? It’s boring and lacks fiber. You’ll probably end up constipated because eggs have zero fiber. Zero.

If you do try an egg-heavy diet, you have to balance it with greens. Spinach and eggs are a classic combo for a reason. The fiber in the spinach helps move the protein through your system, and the vitamin C in the greens helps you absorb the iron in the egg yolks.

Common misconceptions about egg quality

Does a "pasture-raised" egg have fewer carbs than a "caged" egg?

Honestly, probably not.

The carb content stays pretty static. What changes is the fat profile. Eggs from chickens that actually walk around in the sun and eat bugs have significantly more Omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin D. The yolk will be a deep, dark orange instead of a pale yellow. It tastes better. It’s better for you. But the carbs? Still about 0.4 grams.

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Real-world math for keto and diabetics

If you are a Type 1 diabetic or someone following a strict therapeutic ketogenic diet (like for epilepsy), these fractions matter.

Let's do the math.
If you eat a 4-egg omelet:

• 4 eggs x 0.36g = 1.44g carbs.
• 1 oz cheddar cheese = 0.4g carbs.
• 1/2 cup spinach = 0.5g carbs.
• Total: 2.34 grams of carbs.

That is a incredibly low-carb meal. But it is not a "no-carb" meal. If your limit for the day is 20 grams, you just used more than 10% of your daily allowance on breakfast. Most people don't realize that. They think they have 20 grams "left" for the day, but they’ve already spent two of them.

A note on egg powders and dried whites

If you use powdered eggs (common in camping or long-term storage), the carb count can shift. Dehydration concentrates everything. Some brands also add "flow agents" or anti-caking minerals like sodium aluminosilicate. Always check the label on processed egg products.

Liquid egg whites in a carton are usually pasteurized. This makes them safe to drink (if you're into that), but the heating process can slightly alter the bioavailability of some proteins. However, the carbohydrate count remains identical to a fresh egg white cracked from a shell.

Summary of actionable insights

Knowing how much carbs are in an egg is only half the battle. You have to use that info correctly.

1. Count 0.5g per egg if you are being strict. It's better to over-estimate than under-estimate when it comes to blood sugar or ketosis.
2. Watch the additives. The carbs in eggs aren't the problem; the milk, flour, and sugar added by restaurants are.
3. Eat the yolk. Don't ditch it for "carb savings" because there aren't any. The yolk is where the nutrition lives.
4. Pair with fiber. Since eggs have no fiber, always eat them with avocado, greens, or low-carb veggies to keep your digestion on track.
5. Check your "Egg Bites." If you're buying pre-cooked egg snacks, read the ingredients list for "potato starch" or "corn starch."

Eggs are basically the perfect food. They are cheap, they last a long time in the fridge, and they provide the highest quality protein you can get. Just don't let that "0g" on the carton fool you into thinking they are completely carb-free. Everything in nature has a little bit of sugar in it—even the humble egg.

Next steps for your nutrition plan

Take a look at your current egg consumption. If you are eating two eggs a morning, you are taking in roughly 5 grams of carbohydrates per week from eggs alone.

Tomorrow, try making your eggs without the splash of milk. Use a little bit of water or just whisk them longer to get air in there for fluffiness. You'll save a gram of carbs and you probably won't even taste the difference. If you're tracking your macros in an app, manually enter 0.4g per egg rather than selecting the first "0 carb" entry you see. It’s a small change, but it’s the kind of accuracy that actually gets results.