Packed with protein, healthy fats and vitamins, eggs are an important staple food. But chicken eggs aren't the only eggs around — and it may be worth giving duck eggs a try once in a while, too.
"We certainly do not have to be limited to just hen eggs," Whitney Linsenmeyer, Ph.D., assistant professor at Saint Louis University and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, tells TODAY.com.
While many of us are used to eating chicken eggs, she says, other options like duck eggs contain similar nutrients — but in different amounts.
Chicken eggs vs. duck eggs
Both chicken and duck eggs contain hefty amounts of protein and fat with virtually no carbohydrates or sugar. The nutritional differences between them are due mainly to their varying sizes.
“Nutritional content-wise, duck eggs have more fat (than chicken eggs) because the yolk is bigger,” Grace Derocha, registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, tells TODAY.com.
Keep in mind that a typical large chicken egg weighs about 50 grams while a duck egg weighs about 70 grams, according to food data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
A large chicken egg typically contains:
- 72 calories
- 6.2 grams protein
- 5 grams fat
- 1.6 grams saturated fat
And a duck egg usually provides:
- 130 calories
- 9 grams protein
- 9.7 grams fat
- 2.6 grams saturated fat
As you can see, duck eggs generally contain more calories, protein and fat than chicken eggs.
But even when comparing chicken eggs and duck eggs of equal weight, duck eggs contain a little more fat: In 100 grams of chicken egg, you'll get an estimated 12.4 grams of protein and 10 grams of fat, versus 12.8 grams of protein and 13.8 grams of fat in 100 grams of duck egg, according the USDA.
Duck egg yolks also tend to be richer in taste and color, partly due to that increased fat content.
Ultimately, chicken eggs and duck eggs are all good sources of protein and healthy fats as well as vitamins (like B6, B9 and B12) and antioxidants, such as lutein and zeaxanthin. If you eat chicken eggs frequently, maybe try throwing a duck egg into the mix for a change of pace and flavor.
“They’re all great options,” Linsenmeyer says. “And nutritionally (they) tend to be similar since they’re all coming from birds at the end of the day.”
Keep in mind...
While duck eggs are similar nutritionally to chicken eggs, they do contain more fat — including both heart-healthy fatty acids as well as the less healthy saturated fat.
That's not necessarily a concern for everyone, as TODAY.com explained previously. But if you are keeping an eye on saturated fat, know that you'll get more in a duck egg than your typical chicken egg so you may not want to eat them as frequently.
Price is also a concern when choosing eggs to buy. The average price of chicken eggs have fallen from their record highs in January 2023, but are still high, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Bird flu, heat stroke and increased demand due to rising meat prices may all be factors in the rising cost of eggs, CNBC reported.
But duck may be tougher to find and aren't likely to be much cheaper. The average price of a dozen large chicken eggs is hovering around $3, BLS statistics show, while duck eggs can retail for up to $10 or $12 per dozen.
At the end of the day — or at the beginning — your egg choices will come down to your budget constraints as well as taste and nutritional preferences.
