Egg Drop Soup vs. Wonton soup — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

by Arpi Gasparyan | Last updated on July 25, 2023

Medically reviewed by Victoria Mazmanyan

Summary

Wonton and egg drop soups are low-calorie soups. Wonton soup has more protein and carbs, while egg drop soup has slightly more fats.

Egg drop soup is over 5 times richer in vitamins C and A, while wonton soup is 3 times richer in vitamins B3, B6, and B12.

Both soups are high in sodium and increase the risk of certain diseases.

Table of contents

Introduction

Nutrition

Macronutrients and Calories

Calories
Carbohydrates
Protein
Fats

Vitamins

Minerals

Glycemic Index

Acidity

Health Impact

Health Benefits

Risks

References

Introduction

This article compares two Chinese soups: wonton soup and egg drop soup.

Wonton soup is a bouillon-like soup prepared with wontons: dumplings with mainly pork or shrimp, sometimes chicken, vegetables, scallions, and various seasonings. Wonton soup is traditionally made with a clear and flavorful broth that is usually chicken or sometimes pork-based. The broth is often seasoned with garlic, ginger, and other spices.

Egg drop soup is made by dropping wispy beaten eggs into hot chicken broth. The soup may sometimes contain scallions, peppers, and tofu. Vegetable broth can also be used as a base for egg drop soup. The broth is usually lighter and less intense compared to wonton soup.

Nutrition

The nutritional values in the infographics of this article are presented for 100g servings of wonton soup and egg drop soup.

However, we will talk about the nutrition of one average serving size of wonton and egg drop soups - one cup, which is ~223g for wonton soup and ~241g for egg drop soup.

Macronutrients and Calories

Wonton and egg drop soups have similar nutritional values. However, wonton soup is slightly higher in protein and carbs, whereas egg drop soup is slightly higher in fats.

Both soups are made up of over 90% water.

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison

Egg Drop Soup

Protein: 1.16 g

Fats: 0.61 g

Carbs: 4.29 g

Water: 92.87 g

Other: 1.07 g

Wonton soup

Protein: 2.08 g

Fats: 0.26 g

Carbs: 5.25 g

Water: 91.18 g

Other: 1.23 g

Contains more FatsFats

+134.6%

Contains more ProteinProtein	+79.3%
Contains more CarbsCarbs	+22.4%
Contains more OtherOther	+15%

~equal in Water ~91.18g

Calories

Wonton and egg drop soups are low-calorie soups.

One serving of wonton soup provides 71.4 calories, whereas one serving of egg drop soup provides 65.1 calories.

Carbohydrates

One cup of wonton soup contains 11.7g of carbs, and one cup of egg drop soup contains 10.3g of carbs.

A cup of each soup provides 8-9% of the recommended daily carb intake (1).

The carbohydrate content of egg drop soup consists entirely of starch, while wonton soup also contains low levels of sucrose and maltose.

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison

Egg Drop Soup

Starch: 2.45 g

Sucrose: 0 g

Glucose: 0 g

Fructose: 0 g

Lactose: 0 g

Maltose: 0 g

Galactose: 0 g

Wonton soup

Starch: 4.75 g

Sucrose: 0.24 g

Glucose: 0 g

Fructose: 0 g

Lactose: 0 g

Maltose: 0.09 g

Galactose: 0 g

Contains more StarchStarch	+93.9%
Contains more SucroseSucrose	+∞%
Contains more MaltoseMaltose	+∞%

~equal in Glucose ~0g

~equal in Fructose ~0g

~equal in Lactose ~0g

~equal in Galactose ~0g

Wonton and egg drop soups may or may not be considered keto-friendly, depending on the used ingredients and the soup's carb content.

Protein

The soups are not particularly rich in proteins. However, wonton soup has 1.5 times more proteins than egg drop soup.

One cup of wonton soup contains 4.64g of proteins, while one cup of egg drop soup contains 2.8g of proteins.

Fats

Wonton and egg drop soups are very low in fats.

One cup of wonton soup contains 0.58g of fats, whereas one cup of egg drop soup contains 1.47g of fats.

The soups contain trace amounts of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Wonton soup is richer in most B complex vitamins, whereas egg drop soup is richer in vitamins B2, C and insoluble vitamins A, E, and K.
Wonton soup is over 3.5 times richer in vitamins B3 and B6 and three times richer in vitamin B12.

Egg drop soup is 9.3 times richer in vitamin C and 6.8 times richer in vitamin A. One serving of egg drop soup covers 17.5% of the daily vitamin C need (1).

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Egg Drop Soup

Wonton soup

Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C	+828.6%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A	+584.6%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E	+116.7%
Contains more Vitamin DVitamin D	+∞%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2	+18.8%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K	+33.3%
Contains more CholineCholine	+73.7%

Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1	+26.3%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3	+271.8%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5	+16.7%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6	+280%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12	+200%
Contains more FolateFolate	+85.7%

Minerals

Wonton soup dominates in this section; however, the difference between their mineral contents is not particularly high.

Wonton soup is richer in magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and copper. On the other hand, egg drop soup is richer in iron and calcium.
Both wonton and egg drop soups are high in sodium. One cup of each soup contains ~900mg of sodium, which is almost 40% of the daily recommended amount (1).

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Egg Drop Soup

Wonton soup

Contains more CalciumCalcium	+40%
Contains more IronIron	+23.8%

Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium	+50%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium	+45.5%
Contains more CopperCopper	+26.3%
Contains more ZincZinc	+33.3%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus	+20%
Contains more ManganeseManganese	+209.1%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium	+175%

~equal in Sodium ~406mg

Glycemic Index

There are no calculated glycemic index values for wonton soup and egg drop soup.

Acidity

The PRAL or the potential renal acid load value measures how much acid or base is produced in the organism by the consumed food.

The PRAL value of wonton soup is -0.9, and the PRAL value of egg drop soup is -0.5, making wonton soup more acidic or more acid-producing.

Health Impact

Health Benefits

Wonton and egg drop soups are considered healthy, and depending on their ingredients, they may provide a good amount of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins.

Wonton and egg drop soups are low-calorie foods and may be consumed during low-calorie diets. Low-calorie diets are associated with a lower risk of heart, kidney, and liver disease, better glycemic control, and reduced severity of obesity-aggravated disorders (2).

Egg drop soup is rich in vitamin C, a physiological antioxidant. Vitamin C participates in immune response, wound healing, growth and repair of tissues, and absorption of iron (3).

Wonton soup is a good vitamin B6 source. Vitamin B6 is needed for making antibodies, and hemoglobin, maintaining normal nerve function, breaking down proteins, and keeping blood sugar at normal levels (4).

Risks

Wonton and egg drop soups are high in a mineral called sodium. High sodium levels are associated with increased cardiovascular and kidney disease, osteoporosis, and cancer risks (5). Consider using low-sodium foods to avoid a high risk of heart disease.

References

Author name: Arpi Gasparyan

Education: General Medicine at YSMU

Last updated: July 25, 2023

Medically reviewed by Victoria Mazmanyan

Infographic

Infographic link

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison

Egg Drop Soup

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.166 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.191 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.129 g

Wonton soup

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.062 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.077 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.071 g

Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat	+148.1%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat	+81.7%

Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat

-62.7%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.


Lower in Cholesterol
Lower in Saturated Fat
Rich in minerals
Lower in Sugar
Lower in Sodium
Lower in Glycemic Index	Equal
Lower in price	Equal
Rich in vitamins	Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient			Opinion
Calories	27kcal	32kcal
Protein	1.16g	2.08g
Fats	0.61g	0.26g
Vitamin C	6.5mg	0.7mg
Net carbs	3.89g	5.05g
Carbs	4.29g	5.25g
Cholesterol	23mg	4mg
Vitamin D	6IU	0IU
Magnesium	2mg	3mg
Calcium	7mg	5mg
Potassium	22mg	32mg
Iron	0.26mg	0.21mg
Sugar	0.09g	0.34g
Fiber	0.4g	0.2g
Copper	0.019mg	0.024mg
Zinc	0.09mg	0.12mg
Starch	2.45g	4.75g
Phosphorus	15mg	18mg
Sodium	370mg	406mg
Vitamin A	89IU	13IU
Vitamin A	20µg	1µg
Vitamin E	0.13mg	0.06mg
Vitamin D	0.2µg	0µg
Manganese	0.011mg	0.034mg
Selenium	0.4µg	1.1µg
Vitamin B1	0.019mg	0.024mg
Vitamin B2	0.019mg	0.016mg
Vitamin B3	0.156mg	0.58mg
Vitamin B5	0.12mg	0.14mg
Vitamin B6	0.02mg	0.076mg
Vitamin B12	0.03µg	0.09µg
Vitamin K	1.2µg	0.9µg
Folate	7µg	13µg
Trans Fat	0.001g	0.001g
Choline	33mg	19mg
Saturated Fat	0.166g	0.062g
Monounsaturated Fat	0.191g	0.077g
Polyunsaturated fat	0.129g	0.071g
Tryptophan	0.025mg	0.013mg
Threonine	0.037mg	0.081mg
Isoleucine	0.028mg	0.06mg
Leucine	0.047mg	0.12mg
Lysine	0.052mg	0.062mg
Methionine	0.019mg	0.03mg
Phenylalanine	0.028mg	0.07mg
Valine	0.037mg	0.071mg
Histidine	0.013mg	0.039mg
Omega-3 - DHA	0.001g	0g
Omega-3 - ALA	0.007g	0.004g
Omega-6 - Dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid	0.001g	0g
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid	0.112g	0.065g

Which food is preferable for your diet?

Low Calories diet

Low Fats diet

Low Carbs diet

Low Glycemic Index diet

is better in case of low diet


Low Calories diet
Low Fats diet
Low Carbs diet
Low Glycemic Index diet	Equal

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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).

Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score

Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

10%

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?

Wonton soup is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 19mg)

Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?

Wonton soup is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.104g)

Which food is richer in minerals?

Wonton soup is relatively richer in minerals

Which food is lower in Sugar?

Egg Drop Soup is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.25g)

Which food contains less Sodium?

Egg Drop Soup contains less Sodium (difference - 36mg)

Which food is lower in glycemic index?

The foods have equal glycemic indexes ()

Which food is cheaper?

The foods are relatively equal in price ($)

Which food is richer in vitamins?

It cannot be stated which food is richer in vitamins. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information.