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Egg vs. Tofu — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

Article author photo Sveta Badalyan by Sveta Badalyan | Last updated on October 31, 2023
Medically reviewed by Elen Khachatrian Article author photo Elen Khachatrian
Egg
vs
Tofu

Summary

Tofu is high in calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, potassium, manganese, and vitamins B1, B3, and C. Eggs have more selenium, copper, choline, vitamins A, B2, B5, B6, B12, and folate. Both are good sources of protein, although tofu is higher. Moreover, tofu has more polyunsaturated fats and dietary fiber. Tofu has significantly lower cholesterol and sodium levels.

Eggs, on the other hand, contain more calories and monounsaturated and saturated fats.

Introduction

In this article, we will discuss the differences between whole, hard-boiled eggs and tofu and their health impacts.

Tofu, often known as "bean curd" or "soybean curd," is prepared by boiling soy milk with a coagulant, which changes its hardness. Magnesium chloride or calcium sulfate are the two coagulants. Soy-based foods such as tofu are considered a meat alternative.

Taste 

Tofu doesn't have a strong taste. Tofu is mild and gentle in flavor. Tofu's taste can change depending on the ingredients and sauces used because it soaks up their flavors. For instance, when you cook it with different sauces, it can taste savory and full of flavor. Alternatively, when you put it in soups or salads, it can have a gentle and mild taste.

Eggs have different flavors depending on the type of egg. Ways of cooking, like frying, boiling, or poaching, can change how eggs taste and feel in the mouth. Egg white has a subtle, mild, and slightly salty flavor. The yolk of an egg tastes buttery and slightly sweet, and the texture is creamy

Nutrition

In this part of the article, we will compare the nutritional values of eggs, whole, cooked, hard-boiled, and tofu, raw, firm, and prepared with calcium sulfate, concentrating on differences.

Macronutrients and Calories

Overall, eggs and tofu have similar nutritional densities, tofu being only a little denser. Eggs contain 75% water, whereas tofu contains 70% water.

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Egg
Egg
2
13% 11% 75%
Protein: 12.58 g
Fats: 10.61 g
Carbs: 1.12 g
Water: 74.62 g
Other: 1.07 g
Tofu
3
17% 9% 3% 70%
Protein: 17.27 g
Fats: 8.72 g
Carbs: 2.78 g
Water: 69.83 g
Other: 1.4 g
Contains more FatsFats +21.7%
Contains more ProteinProtein +37.3%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +148.2%
Contains more OtherOther +30.8%
~equal in Water ~69.83g

Calories

Eggs are slightly higher in calories than tofu. A 100g serving of egg contains 155 calories, while the same serving size of tofu provides 144 calories.

Protein

Tofu is high in protein content compared to eggs. A hundred grams of egg contains 12.58g of protein, whereas tofu has 17.27g.

 Eggs and tofu are both high in all essential amino acids. However, tofu is richer in almost all essential amino acids except lysine and methionine.

Fats

Compared to tofu, eggs contain more fats. A hundred grams of eggs contain 10.61g of fat, whereas tofu provides 8.72g. Tofu provides over 3.5 times more polyunsaturated and 2.5 times less saturated fats. Conversely, egg has two times more monounsaturated fats.

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Egg
Egg
1
37% 47% 16%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 3.267 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 4.077 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.414 g
Tofu
2
16% 24% 61%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 1.261 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 1.925 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 4.921 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +111.8%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat -61.4%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +248%

Carbohydrates

Although the carb content is not very high in eggs and tofu, tofu has a higher level of carbohydrates. A hundred grams of eggs contain 1.12g of net carbs and are fiber-free. Tofu has 0.48g of net carb and 2.3g of dietary fiber per hundred grams.

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Egg
Egg
0
Tofu
0

Cholesterol

Eggs are significantly higher in cholesterol. A 100g of eggs contains 373mg of cholesterol, whereas tofu is cholesterol-free.

Vitamins

An egg has more vitamins B2, B5, B6, B12, and folate. Eggs also contain three times more vitamin A and provide vitamins D, E, and K in small quantities. Conversely, tofu is high in vitamins B1, B3, and C.

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
Egg
10
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 31% 21% 66% 17% 118% 1.2% 84% 28% 139% 0.75% 33% 160%
Tofu
3
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0.67% 10% 0% 0% 40% 24% 7.1% 8% 21% 0% 0% 22% 0%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +213.3%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +∞%
Contains more Vitamin DVitamin D +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +402.9%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +951.1%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +31.5%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +∞%
Contains more FolateFolate +51.7%
Contains more CholineCholine +∞%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +139.4%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +495.3%

Minerals

The egg contains over two times more selenium and five times more copper. Egg covers your daily copper needs 180% more than tofu. Moreover, the egg provides 293.8g of choline. In contrast, tofu has more phosphorus, iron, manganese, potassium, and magnesium. Compared to eggs, tofu has over 13 times more calcium

Egg provides 50mg of calcium per hundred grams, whereas tofu has 638mg. Moreover, tofu has over nine times less sodium. A hundred grams of egg contains 124g of sodium, whereas tofu has 14mg.

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
Egg
2
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 7.1% 15% 11% 45% 667% 29% 74% 16% 3.4% 168%
Tofu
8
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 41% 205% 21% 100% 126% 43% 81% 1.8% 154% 95%
Contains more CopperCopper +429.1%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +77%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +480%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +1266%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +88.1%
Contains more IronIron +123.5%
Contains more ZincZinc +49.5%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +10.5%
Contains less SodiumSodium -88.7%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +4442.3%

Oxalate content

Eggs are oxalate-freeThe oxalate level of tofu is 6mg per hundred grams.

Glycemic Index

The glycemic index of eggs is equal to 0Tofu has a glycemic index of 15.

As we can see, tofu tends to have a higher glycemic index than eggs. However, the glycemic index of both eggs and tofu falls in the low category.

Acidity

The pH values of eggs usually fall between 7.75 to 8 (1). Tofu has a pH level of 7.2 (2). 

Another way to measure the acidity of a food is the potential renal acid load(PRAL). The PRAL value demonstrates the ability of the food to break down into acids or bases inside the body. Eggs have a PRAL level of 9. The PRAL level of tofu is 0.1. That shows that eggs are more acid-producing than tofu.

Weight Loss & Diets

Consuming tofu lowers plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, fat mass, and body weight in several nutritional intervention trials conducted on humans and animals. Consuming soy protein decreases the accumulation of body fat and enhances insulin resistance in animal models. Dietary soy protein lowers plasma lipid levels, body weight, and body fat mass in obese people (3). 

When combined with an energy-deficit diet, egg breakfast promotes weight loss; however, if you're not following any specific diet, eating eggs for breakfast won't make you lose weight (4).

VeganEggs, meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, and other items produced from animals are all excluded from this diet. Unlike eggs, tofu is considered vegan.

Vegetarian: Vegetarians avoid all animal flesh products, including red meat, fish, and poultry. People who follow the Lacto-vegetarian diet should avoid eggs, whereas the Ovo-vegetarian diet allows egg consumption. Tofu can be part of the vegetarian diet.

Keto: The keto diet includes low-carb, high-fat, and high-protein foods. Eggs and tofu are keto-friendly.

Paleo: This diet focuses on eating natural, unprocessed foods and avoiding processed foods. Eggs are allowed in the paleo diet, whereas tofu is not paleo-friendly.

Health Benefits

Cardiovascular Health

Egg consumption may lower the risk of hypertension (5).

The results from the three cohorts demonstrate that moderate egg consumption—up to one egg per day—is linked to a potentially lower risk of cardiovascular disease in Asian populations but is not generally associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (6).

High consumption of isoflavones and tofu is associated with a moderately lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) (7).

A daily consumption of 26.7 g of tofu may lower the incidence of CVDs by 18% (8).

Cancer

According to the research, eating more tofu reduces the risk of breast cancer (9).

Tofu consumption may also decrease the risk of prostate cancer (10).

Egg proteins and peptides have immunomodulatory properties. In several cell lines, these proteins and peptides can activate or repress pro- or anti-inflammatory cytokines, as well as alter the synthesis of inflammatory mediators (11).

Downsides and Risks

Neurodegenerative diseases

According to the study, high tofu intake may increase the incidence of cognitive impairment symptomatic of dementia in older people. Eating more tofu each week leads to lower memory performance (12).

Another study found that high tofu consumption is associated with brain atrophy in older people (13).

Cancer

The study found that egg consumption may enhance the risk of pharynx, oral cavity, colorectal, lung, breast, prostate, and bladder cancer (14).

One comprehensive study, for example, revealed a positive dose-response relationship between egg intake and gastrointestinal (GI) neoplasms (15).

Allergy

Egg and soy are the most common allergens in young children (16, 17). 

If you are allergic to soy, you should avoid tofu. For many people, consuming soy is risk-free. If you have a soy allergy, your immune system perceives the protein in soy as a dangerous "invader," similar to a bacteria or virus. There are 16 putative soy protein allergens identified, although their clinical relevance is uncertain (18). 

According to the study, the primary allergen in tofu is beta-conglycinin (19).

Proteins in the soy attach to particular IgE antibodies produced by the person's immune system.

Egg allergy occurs when the body's immune system gets sensitive to proteins in egg whites and yolks and overreacts (20).

Allergic responses are unpredictable and can range from mild to severe.

Soy and egg allergy symptoms may include stomach cramps, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, tightness in your throat, cough, itching, eczema, anaphylaxis, etc (20, 21).

Article author photo Sveta Badalyan
Education: General Medicine at YSMU
Last updated: October 31, 2023
Medically reviewed by Elen Khachatrian

Infographic

Egg vs Tofu infographic
Infographic link

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Egg Tofu
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Saturated Fat ok
Lower in price ok
Rich in minerals ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Rich in vitamins ok

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Egg Tofu Opinion
Calories 155kcal 144kcal Egg
Protein 12.58g 17.27g Tofu
Fats 10.61g 8.72g Egg
Vitamin C 0mg 0.2mg Tofu
Net carbs 1.12g 0.48g Egg
Carbs 1.12g 2.78g Tofu
Cholesterol 373mg 0mg Tofu
Vitamin D 87IU 0IU Egg
Magnesium 10mg 58mg Tofu
Calcium 50mg 683mg Tofu
Potassium 126mg 237mg Tofu
Iron 1.19mg 2.66mg Tofu
Sugar 1.12g Tofu
Fiber 0g 2.3g Tofu
Copper 2mg 0.378mg Egg
Zinc 1.05mg 1.57mg Tofu
Phosphorus 172mg 190mg Tofu
Sodium 124mg 14mg Tofu
Vitamin A 520IU 166IU Egg
Vitamin A 149µg Egg
Vitamin E 1.03mg Egg
Vitamin D 2.2µg 0µg Egg
Manganese 0.026mg 1.181mg Tofu
Selenium 30.8µg 17.4µg Egg
Vitamin B1 0.066mg 0.158mg Tofu
Vitamin B2 0.513mg 0.102mg Egg
Vitamin B3 0.064mg 0.381mg Tofu
Vitamin B5 1.398mg 0.133mg Egg
Vitamin B6 0.121mg 0.092mg Egg
Vitamin B12 1.11µg 0µg Egg
Vitamin K 0.3µg Egg
Folate 44µg 29µg Egg
Choline 293.8mg Egg
Saturated Fat 3.267g 1.261g Tofu
Monounsaturated Fat 4.077g 1.925g Egg
Polyunsaturated fat 1.414g 4.921g Tofu
Tryptophan 0.153mg 0.235mg Tofu
Threonine 0.604mg 0.785mg Tofu
Isoleucine 0.686mg 0.849mg Tofu
Leucine 1.075mg 1.392mg Tofu
Lysine 0.904mg 0.883mg Egg
Methionine 0.392mg 0.211mg Egg
Phenylalanine 0.668mg 0.835mg Tofu
Valine 0.767mg 0.87mg Tofu
Histidine 0.298mg 0.431mg Tofu
Omega-3 - EPA 0.005g Egg
Omega-3 - DHA 0.038g Egg

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Egg Tofu
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

People also compare

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
54%
Egg
10%
Tofu
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
103%
Egg
87%
Tofu

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Tofu
Tofu is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 373mg)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Tofu
Tofu is lower in Sugar (difference - 1.12g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Tofu
Tofu contains less Sodium (difference - 110mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Tofu
Tofu is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 2.006g)
Which food is cheaper?
Tofu
Tofu is cheaper (difference - $1)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Tofu
Tofu is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Egg
Egg is lower in glycemic index (difference - 15)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Egg
Egg is relatively richer in vitamins

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Egg - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173424/nutrients
  2. Tofu - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/172475/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.