How many calories are in egg whites?
Egg whites has 24 calories per 3 tbsp (46 g, ≈1 white) — that's 52 calories per 100 g, roughly 1% of a 2,000-calorie day. Most of those calories come from protein.
USDA FoodData Central · raw, fresh · FDC 172183
Calories by portion
| Portion | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 tbsp (46 g, ≈1 white) | 24 | 5 g | 0.3 g | 0.1 g |
| 100 g | 52 | 10.9 g | 0.7 g | 0.2 g |
| 1 oz (28 g) | 15 | 3.1 g | 0.2 g | 0.1 g |
Where the calories come from
Protein 90% Carbs 6% Fat 4%
Calories computed from USDA per-100 g data (FDC 172183, SR Legacy). raw, fresh. The macro split uses general Atwater factors (protein and carbs ≈ 4 cal/g, fat ≈ 9 cal/g) and is approximate.
Egg whites are about as close to free protein as whole food gets. Three tablespoons — 46 g, roughly the white of one large egg — carry only about 24 calories, and 100 g comes in at just 52 calories. For that you get close to 5 g of complete protein with almost nothing else attached. Where most foods force a trade between protein and calories, egg whites barely register on the calorie side, which is the whole reason they exist as their own category. The explanation is what’s missing from the white.
Where the (few) calories come from
Almost entirely protein. Strip away the yolk and what’s left is about 10.9 g of protein per 100 g alongside just 0.2 g of fat and under a gram of carbohydrate. With essentially no fat to drive the count up — and fat being the most calorie-dense macro at 9 calories a gram — there’s nothing left to add calories except the protein itself, which costs only 4 calories a gram. That’s the opposite of a calorie-dense food like nuts or oil, where fat does all the work. Egg whites are protein-dense without being calorie-dense, an unusually clean combination.
The near-zero-calorie protein booster
This is why whites are the classic cut-fat, keep-protein move. When you’re managing calories but don’t want to sacrifice protein, you can fold a big pour of whites into a scramble, bulk up an omelet, or whisk them into oats and add real protein for almost no calorie cost — something whole eggs can’t do, since each yolk brings its own fat and calories. The contrast makes it concrete: a whole large egg is about 72 calories, its white alone about 17, and nearly all of that gap is yolk fat. Going with whites trades the yolk’s choline and vitamins for lean, low-calorie protein — a deliberate move rather than a free upgrade. And the density is striking in target terms: hitting 30 g of protein from whites runs only about 143 calories. For the full picture of what the yolk adds back, see calories in a whole egg, or get the complete protein story at protein in egg whites.
Packaged liquid egg whites options, graded
Prefer something off the shelf? Here are the best-graded liquid egg whites in our catalog — each scored on our transparent Labelgrade. Check the calorie line on each label for your goal.
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Labelgrade 82/100 · 25 cal · 5 g protein
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Labelgrade 79/100 · 24.8 cal · 5 g protein
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories are in 3 tablespoons of egg whites?
About 24 calories in 3 tablespoons (46 g) — roughly the white of one large egg — based on 52 calories per 100 g (USDA FDC 172183). That comes with about 5 g of protein and essentially no fat, which is the entire appeal of whites.
How many calories are in one egg white?
About 17 calories in the white of one large egg (roughly 33 g). The 3-tablespoon scoop most people pour from a carton (46 g) is a little larger and lands closer to 24 calories. Either way it's a tiny calorie cost for the protein you get (USDA FDC 172183).
Why are egg whites so low in calories?
Because the white is almost pure protein and water, with the fat left behind in the yolk. Egg whites carry only about 0.2 g of fat and under 1 g of carbohydrate per 100 g, so with no fat to drive the count up, the ~10.9 g of protein per 100 g is essentially all there is — and protein is only 4 calories a gram.
Egg white vs whole egg — how do the calories compare?
A whole large egg is about 72 calories; its white alone is about 17. Almost all of that difference is the yolk's fat. So whites let you keep most of the egg's protein while cutting roughly three-quarters of the calories — the trade is that you also give up the yolk's choline, fat-soluble vitamins, and fats.
How many calories to get 30 g of protein from egg whites?
About 143 calories. Hitting 30 g of protein from whites alone takes roughly 275 g of liquid whites (a bit over a cup), and at 52 calories per 100 g that's only about 143 calories for 30 g of complete protein — one of the leanest protein-to-calorie ratios in any whole food.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-18, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 172183 (Egg, white, raw, fresh; SR Legacy). We re-verify reference pages periodically and update when USDA revises the entry.
Whole-food values are USDA reference data, not a Labelgrade (that score is for branded packaged products). See our methodology and the TDEE calculator to turn this into a daily target.