All Hail the Quail Egg! Introducing the Littlest Noms at the Market

Quail eggs are tiny. You’ll need three or four of these 9-gram bebes to equal the serving size of a chicken egg.

A single quail egg serves up:

• 14 calories
• 1 gram protein
• 1 gram fat
• 6% of your recommended daily value (DV) of riboflavin
• 6% DV of vitamin B12
• 5% DV of selenium
• 4% DV of choline
• 3% DV of pantothenic acid
• 2% DV of folate
• 2% DV of vitamin A
• 2% DV of iron
• 2% DV of phosphorus

Wondering what all these quail-icious nutrients do?

• Vitamin B12 plays a critical role in blood cell formation and 🧠🤓 health.
• Selenium boosts thyroid function, protects your cells from free radical-related damage, and helps you turn noms (like eggs!) into energy.
• Riboflavin, aka vitamin B2, also helps convert food into fuel.
• Iron supports everything from collagen production to healthy blood and balanced hormones. Not getting enough iron can lead to extreme fatigue, headaches, brittle nails, and even weird cravings.
• Choline boosts metabolism and brainpower.

Think about it: In just 14 calories, you’re getting an egg-cellent source of daily vitamins and minerals. Not bad!

Obvs, quail eggs are packed with nutrients that are individually good for your health. All those good things smooshed together into one tiny shell = big benefits.

Quail eggs might boost metabolism

Eggs are like nature’s perfect little protein packets. And a high protein diet is a great way to rev up your immune system, because your body has to burn so many calories to digest it.

In quail eggs, the combo of selenium, riboflavin, and choline also boosts metabolism at the cellular level.

Quail eggs could soothe your allergies

In one small study of folks who had runny noses due to allergies, participants’ symptoms improved within *1 hour* of popping quail egg antioxidants and zinc supplements. The jury’s still out on whether the allergies would’ve responded the same way to quail eggs alone.

In another study, researchers gave quail eggs to mice with severe inflammation from food allergies. After the mice ate the quail eggs, the inflammation diminished. But that doesn’t necessarily mean humans would have the same results.

Quail eggs are great for your eyes

Eggs are a superfood for your vision. Inside the yolks, you’ll find vitamin A, lutein, and zinc — all necessary for eye health.

Lutein lowers your risk of age-related macular degeneration, vitamin A helps keep your corneas poppin’, and zinc supports retinal health.

Quail eggs = brain food

Remember that vitamin B12 and choline? Yep, they’re both essential nutrients for your brain.

Let’s just say that a steady diet of quail eggs certainly won’t hurt your odds of having a razor-sharp memory later in life.

Quail eggs are said to help with diabetes

Eggs are low in carbs and high in protein, so they’re a healthy choice for folks who have diabetes. But some people claim quail eggs, in particular, can help control blood sugar.

However, research doesn’t suggest a link between quail egg consumption and blood sugar profiles.

Quail eggs strengthen your bones

Quail eggs are delicate little things. But their thin, speckled shells hide a bone-fortifying array of nutrients: zinc, amino acids, and protein.

Research suggests that zinc supplementation can improve bone density in people with low bone mass. Why not nosh on quail eggs along with your glass of morning milk?

Quail eggs are brimming with antioxidants

Selenium? Check. Vitamin E? Check. Zinc? Check.

Antioxidants fight off oxidative stress, which can lead to premature skin aging and increase your risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. So, in a way, quail eggs are skin-protecting, cancer-fighting, heart-pumping superheroes!

Quail eggs could speed up healing

Research is still limited, but there’s some indication that antioxidants could help wounds heal more quickly and effectively. That doesn’t mean smashing a quail egg omelet will magically heal your paper cut… but it won’t hurt either.

Quail eggs might boost your mood

Lack of vitamin D, affectionately dubbed the “sunshine vitamin,” has been loosely linked to depression. Thus, boosting your vitamin D levels *might* ease mild depression symptoms.

Quail eggs contain vitamin D, so they’re a little bit of sunshine on your breakfast plate.

If you think you might have a serious vitamin D deficiency, talk to your healthcare provider about proper supplementation.

Any other benefits?

There are rumors and stories about quail eggs fixing everything from asthma to sexual disorders. But there just aren’t enough scientific studies on quail eggs — and thus, not enough evidence — to back up these claims.

Well, sure.

First, most quail eggs on the market are unpasteurized. That means they haven’t been heated up to zap bacteria livin’ it up on the eggshells.

So if you have a compromised immune system or are preggo, take extra precautions with these 🥚 babies. You’ll want to make sure they’re cooked all the way through — no wobbly or runny yolks allowed.

Second, it’s always important to consider food allergies when you’re trying something new. Allergic to chicken eggs? You might have problems with quail eggs too. There’s even one report from 2008 of someone who had no trouble with chicken eggs being allergic to quail eggs.

If there’s any concern about an allergic reaction, talk to your healthcare provider before forking that poached egg.

The average quail egg is about one-third the size of a chicken egg. But that doesn’t mean it has one-third the nutritional value.

In terms of white-to-yolk proportions, quail eggs have bigger yolks. That’s important because most of the nutritional benefits of eggs come from the yolks.

So are quail eggs healthier on an ounce-by-ounce basis? Let’s compare.

Quail eggs have double the iron, significantly more vitamin B12, and more healthy fats and protein than chicken eggs. The only nutrient looking better on the chicken side is choline. Score one for quails, right?

Unfortunately, there’s more to your grocery list than health perks. Money matters too. Quail eggs are pricier, and they’re not available everywhere.

tl;dr: Quail eggs have a leg up on chicken eggs in the micronutrient arena, but chicken eggs are easier on the wallet. In the end, you can’t go wrong.

However you want! Seriously, quail eggs will crack, sizzle, and scramble just like chicken eggs. Just keep in mind that they cook up faster because of their size.

In some South American countries, folks eat fried quail eggs on top of their burgers or hot dogs. In Japan, peeps eat the little egglets raw on sushi. In South Korea, you’ll find ’em as a snack or simple side dish.

Scramble them, hard-boil them, chop them into your salads… the sky’s the limit for these little birdy eggs.

Wanna impress your friends with the daintiest hard-boiled eggs ever? Grab a dozen quail eggs and a small pot of H₂O. Let’s get cracking.

1. Put water over heat until it reaches a steady boil.
2. Gently slide eggs into the pot.
3. Turn down the heat to a medium boil.
4. Cook for 3–4 minutes.
5. Scoop eggs out of water. Peel them carefully by rolling each egg across a flat surface until the shell cracks.
6. Pull shell and membrane off from one end to the other.
7. Eat them piping hot or pop them into the fridge for up to 5 days. Voila!

• Quail eggs are an adorable, delicious, slightly more expensive alternative to chicken eggs.
• They’re smaller than standard eggs, but they pack a *slightly* bigger health punch.
• Quail eggs are full of protein. healthy fat, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
• Most quail eggs are unpasteurized, so pregnant peeps and folks with compromised immune systems should make sure the eggs are fully cooked before eating them.