What nutrition experts say about daily consumption of eggs

Eggs are the ultimate everyday food: portable, affordable, easy to cook and store, and packed with nutrients most Kenyans need more of. Yet Kenya's per-capita egg supply is marginal. 

According to Food and Agriculture Organization data, Kenya's per capita egg consumption stood at just 1.42 kilograms in 2021, roughly 24 eggs per person per year, or less than one egg every two weeks.

So why aren't we eating more eggs? For decades, eggs were painted with the same brush as dietary cholesterol, blamed for heart disease and dismissed as risky. But modern nutritional science has moved beyond these outdated fears. 

In most Kenyan homes, ugali, rice, or chapati rule the table. Eggs, on the other hand, are often treated like an occasional extra rather than a daily staple. 

Yet nutrition science tells a different story. Research led by Harvard found no link between eating up to one egg a day and a higher risk of heart disease, and the American Heart Association backs this up. In short, for healthy adults, eggs are safe. The real hurdle isn’t health, it’s shifting our everyday food habits.

From a nutrition standpoint, eggs are hard to beat. One egg gives you 6 grams of solid protein, all nine amino acids your body can't make on its own, plus B12, vitamin D, selenium, iodine, and the antioxidants that keep your eyes working properly. 

For families watching every shilling, eggs deliver more protein per coin than meat or fish can touch.

What often gets overlooked is what’s inside the yolk. It is rich in choline — a nutrient not many have heard of, but one that plays a critical role in brain development. Our bodies produce only small amounts, so most of it has to come from food, and eggs happen to be one of the best natural sources. 

Research from Cornell University found that children whose mothers consumed more choline during pregnancy showed stronger attention and focus in school years later. 

For a pregnant Kenyan woman, something as simple as two eggs at breakfast can help give her baby a healthy head start.

According to UNICEF, 18% of Kenyan children under five are stunted due to malnutrition. In Ecuador, a six-month study where children were given one egg a day led to a nearly 50% reduction in stunting. 

Few interventions achieve that kind of result at such a low cost. Whether boiled and chopped for a toddler or scrambled with tomatoes for breakfast, it's a simple, affordable way to build stronger bones and sharper minds.

For expectant mothers, the message is simple: make eggs a daily habit. Two eggs provide nearly all the choline needed for healthy brain growth. 

They’re easy to work into everyday meals, add to stew, whip up an omelette with leftovers, or boil a batch for quick snacks. 

And for families with school-age children, a boiled egg in a lunchbox is an affordable, protein-packed boost. Shilling for shilling, few foods match the nutritional power of an egg.

Eggs also play a vital role in the economy. From smallholder farmers and feed suppliers to transporters and street vendors, stronger egg demand puts money into rural communities and strengthens food security. 

Kenchic works with over 30,000 farmers, offering training, quality standards, and market access to build a safe, reliable egg supply. When consumption grows, local production follows, creating jobs across the chain. 

Even the boiled-egg vendors at matatu stages are part of this ecosystem, supporting livelihoods while feeding commuters.

With World Egg Day on October 10, the question is simple: how do we move beyond the current average of 24 eggs per person each year? 

County governments could pilot school and clinic egg programs. Vendors could receive basic food safety training and share simple nutrition messages. Antenatal counsellors could include choline-rich foods like eggs in their advice to expectant mothers. These are low-cost, practical steps — not major infrastructure projects.

Change starts small. Three eggs a week per person, one every other day, would more than double current consumption and deliver real health gains. Pick up an extra tray at the market. Boil a few for quick breakfasts. Slip one into a child’s lunchbox.

Most health authorities agree that one to three eggs a day is safe for most people. At current levels, Kenyans eat less than a tenth of what health-conscious populations consume. 

Eggs aren’t a silver bullet, but they’re affordable, nutrient-dense, and underused. With the right messaging and everyday habits, they could help close Kenya’s protein gap and improve child nutrition.

The science is clear. The food is here. The cost is manageable. What’s missing is the habit, and that can change.

Dr. Kahenya Njenga Phillip is a Family Doctor and Occupational Health Practitioner at Kenchic Limited. Belinda Akoth Nyakiti is a Dietician, Nutritionist and Food Hygiene Specialist at Kenchic Limited.