Food consumption research calculations are quite simple. Take the food eaten, say eggs, take a quantity, say 2 eggs and multiply the nutrient concentration needed, say protein, by the quantity (2) and you have the protein contribution by eggs. Simple… not so.

Nutrient databases express nutrient concentrations per 100 G. How many 100 Gs in one egg? Fortunately most nutrient databases also have food factors, in this case, small egg, average egg, large egg, etc. Each one of those has a factor. For instance if your egg is 60 G then your factor should be .6. The factor has to be .6 because that is what you multiply 100 G by to get 60 G. Hence all the of nutrient concentrations have to be multiplied by this same factor to yield the proper nutrient contribution. The protein for eggs in this case would be 2 (eggs) x .6 (factor) x [protein]. The square brackets around the nutrient denote concentration per 100 G. Simple? Of course it is.