It's Not Just An Egg.

We eat a lot of eggs at our house, almost every morning for breakfast. They are fast, easy and very nutritious.  Eggs are powerhouses of nutrition; they are considered by many to be one of the most nutritionally dense foods out there. Since I am now trying to focus on the foods that we eat everyday or almost everyday, I started looking into eggs. I used to just buy the cheapest eggs at the supermarket and not think twice about what kind they were. But then I started to notice there are free range eggs, cage free eggs, regular eggs, omega 3 eggs and organic eggs. So which is the better egg?

Most commercial eggs come from hens that are cooped up in a cage, with no ablility to move, get fresh air, sunlight or exercise. They usually are fed a poor diet of pesticide filled grains with soy products. They are unhappy and unhealthy little hens and are probably fed antibiotics and other medications to avoid the infections that hens get being in such cramped conditions.

 

Free Range eggs are eggs laid by hens that are free to roam around in a yard and get sunlight, exercise and eat what hens are supposed to eat, little bugs and critters. Those little bugs and critters help make the eggs we eat healthy! Free range eggs have higher omega 3 concentrations, higher levels of Vitamins A, E and beta-carotene, and are generally free of any toxins. 

 Here is a picture of a free range egg and a conventional egg.The free range eggs are a darker orange- yellow color compared to the sick pale yellow of the conventional egg. 

 

Because eggs are such a familiar food we forget about the impact they have on our health. We get caught up in protein shakes and bars and other "healthy" supplemental foods because we think we need the added protein or omega 3's, I am not saying these are bad by any means, but why not spend some time making the foods we already eat better! One thing I have noticed is that when I eat these healthier free range eggs in the morning I feel fuller longer and don't feel the need to snack.

Here is what I have found; organic eggs are chickens who have been feed organic feed, but that doesn’t mean they are free range chickens. They can be just as confined as other chickens, but are given better feed. Vegetarian eggs means that the chickens were feed no animal products, but it also means that they weren’t eating any grubs and insects and are also not free-range eggs. Cage free eggs indicates that the chickens have better living quarters and aren’t jammed into small cages, but they are usually cage free and running around in a warehouse. Better but not the best.

The most excellent egg that you can buy is the "free range" eggs. You can find these in most of your local stores, but an even better option is to find them at a farmer's market or through a local farmer. They have co ops where you can purchase all kinds of foods including eggs from local farmers. If you don't want to go that far fine, but at least you know now where your eggs are coming from and can start making some better choices. Eggs, are a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients, and can be an important part of a nourishing diet.