Choosing the Best Eggs
I recommend eggs almost daily to my clients. Packed with protein, vitamins and minerals, they really are nature’s perfect way to start the day. And this is hardly new news – according to Wikipedia, chickens were domesticated for their eggs sometime before 7500 BC. So when, exactly, did the prehistoric backyard chickens of 7500 BC transform into the seemingly endless assortment of brown/organic/omega-3/cage-free eggs we see on shelves today? And with so many varieties to choose from, at such a wide range of prices, how can one decide?
While many of the options do confer health benefits, there’s no denying that some of these titles are just marketing ploys to garner a higher price. So if you go through eggs at half the rate I do, it’s worth knowing what you’re buying and whether they are worth your hard earned money. Knowledge is power, so use this guide to make an informed decision next time you find yourself in the ever-expanding egg aisle.
My Three Favorite Egg Options
Pasture Raised Eggs
This is the gold standard for eggs. This label implies that the chicken spent its days in a grassy pasture foraging for food as its ancestors did. Preliminary studies have shown an enhanced nutrient profile in pastured eggs, particularly in Vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acid content. Unfortunately pastured eggs garner $6-8 a dozen in the Chicago grocery market. During the summer they are available at farmer’s markets for between $5-6, which is a little more reasonable and has the added benefit of supporting small, local farms. Be sure to read all of the info on the carton or, better yet, talk to the farmer’s market worker or read the brand’s website to learn more about how exactly the hens were raised. The term “pastured” is not a legally standardized term, so some companies play fast and loose with it.
The Cheapest Organic Eggs Available
You are guaranteed two things when you buy organic – the chicken did not receive antibiotics and the feed was organic and non-GMO. They still probably ate soy/corn/grain, which isn’t 100% appropriate, but at least this is a step in the right direction. Any other jargon on the box is probably meaningless (except for “pasture raised,”) so don’t pay extra for it - go with your store’s cheapest organic option.
The Cheapest Conventional Eggs Available
Your average, run-of-the-mill grocery store egg is laid by a hen kept in a battery cage. The tight living conditions mean that the hens are denied “natural chicken behaviors” such as wing-flapping, scratching and nest-building. Also, they may receive antibiotics should they become ill from diseases that flourish in such tight conditions. Their diet consists mainly of genetically modified soy, corn and other grains. This is not the natural diet of a chicken and thus these eggs likely do not have the same nutritional profile of their ancestors. Nonetheless, this is the cheapest egg out there, and a solid choice for a satiating breakfast on a budget.
Meaningless Marketing Jargon
Brown Eggs
Just like dogs and cats, chickens come in many different breeds. The color of a chicken’s eggshell is specific to the breed. However, if a brown egg-laying chicken is raised in the exact same way as a white egg-laying chicken, the eggs will have similar nutritional value. Technically speaking, the chickens that lay brown eggs happen to be a larger breed, and so part of why the eggs are more expensive is that the chicken costs more to raise. However, I’m pretty confident most people shelling out extra dough for brown eggs do so because of the assumed health benefits, not because of a personal preference for St. Bernards over Toy Poodles! Thus, if you’ve been buying conventional brown eggs for your health, save a few bucks and go for the conventional white guys! And if your free range or organic eggs happen to be brown, that’s fine, as long as you’re not paying extra for a brand just because of color.
Free Range / Cage Free
Unfortunately this is one of the biggest misnomers on the market. The only requirement for this title is that the hens not be kept in battery cages, and that the free range hens have “access to the outdoors.” This access could be nothing more than a tiny door on the far side of the coup that opens up to a 10-square-foot piece of pavement. Little health benefit is conferred, and these eggs aren’t worth the premium. Many times the pasture raised or organic eggs will also be labeled as free range or cage free because they do happen to meet these arbitrary standards. It’s fine to buy these eggs, just don’t pay extra for it.
Vegetarian Fed
This is honestly so backwards an confusing. Here’s the deal - chickens are NOT vegetarians. In addition to plants like grass, herbs and clover, chickens love to feast on insects, larvae, worms, and just about anything else they can get their beaks on. But large-scale chicken operations don’t allow for outdoor time, and they can’t afford to add bugs to the feed. For a while they added bits of meat (sometimes bits of chicken…ewww) to the feed, but this has largely been stopped. Now they add isolated protein powders to the feed and advertise this to the unknowing public as “vegetarian!” Do. Not. Pay. Extra. For. This.
As you can see, even with a dietitian in the house egg buying can be complicated! These days we stick with pastured eggs from the grocery store and sometimes farmers market eggs in the summer, with a few cartons of 99 cent conventional Aldi eggs thrown in during emergencies! Bottom line: spend your money wisely and do what it takes to put a filling, protein-packed breakfast on the table each and every day.