Think Twice When You Buy Eggs

I love eggs, but I try to avoid - at all costs - conventional eggs from the grocery store. Conventional eggs come from factory farm birds that are packed into wire cages and never see sunlight. Their feed is cheap - probably mostly corn and soy meals with all kinds of additives. We've all seen conventional eggs at the grocery store - they all look identical in size and color...maybe it's just me, but my common sense is telling me that not all eggs are a like. They should have different markings or be slightly different colors.

See the color differences in the yolks below? When a chicken can roam in a pasture and eat what it’s designed to, the eggs are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and nutrients.

Picture source

A pastured chicken is raised in its most natural environment, eating the same diet that it would eat if it was wild. To learn more about why your eggs should be more than just cage-free and organic, read here:  Free Range vs. Pastured and How to Decode Egg Cartons

 Picture of hard-boiled conventional egg yolks. Notice the pale yellow color.  

(I found this picture on Google since I didn't have any conventional eggs to take a picture of)

Picture of a hard-cooked pastured egg yolk (part of my breakfast this morning!). Notice that its color is much more orange. This is because the hen ate a chicken's natural diet - which is grass, seeds, plants, bugs and worms. The egg is much more nutritious and has more flavor.

The 2007 Mother Earth News egg testing project found that, compared to official USDA nutrient data for commercial eggs, eggs from hens raised on pasture may contain:

• 1/3 less cholesterol• 1/4 less saturated fat• 2/3 more vitamin A• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids• 3 times more vitamin E• 7 times more beta carotene 

I would simply encourage you to continue to eat eggs, but try to find a local farmer or vendor that sells pastured eggs!