Which Eggs Should You Be Eating?
As a kid, I can remember going to the supermarket and grabbing any random cardboard carton of eggs off the shelf. I would run them home (top speed!) to my mother because they were usually going into a delicious coffeecake or batch of corn bread.
Times have changed. Cage-free? Organic? Brown? White? Omega-3s? Help! Here are some tips to help you figure out which eggs you should be eating:
Brown or white? In actuality, color is simply an indication of the breed of hen. Find the freshest egg with the most flavor and let color be a secondary concern.
Extra Omega-3s? Omega-3 eggs come from a hen whose diet has added flaxseed, which yields an egg containing an average of 225 mg of Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E. The countless health benefits for humans make these eggs a tempting purchase. My opinion? Eat a piece of fresh fish -- salmon or sardines or Atlantic mackerel, for example -- and get a pure dose of Omega-3's. Let eggs be eggs.
Does your egg need exercise? Cage-free and free-range eggs are from hens raised without the confines of a cage, though they may or may not have spent much time outdoors. Organic eggs are from hens that are raised with the most holistic approach: their feed must meet organic standards, they must be raised humanely and sustainably, and they must be given access to the outdoors. Hey, happier hens do lay tastier eggs.
Does local make a difference? Nothing is better than local eggs. They may have a feather or two stuck to them or a slightly imperfect shape and they may or may not be certified organic; however, they have one quality I prize: I know exactly where my food came from and how it came to be! In some cases I can even ask the farmer when the eggs were laid and what they were fed. At $2.20 for a dozen large eggs and all the information I could want about my food, I call it a bargain! I refrigerate the eggs the minute I return from the market.
Is spending more really worth it? I think so. Some parts of your diet are hard to manage on a budget. Beef, for example, can make a costly difference if you're looking to go organic at home. Eggs are less significant. Try making one evening meal a week where your organic eggs take center stage. Make a huge open-faced vegetable omelet, for example, or try a quick chicken stir-fry and fold in a few eggs during the last two minutes of cooking.
As a kid, I can remember going to the supermarket and grabbing any random cardboard carton of eggs off the shelf. I would run them home (top speed!) to my mother because they were usually going into a delicious coffeecake or batch of corn bread.
Times have changed. Cage-free? Organic? Brown? White? Omega-3s? Help! Here are some tips to help you figure out which eggs you should be eating:
Brown or white? In actuality, color is simply an indication of the breed of hen. Find the freshest egg with the most flavor and let color be a secondary concern.
Extra Omega-3s? Omega-3 eggs come from a hen whose diet has added flaxseed, which yields an egg containing an average of 225 mg of Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E. The countless health benefits for humans make these eggs a tempting purchase. My opinion? Eat a piece of fresh fish -- salmon or sardines or Atlantic mackerel, for example -- and get a pure dose of Omega-3's. Let eggs be eggs.
Does your egg need exercise? Cage-free and free-range eggs are from hens raised without the confines of a cage, though they may or may not have spent much time outdoors. Organic eggs are from hens that are raised with the most holistic approach: their feed must meet organic standards, they must be raised humanely and sustainably, and they must be given access to the outdoors. Hey, happier hens do lay tastier eggs.
Does local make a difference? Nothing is better than local eggs. They may have a feather or two stuck to them or a slightly imperfect shape and they may or may not be certified organic; however, they have one quality I prize: I know exactly where my food came from and how it came to be! In some cases I can even ask the farmer when the eggs were laid and what they were fed. At $2.20 for a dozen large eggs and all the information I could want about my food, I call it a bargain! I refrigerate the eggs the minute I return from the market.
Is spending more really worth it? I think so. Some parts of your diet are hard to manage on a budget. Beef, for example, can make a costly difference if you're looking to go organic at home. Eggs are less significant. Try making one evening meal a week where your organic eggs take center stage. Make a huge open-faced vegetable omelet, for example, or try a quick chicken stir-fry and fold in a few eggs during the last two minutes of cooking.
1 comment :
Short and simple explanation..very interesting indeed.
I have to agree - let eggs be eggs with no added value.
The simple fact is a maximum of 2 eggs a week will keep the doctors away and you out of the hospital.
Mazura
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