Eggs - A Superfood
What foods come to mind when you think of superfoods? My mind used to immediately go straight to things like açaí, goji berries, and kale, but did you know that eggs are a superfood all on their own? They are chalked full of healthy fats, vitamins and minerals like iron, folate, choline, phosphorus, vitamins B12 and D, and of course, they’re high in protein.
When it comes to quality of eggs, I always opt for pasture-raised, preferably without corn or soy feed, and the more local, the better!
What are the labels and what do they mean?
Cage-free - birds are uncaged inside barns, but typically still kept indoors at all times.
Free range - birds have at least some access to the outdoors for at least six hours each day. Keep in mind the outdoor space isn’t required to have any living vegetation.
Pasture-raised - birds must be placed on a pasture for at least six hours each day, and each hen must have at least 108 square feet of pasture. The pasture is required to be covered in mainly living vegetation, allowing the chickens to feast on bugs.
Why sourcing matters
While conventional, cage-free, free-range, and pasture-raised eggs might look the same on the outside, there are actually quite a few differences happening inside those shells. Pastured eggs have twice the vitamin E and long chain Omega 3 fats, 83% higher concentration of vitamin A, and less than half the ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids of factory-farmed caged hens. Think of this; if you were locked up inside with no access to fresh air and fresh food, you’d be unhappy and prone to sickness. It works the same way for animals. And when we eat foods sourced from sick animals, that sickness can have long-term impacts on our health. Sick food = sick humans. This is why I also am comfortable eating raw egg yolks from pasture-raised chickens, but when I do eat conventional, I always want to make sure it’s fully cooked. Next time you’re at the grocery store, I encourage you to check the labels on your eggs and make a simple swap for extra nutrients.
