Good Eats: Ode to the Egg

March 23rd, 2013 • BY

Eggs are all around us. At least this time of year, when the hard-shelled edible gets its full 15 Minutes of fame.

And with good reason. Eggs pack a ton of nutrition into a very small space. Low in saturated fat, low in calories (70 per egg), and lower in cholesterol than previously thought, they are teeming with high-quality protein and cell-building choline.

But today’s plethora of choices can make navigating the egg aisle quite confusing. This primer might help make your job easier.

Cage-Free & Free Range: Most of the country’s 279 million laying hens are confined to small cages, but the five percent that are able to roam freely around the chicken house are considered “cage-free.” Those hens that are cage-free and have access to the outdoors fall under the “free-range” label. Want to ensure humane treatment of the hens that delivered your eggs? Look for animal welfare certification logos from United Egg Producers and the Humane Society on egg cartons.

Organic: The “organic” label is also a catchall for many egg buzzwords, including “vegetarian” and “antibiotic-free.” Eggs that fall under the organic classification are produced by hens fed a 100 percent organic, vegetarian, and antibiotic-free diet. While they are not necessarily cage-free or free-range, hens laying organic eggs do have access to the outdoors.

Omega-3 Enriched: Those looking to up their intake of Omega-3 can buy eggs laid by specialty hens being fed diets rich in flax and marine algae. As a result, the amount of this fatty acid in egg yolks (not whites) is dramatically increased. Some cartons boasts eggs that are “lutein-enhanced;” these hens, which are fed marigold extrac,t produce eggs rich in this nutrient, which is excellent for eye health.

Brown vs. White Eggs: It all boils down to your own aesthetics on this label choice. “There is no nutritional difference between brown and white eggs as long as the feed is the same,” says Hilary Shallo Thesmar, Ph.D., of the Egg Nutrition Center. “The color of the egg just truly depends on color and breed of the bird; it is just a pigmentation.”

For a yummy, healthy, and ultra-fast egg breakfast, check out this novel recipe for Microwave Mexican Coffee Cup Scramble from Incredible Egg!

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Erinn Morgan

About

After a 10-year career as an award-winning New York City-based editor launching and redesigning urban, style-driven magazines, Erinn Morgan left her downtown Manhattan digs after September 11th, 2001, in search of a less encumbered, freelance lifestyle. A life-changing, two-year-long trek around the country in a motorhome eventually landed her in Durango, Colo., which she now calls home. Her writing has appeared in numerous— More about this author →