Why spend more on your eggs?

[Laura in Arizona]

I buy better eggs when I can because I do believe they are higher quality and are better for me nutritionally. I found a blog Whole Health Source that I LOVE. Monday's post had a very interesting comparison done by Mother Earth News in 2007 on the nutritional value of conventional eggs vs eggs from pastured hens vs a local farm supplier in the Seattle area (I think). I thought you all might like to see there really is a reason (if you haven't already). He has very informative posts and is a highly recommended blogger.

"Monday, May 4, 2009
Pastured Eggs
Eggs are an exceptionally nutritious food. It's not surprising, considering they contain everything necessary to build a chick! But all eggs are not created equal. Anyone who has seen the tall, orange yolk, viscous white, and tough shell of a true pastured egg knows they're profoundly different. So has anyone who's tasted one. This has been vigorously denied by the American Egg Board and the Egg Nutrition Council, primarily representing conventional egg farmers, which assert that eggs from giant smelly barns are nutritionally equal to their pastured counterparts.

In 2007, the magazine Mother Earth News decided to test that claim. They sent for pastured eggs from 14 farms around the U.S., tested them for a number of nutrients, and compared them to the figures listed in the USDA Nutrient Database for conventional eggs. Here are the results per 100 grams for conventional eggs, the average of all the pastured eggs, and eggs from Skagit River Ranch, which sells at my farmer's market:

Vitamin A:

* Conventional: 487 IU
* Pastured avg: 792 IU
* Skagit Ranch: 1013 IU

Vitamin D:

* Conventional: 34 IU
* Pastured avg: 136 - 204 IU
* Skagit Ranch: not determined

Vitamin E:

* Conventional: 0.97 mg
* Pastured avg: 3.73 mg
* Skagit Ranch: 4.02 mg

Beta-carotene:

* Conventional: 10 mcg
* Pastured avg: 79 mcg
* Skagit Ranch: 100 mcg

Omega-3 fatty acids:

* Conventional: 0.22 g
* Pastured avg: 0.66 g
* Skagit Ranch: 0.74 g


Looks like the American Egg Board and the Egg Nutrition Council have some egg on their faces...

Eggs also contain vitamin K2, with the amount varying substantially according to the hen's diet. Guess where the A, D, K2, beta-carotene and omega-3 fatty acids are? In the yolk of course. Throwing the yolk away turns this powerhouse into a bland, nutritionally unimpressive food.

It's important to note that "free range" supermarket eggs are nutritionally similar to conventional eggs. The reason pastured eggs are so nutritious is that the chickens get to supplement their diets with abundant fresh plants and insects. Having little doors on the side of a giant smelly barn just doesn't replicate that."

[treebunny]

Good info ! Thanks !

[DiamondDeb]

Thanks, good info.


I get my eggs from a local farmer. The chickens are pastured. They cost more and I am sure they are healthier. But I honestly don't see or taste any difference... lol...

[SaladQueen]

That is great info. I knew there was a good reason I spend "the big bucks" on eggs. lol I only purchase cage free eggs. We have some good suppliers in my area. Price is about $5 but to me its worth it.

[greenandchic]

Thanks for the info! Though I had to cut back on eggs (fear of developing an allergy from eating it 2x day) when I do have it, I buy the pastured eggs from the farmers market.

[Laura in Arizona]

Originally Posted by greenandchic

Thanks for the info! Though I had to cut back on eggs (fear of developing an allergy from eating it 2x day) when I do have it, I buy the pastured eggs from the farmers market.

Hey Carla, I am so sorry to hear that. I rely on eggs a lot and would be at quite a loss if I could not have them (though I would adapt). I noticed your sig line about MS. Have you done research of vitamin D? I know there is some data pointing to it preventing MS but am not sure about treatment of it. Just wanted to make sure you were aware of it.

[Tesaje]

Just more evidence that feeding and treating these animals like nature intended them to live makes them much more nutritious for us. We need to end factory farming and get back to farm practices in sync with the animal and plant life as nature intended - for our own health.

[WildflowerMama]

I wish I could find pastured eggs in AZ.

[terez]

Okay, I went out to lunch with a friend whom I'm "converting" from conventional fast food to more healthy eating. Everything here is baby steps.

Anyway, I went out to a salad bar/soup/bread kind of place. An all you can eat. The soups, chili and bread (yes, I backslid a little) were great. But the salad!!!!

Crowning my mountain of food were hard cooked eggs. I had said before here that, in my opinion, my TJ vegetarian, no hormone, no antibiotic type eggs tasted much better than conventional, supermarket eggs. I do like the Egglands, too, by the way, for some reason they taste better, too.

These had NO taste at all. I had gotten used to the TJ, slow cooked, slow scrambled eggs, and organic fruits and veggies at the various stores. These were like very soft cardboard. I was a little surprised.

I had seen on a cooking show with Jacques Pepin and Julia Child where they compared their scrambled egg recipes. Julia Child's, I believe used the fast whipping method while they were being cooked and Jacques Pepin used the slow stirring method. They noted that the fast stirring method made the eggs taste much less "eggy". I think they both used farm eggs.

Anyway, I just wanted to pass this along. The organic tastes much better than conventional. When I slow stir them and cook them over a very low flame, they're almost like a pastry.

[binga]

salads bars sometimes use those, egg in a 2 foot tube thing
very weird product
I wonder what they do to make that ?

[greenandchic]

Originally Posted by binga

salads bars sometimes use those, egg in a 2 foot tube thing
very weird product
I wonder what they do to make that ?

Wow, I have never seen that anywhere before. That doesnt sound appetizing.

[Laura in Arizona]

Originally Posted by binga

salads bars sometimes use those, egg in a 2 foot tube thing
very weird product
I wonder what they do to make that ?

Never saw that before. Most salad bars I have been to have chopped hard boiled eggs. Not really sure what you are speaking of?

[BikerAng]

I hadn't either, here's a picture.

[Laura in Arizona]

Wow, wierd! Thanks for the pic. I wonder how they make them.

[terez]

Wow. That's really odd. I wonder if they're real eggs slices separated according to size or if they're "reconstituted" meaning boiled and formed in tubes and then put back together. I just don't get the point of it at all.

[pepperette]

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]Maybe they put the raw eggs in the tube, seal then boil? Or do they come out of the tube sliced? Really weird![/COLOR]

.

[Laura in Arizona]

It looks way too uniform. Almost like they take the whites put in a tube with something inserted in the center (then maybe cook them to set them?) then fill the center part with the yolks and cook to set. Why do it? This it obviously for food service convenience. No need to actually cook, peel and slice eggs. Now they can just get the tube and slice (or maybe it comes pre-sliced) and all the slices are uniform with a big yellow center. I would think it would not taste quite right and certainly is far more processed than I want my food to be!

[BikerAng]

It's the weirdest! I read that this product is made for restaurants so there is no "waste" (each slice has white and yolk). I have no idea how they make them, and it just seems gross to me - but if you own a restaurant it may make sense? Just too odd. I've never seen these in a salad bar, but will be looking closely now.