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| Lacey |
The word ‘egg’, all alone, makes me happy. Of course, I think about all the foods that can be made from eggs, but I also think about all of our happy hens. However, my favorite thing about eggs is that they are a traditional
source of complete protein and nutrition.
In the Springtime, eggs are at their nutritional peak. Yes, eggs are available all year round from the grocery store. However, in the springtime, chickens have access to grasses and lots of bugs that "wake-up" when the weather gets warmer. With this smörgåsbord of chicken feed in the spring, comes more vitamins and nutrients in the eggs.
Did you knot that eggs contain several important nutrients
- Choline – particularly important for brain function
and health. Egg yolks are the richest form of choline. (More than 90%
of Americans are choline-deficient. This is a concern for pregnant
woman as choline is necessary for brain and memory development in the
fetus.)
- Selenium – A mineral that is a powerful antioxidant and that our bodies need for a strong immune system.
- Folate – Helps in the prevention of birth defects
- Lutein – found in the yolk, protects against age-related macular degeneration and cataracts
- Other B Vitamins – converts foods you eat into energy
- Vitamin A – important for night vision, healthy skin and bone tissue
- Vitamin E -prevents cell damage by inhibiting oxidation of lipids (fats) and the formation of free radicals (helps to prevent cancer).
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Top - Store Bought Egg
Bottom - Farm Raised Egg |
Eggs are nutrient dense but unfortunately, not all eggs are the same
Since the industrialization of our food system, it has become
apparent that not all eggs contain the same amount of nutrients.
Mother Earth News, The Original Guide to Living Wisely, has shared study after study comparing the nutrients in pastured eggs versus conventional, grocery store eggs.
Compared to conventional store eggs, pastured, free range eggs have:
- 1/3 less cholesterol
- 1/4 less saturated fat
- 2/3 more vitamin A
- Two times more omega-3 fatty acids
- Three times more vitamin E
- Seven times more beta carotene – converts to vitamin A
- most recently noted, 4-6 times more vitamin D
Knowing this, it becomes very important to buy eggs from a local source.
You may be thinking, “I buy organic, free-range eggs from the grocery
store”. This is a great start, however, with the demand of “organic”
and “naturally” raised products, more companies are jumping on board to
sell you what you want. So it becomes important to understand what these labels mean.
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| Our chickens grazing |
In order for eggs to be labeled “free-range” a chicken needs to have
access to the outdoors. This usually means hundreds of chicken
confined to an industrial chicken house with a small slab of concrete
to walk outdoors if they’d like. Your “free-range egg” chickens are really spending their lives
indoors in a ventilated area and will not have the nutrient levels as
described above.
If you’re buying “vegetarian-fed eggs”, this is a
sure sign that they do not have access to pasture as real chickens are
not vegetarians. Remember, chickens love to eat bugs which they can only access from an outdoor pasture!
As you can see, it is critically important to buy local eggs. If you
need to find a source for local, pastured free-range eggs, visit us at Hillwood Farm.
