Eggs are one of my all time favorite foods. They’re versatile, convenient, and a good source of protein, all while being budget friendly, which is a bonus in my book! Poached, scrambled, over-medium, hard-boiled, you name it. To me, adding an egg to a salad, (chickpea) pasta, or over a whole grain toast makes a meal far more delicious and satisfying than without one… or two.

If you’ve been following @tovitanutrition, you may have noticed that I always eat the whole egg; yolks and whites. Come to think of it, there’s not even a single post of an egg white on my feed. Weird, because egg whites are good for you and egg yolks contain all of the unhealthy fats, cholesterol, and everything you should avoid, right??

Not even close.

The yolk is filled with important fat soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K), B vitamins, antioxidants (hellooo glutathione), and healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Plus it’s rich in minerals like zinc, calcium, and phosphorus. Not to mention, it provides excellent flavor and makes you actually feel satiated after your meal, which is one of the reasons we eat to begin with! After all, you don’t want to remain hungry once you’ve eaten a meal, right? (Fine, the bit about flavor is subjective, but personally I think egg whites lack taste and are generally unsatisfying).

If egg whites are simply your thing, I can’t argue preference. Just be careful if you buy them from the carton as they may contain artificial ingredients and additives like thickeners that you’d otherwise want to avoid.

Now, I eat the whole egg and there’s no two ways about it for me, but I have to admit that I’m a total egg snob. I don’t just eat any whole egg; my eggs are pasture-raised, organic, cage-free, and sometimes with “omega-3’s.” But what does this really mean? With so much terminology and nutrition buzzwords that saturate food labels, it’s hard to decipher the often deceitful linguistic code of food marketing.

So, let’s take the opportunity to do some decoding.

  1. “Pasture-raised” or “Pastured” is ideal. It means the chickens were able to roam outside as they pleased, and eat what they wanted (bugs, dirt, insects, yum!) as they pleased. These chickens aren’t cooped up and stressed out in tiny cages all their lives, meaning they’re producing happy eggs 🙂
  2. “Free range” or “cage-free” are interchangeable terms that basically mean the chickens have access to some outdoor space. It doesn’t specify how much outdoor space or how often they’re outdoors. It also doesn’t apply to what the chickens are actually fed.
  3. “Antibiotic free” is a good thing. It means the chickens are not given antibiotics. But again, it doesn’t imply anything about their living conditions.
  4. “Natural” means “minimally processed,” which basically doesn’t mean anything.
  5. “Fresh” also means nada.
  6. “Hormone-free” sounds like it should be meaningful, but it’s actually illegal to give hormones to laying hens.
  7. “Omega-3 eggs” are a good thing! It means the chickens are fed flax seeds, which are rich sources of omega-3s.
  8. “Organic” eggs are a good thing. It means that whatever the chickens are being fed are free of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. And that the chickens are not treated with hormones or antibiotics.
  9. “Vegetarian fed” basically means that the chickens weren’t eating other chickens. While that is a good thing, it’s important to note that chickens are not vegetarians by nature! Chickens in the outdoors love eating whatever is in the dirt – worms, bugs, etc. Worms are obviously not vegetarian.
  10. “Egg color” though not a term, egg color corresponds to the breed of hen that laid it. It does not reflect nutrition quality or taste.

So what should you be looking for?

Ideally, all of the positives listed above: Pastured, organic, free-range, antibiotic-free, omega-3 eggs are the gold standard. These high quality eggs are going to be a bit pricier than your standard dozen, but remember if you’re just eating two eggs at a time, a 12 count carton can provide six different meals! Your body will thank you for providing it with good quality nutrition!