Ask a Dietitian

Today the choices we make about the food we buy are multifaceted and somewhat complicated. Gone are the days of being loyal to one brand or one grocer. Consumers care about the environment, sustainability, ethics as well as nutrition and are choosing food accordingly. When it comes to eggs, consumers want to know where they come from, who the farmer is and if the animals are raised humanely, not to mention antibiotics, organics and nutritional benefits. Gone are the days where you simply buy the eggs that are on the shelf. Faced with the many different packages of eggs in your grocery store, what do you need to know?

Nutritional Value: The way a chicken is raised has little effect on the nutritional value of the eff. The feed can affect the colour of the yolk and the omega 3 content. Eggs are an excellent source of protein (6g/egg) with no limiting amino acids. A large egg contains 70 calories and is a source of B12, folate, iron, zinc, vitamin A, D and E. Eggs also contain choline (important for fetal brain and nerve development) as well as lutein and zeaxanthin (prevention of macular degeneration). Current research suggests that cholesterol in foods has little impact on cholesterol levels in blood so there is no longer a limit on how many eggs you can eat in a day, however variety is always a good idea.

Colour: whether it is brown or white does not affect the nutritional value of the egg. Brown eggs come from brown chickens and white eggs from white chickens.

Size: this is up to you. If the large and medium eggs are being sold for the same price I go for large because you get more egg! Most recipes call for large eggs.

Egg type:

In BC we get primarily BC eggs, raised in over 140 family owned and operated farms. 23% of the eggs sold in BC are free run, free range and organic (in comparison to 10% for all of Canada). The rest are raised in conventional battery cages. Over the next 15 years these cages will be phased out due to animal welfare concerns. Battery cages are no longer allowed to be built in Canada and will be replaced with enriched cages.

Standard Eggs: These eggs come from hens housed in wire battery cages with 62 square inches of space per bird, typically 6 birds per cage, with barely enough room to flap their wings. These eggs are the most economical at $3-$4/doz. Some major fast food outlets have pledged to use only cage free eggs.

Free Run Eggs: The eggs come from hens allowed to run free without a cage in a barn with nests, perches and scratching areas but do not have access to the outdoors. Although free run sounds great it isn’t without its’ risks. Allowing birds to run free means there is more risk for harm from other birds through pecking and cannibalism (which can spread through a flock very quickly). There are also health safety concerns for workers with increased dust and less control with chicken manure.

Free Range Eggs: These hens are also cage free in barns with nests, perches and scratching areas and do have access to the outdoors.

Enriched Cage Housing Eggs (often called “nestlaid”): The hens that lay these eggs are in a cage almost twice the size of the battery cages (116 square inches per brid) not including their nest boxes. They have perches and scratching areas, allowing the birds to live in a more “natural” environment. These eggs have a lower price tag than free range and free run.

Organic Eggs: Certified organic eggs come from free range hens fed an organic feed, grains that have been pesticide free for 3 years. These hens are not given antibiotics in their feed. (Note: none receive growth hormones.)

Omega 3 Eggs: These eggs come from hens fed a diet rich in flax seed and some feed is also enriched with fish oil. Each egg can contain 0.3-0.5g of omega 3, primarily ALA and 0.15mg DHA. (1 Tbsp chia contains 1.2g ALA and 3 oz fish contains 1.8 g DHA) Recommended intakes are 1.1g for women and 1.6g for men)

Bottom Line: Eggs are a nutrient dense food that can be a part of any meal or snack.