About Eggs...

1- Well... I do not think so... I know people who works out eats raw eggs, but a banana can give the same powerhouse you need for muscle tone.

2- Of course not!

3- Maybe just on small farms.

4- My father in law has those eggs... the chickens have a HUGE cage for the night (as there are foxes around there) But they chickens run free all the day. However, I would not eat those eggs either, as the eggs have a lot of cholesterol...

5- Of course it does!!!! Take a look over here! I'm pretty sure you will care after these as well


I hope I've help you!

Inspired by the discussions HERE, in the main blog.

1) Can eggs be a part of a healthy diet?

3) Are eggs ESSENTIAL for a healthy diet?

3) Is there such a thing as "cruelty-free" eggs?

4) Are "cage-free", "organic", "pastured" or "free-range" eggs truly less cruel?

5) Does the "cruelty to chickens" issue matter to you?


I have my own opinions on this subject, but I'm curious to see what others think about it...

-"WonderRandy"

1. Of course. Eggs are very good for you. Here is a good link about eggs.

http://www.askmen.com/sports/foodcourt_60/66_eating_well.html

2. Eggs are not essential for a healthy diet, you can substitute almost any food for something else.

3 & 4. Cage free eggs are definitely less cruel and it is the only type of eggs I buy

5. Very much so. I am a vegetarian (not a vegan though) and to me humans should now have evolved enough to overcome any type of cruelty. We may have came from primates but our brain capacity is great enough to overcome any primal instincts. If we can put a man on the moon we should be able to realize that cruelty is just wrong.

I am a vegan so I no longer eat eggs. They are not necessary in your diet. They can be part of a healthy diet, but since they are not necessary, why bother? There are plenty of other foods in the world. No need to eat what is essentially another animal's embryo and placenta. But I believe that a healthier diet excludes eggs.

1. Yes.
2. No.
3. Yes.
4. Sure sounds like it.
5. I'd imagine it matters to almost everyone to some extent.

I think I've already weighed in on this, but I'd like to add my answers:

1. Yes, they can be a part of a healthy diet ... in moderation. Too many eggs is unhealthy (more than 2 a day).
2. Eggs are not essential for a healthy diet. There are many good sources of protein and other nutrients, from plants for example.
3. There might be such a thing as cruelty-free eggs, but I doubt that they're available to most people. Most people don't know what happens to "free-range" chickens and eggs, let alone the regular kind.
4. Not really.
5. Very much so.

I'd like to hear your thoughts, Randy!

My thoughts:

1) Eggs can be a part of a healthy diet. They can be an excellent source of protein and are extremely versatile.

2) Eggs are absolutely NOT essential for a healthy diet.

3) "Cruelty-free" does not exist for commercially produced eggs. While "cage-free" is dramatically less barbaric than caged eggs, the chickens are still horribly overcrowded and confined in abominable conditions. "Free-range" only means they have access to an outdoor space (which is typically tiny and useless). "organic" only means they are fed organic food, not that they are treated with anything resembling kindness.

4) see #3

5) I am personally strongly opposed to the notion that confining and enslaving animals - ANY ANIMALS - is an acceptable practice, regardless of the benefit humans might derive from it. The conditions in commercial egg-production facilities are horrific and barbaric, even the most casual research into the subject makes this clear. The idea that Humans exist at the top of the food chain, and that animals are here to serve us is outdated and misguided. Chickens may not have much of a brain, but you'll never convince me that their pain and suffering is in any way excusable.

Interesting thoughts. Poor chickens. *sob*

6 - Mmmm eggs. I've eaten four eggs a day for more than a year now. They're delicious.

First of all, I'm lucky enough to get my eggs from my neighbor, so I know they are from happy organic chickens.

This is from WebMD's list of "10 Superfoods" (which includes eggs):
Eggs make the list because they are nutritious, versatile, economical, and a great way to fill up on quality protein. "Studies show if you eat eggs at breakfast, you may eat fewer calories during the day and lose weight without significantly affecting cholesterol levels," says Elizabeth Ward, MS, RD, author of The Pocket Idiot's Guide to the New Food Pyramids. Eggs also contain 12 vitamins and minerals, including choline, which is good for brain development and memory. Enjoy them at any meal or hard-cooked as a portable snack.

Eggs are an excellent choice....especially if you go for the "Omega 3-Free Range Organic" kind that are higher in anti-inflammatory Omega 3s (as the regular grain fed are high in Omega 6s, the proinflammatory EFA). Eggs are a great choice especially if your other options for eating breakfast are unhealthy!

I've always been a bit skeptical about egg substitutes, like EggBeaters and such.

Can anyone shed some light on this subject?
Are they even a healthy option in the first place, or should I stick with the real deal?
Taste wise....are they even good?
Any good options to find at the supermarket?

^ I thought eggbeaters were still real eggs.

1) Can eggs be a part of a healthy diet?
Of course! I try to avoid the yolks, mostly because I don't like the taste. But I also hear that's where a lot of the fat is.

3) Are eggs ESSENTIAL for a healthy diet?
No.

3) Is there such a thing as "cruelty-free" eggs?
I believe so, but I'd probably have to raise the chickens myself if I ever wanted to be 100% sure.

4) Are "cage-free", "organic", "pastured" or "free-range" eggs truly less cruel?
Organic eggs are not necessarily less cruel, but definitely better for you. Assuming pastured is similar to free range, then, yes, they are better. Currently all I have available in my hometown are cage-free, not organic or free-range. But cage-free is better than cage-full. lol.

5) Does the "cruelty to chickens" issue matter to you?
Yes. Even if I didn't care about chickens, I'd care about taste and health. And, well, eggs from chickens that are mistreated taste like eggs from mistreated chickens. I also care about buying organic because I don't want my eggs full of hormones and antibiotics, which do lord-knows-what to the body.

^ I thought eggbeaters were still real eggs.

-"sarasnee"

Thank you. I was really hoping they were. My next step will be to check out the actual ingredients so I am not entirely clueless!

1) Can eggs be a part of a healthy diet?
Definitely. It is the most bioavailable protein available. It is the protein against which all other proteins are compared. You can eat more than 2 per day. The cholesterol in them isn't an issue as that whole hypothesis is bunk. They are full of high quality protein and fat with nice doses of fat-soluble vitamins and minerals.

2) Are eggs ESSENTIAL for a healthy diet?
No. No single food item is essential for a healthful diet (note: "healthy" is a state of being, "healthful" is supportive of health, therefore diets are healthful, people are healthy). Of course, certain foods become more essential or less based on other components of your diet.

3) Is there such a thing as "cruelty-free" eggs?
Sure, if the chickens are allowed to roam freely, eating grass and bugs.

4) Are "cage-free", "organic", "pastured" or "free-range" eggs truly less cruel?
Not if you're getting them at the grocery. Find a local farmer that raises chickens properly, on pasture (not just the marketing term "pastured" where they have access to a small dirt patch) where they eat bugs and such that chickens are evolved to eat. Check www.localharvest.org and www.eatwild.com

5) Does the "cruelty to chickens" issue matter to you?
Yes. The life led by the source of my food has direct implications in the nutrition provided by that food. Therefore, I purchase grass-fed cows, pastured poultry, and wild seafood.