Happy Birds - Happy Eggs

 I’ll admit, when I first began my journey to all natural foods, I didn’t get the fuss over “free range eggs” compared to the pretty white processed eggs that I was so accustomed to. To the uneducated eye, those brown eggs don’t see too appealing, right? Man, was I naïve. There are so many benefits to purchasing (and consuming) all natural products, and eggs are no different! So I thought I would shoot a little truth at everyone who was unknowing (like me!).

The biggest difference in buying natural (range free/cage free/organic) eggs is the overall safety of the food itself. Knowing the background of farm fresh eggs really opened my eyes, that’s for sure. One of the biggest dangers in eggs is the possibility of bacteria, or even worse, salmonella infection. This is caused when a hen is exposed to the virus, contracts it, and lays the egg that eventually ends up in our stomach; gross. Unfortunately, this is very common in commercially produced eggs, because a hen doesn’t commonly show signs of carrying the disease. It’s no secret that the condition in which hens are raised plays a part in contracting various diseases. On the bright side, when the eggs you purchased are from the farm where the hens are raised, you have a better understanding of how they are treated, which is hopefully extremely humane. Happy birds, lay happy eggs. I should trademark that.

Ever done your research on the commercial egg industry? It’s seriously disturbing. Chickens are often kept in cages half the size they need, for their entire lifetime, never seeing the sun, they don’t get to BE chickens. They never leave their coop, let alone get to roam the great outdoors. So as if you need more reason to purchase farm fresh, there is an ample amount of other benefits. These include:  less cholesterol and less saturated fat than its counterparts. It’s also been proven that these eggs have higher content of vitamins A, E and D and more omega-3 fatty acids – which has an entire list of benefits on its own regarding our everyday health.

Now let’s talk about the gimmicks, because you must be smart and careful, do your research. Sometimes, store bought eggs will still be labeled “cage-free”, when in reality, they are produced in a hot and overfilled chicken warehouse. So sad. According to the Humane Society of the United States, only egg cartons marked “free range,” “pasture raised” and/or “USDA Certified Organic” can actually be guaranteed as eggs from chickens that were allowed outdoor access and the space to walk around in their enclosures. So keep those eyes sharp now-informed-egg-buyers.