Brown or white eggs? Free-range or organic? Picking out eggs at the supermarket can be a puzzle. Which eggs are the best for your health?
“With the latest research giving eggs a green light in healthy eating, claims and confusion surrounding various types can make choosing the right egg a challenge,” said Jess DeGore, a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based registered dietitian, and owner of DietitianJess.com. Experts weighed in on different egg varieties to find out if one type is better than another. Or, as registered dietitian nutritionist Bethany Thayer cleverly put it, “Scrambled information about eggs may have you wondering what shell to crack” to support your health. But are brown or white eggs better for your health? According to Thayer, the color of the shell comes from the color of the hen, with no nutritional difference between the two. And what about terms like ‘cage-free,’ ‘free-range,’ and ‘organic’ on egg cartons? Thayer called these terms a marketing tool, emphasizing that they don’t necessarily impact the nutritional value of the eggs. Free-range indicates that the hens from which the eggs came have free, open access to the outdoors. An organic label indicates that the hen’s food was grown without synthetic chemicals, antibiotics, and growth hormones, according to Thayer. Neither free-range, cage-free, nor organic classification “impact the nutritional value of the egg,” said Thayer.
Hens with carotenoids in their feed produce eggs with different yolk colors. Thayer highlighted that nutritionally fortified feed can lead to enriched eggs with specific nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids and extra vitamin D. Eggs are also a good source of protein, choline, biotin, vitamin A and D, as well as the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, both of which support eye health. The final verdict appears to be that there is no definitive answer as to the best egg for health. Experts suggest that organic and free-range conditions may contribute to a better health profile, even though most nutritional differences between different egg varieties are minimal. So, no need to stress – choose what best fits your preferences, and rest assured that you are making a nutritious choice that provides a rich source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. No matter the egg you choose, handle them safely. Be sure to keep eggs refrigerated at 40°F after purchasing, don’t let them sit at room temperature for more than two hours, and always cook eggs until they reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
