Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
Food manufacturers have attempted to demonize eggs for decades. It is infinitely more profitable to convince the public to eat Egg Beaters and processed vegetable oils than to encourage them to consume the non-patentable perfection that is the egg.
Even folks who see through the marketing hype against eggs that is cleverly disguised as “science” frequently get waylaid by the free range and organic eggs labeling on egg cartons.
The truth is that buying organic, free range eggs from the supermarket or healthfood store is no guarantee that the birds lived a healthy life. What’s more, the eggs may not even be that nutrient dense. You’re safer buying duck eggs or goose eggs as these types of birds are more resistant to industrialized living. Even when domesticated, they eat more closely to their native diet than chickens.
Let’s take a look at why organic chicken eggs are a scam.
Organic Eggs Reality Check #1
Did you know that there are no requirements for the quality or amount of time spent outside for organic eggs or even free range eggs? This means that organic eggs could actually be from hens who get basically no bugs in their diet from pecking in the ground. If the hens don’t get to peck around in the ground for grubs and insects, the eggs they produce will have drastically reduced nutritional value – organic or not.
Organic Eggs Reality Check #2
Did you know that the hens from a free range or organic eggs farm can still have their beaks cut and be subjected to forced molting which involves starving them for 7-14 days which can in some cases kill them?
Organic Eggs Reality Check #3
Organic eggs marked as “cage free” does not mean that the hens have access to the outdoors or even daylight! The hens could actually be running around inside with artificial lighting on a concrete floor and the eggs still qualify as cage free!
The only way to get truly healthy eggs where you can be sure the hens are not abused is to buy local from a farmer you trust, not organic eggs from the store!
There is no way around this folks that I have found. You must start connecting with the people in your community if you really want to source some decent eggs!
Folks in my buying club regularly tell me how shocked they are when they run out of the eggs sourced locally and buy a carton of organic eggs from the store how puny, pathetic and bland tasting they are. They are also incredibly expensive.
Not only will you more than likely save yourself some money buying eggs locally, you will also be helping a local business remain viable and improving the nutrient density of your diet all at the same time!
Organic eggs most definitely does not always mean better!
Need more egg recipes once you’ve found a quality local source? Try these breakfast egg ideas, easy lunch egg recipes, and dinner egg recipes for inspiration!
Below is a fantastic infographic on the reality behind the egg industry created by Kristin Lindquist. What factoids did you find most alarming?
More Information
Best Egg Substitute (plus Video)
Organic Store Eggs Just Don’t Stack Up
What Oxidizes the Cholesterol in Eggs?
Think You Have Fresh Eggs? Here’s How to Tell
For some reason I can eat eggs local, but don’t do well with the eggs in the store. It will be very hard to go back to buying eggs from the store.
Same here!
I have the same problem. Organic or not store bought eggs all brands make my stomach/intestines very ill it is painful. I found local eggs that are eating bugs and seeds outside and wow I have been eaten them almost daily and not problems at all. I will have to stop eating eggs when frost hits because I believe what ever is in the feed organic or not is a problem. My thought is it contains GMO’s or chemicals that should not be in feed even organic. Even organic feed uses a chemical in place of vitamin K.
We raise our own in chicken tractors and we feed them non gmo project verified chicken feed.
What color are free range egg yolks? We get some local but the yolks are pale
That has more to do with the variety of chicken than anything. I get extra egs from both my in-laws and my sister-in-law. My in-laws have brown and red chickens that roam free all over. Their eggs are brown and have very yellow yolks. My sister-in-law has white chickens and they stay in a pen. Those eggs are white and have more pale yolks.
There is magnolia in some feeds,thats where the vibrant color of the egg comes from
This is disappointing news. I’ve asked at several local farmers markets if the chickens are fed with non-GMO corn, and each time I’ve been told, no. So I haven’t purchased and ended up buying organic eggs from trader joe’s since they promise, no GMO.
For me, even the best store bought organic eggs don’t have the same richness as our home raised eggs :-/ I had to break down n buy a dozen too and I just don’t like them :-/
“running around” is not an appropriate term for “cage free” hens at all, because normally the large, artificially lit, concrete floored buildings, are jam packed with chickens that are barely able to move. “inching around” would be more like it 🙂 Many towns are getting backyard chicken ordinances, so it would sure be worth it to look into trying to keep your own hens for eggs and buying organic chicken feed and feeding them lots of fresh stuff 🙂
Thank you for this. I’ve been buying Vital Farms eggs from Whole Foods until I can source from a local farmer. Do you know anything about VF? Super expensive but I have to trust them…
Vital Farms eggs are great on all counts, except their non-GMO feed has soy in it.
Also, you can order non-soy feed eggs from Grassfed Traditions, but they’re going to cost you.
The same thing just happened to us and we were very disappointed as we’ll.
Farm and garden section of craigslist! Neighbors are always trying to get rid of excess eggs. Oftentimes they are cheaper too.
Ha she must not live in the burbs… A neighbors backyard hens?! I wish there was a farm closer than 1 hour away.