The Benefits of Pastured Eggs

Last month I wrote a post about the difference in the exterior appearance of farmers’ market eggs compared to eggs from industrial egg-laying operations.

The contrast in the yolks (photo, above right) is just as startling. The yolk on the left is from an egg I bought at the farmers’ market. Its color is much more orange, thanks to the hen’s diet, which is based on grass and insects instead of corn. This diet translates into eggs with more flavor and nutrition.

And according to a 2007 Mother Earth News study, the nutritional aspects of pastured eggs are also more glowing than their conventional cousins. As I’ve mentioned before, there’s nothing wrong with eating eggs, as long as you are eating the right ones. Compared to industrial eggs, pastured eggs can provide:

• 1/3 less cholesterol
• 1/4 less saturated fat
• 2/3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene

Click here to read the Mother Earth News article about the importance of knowing where your eggs come from.