The Incredible Edible Economical Ecological Egg

This spring of 2008 is full of important issues to blog about... the farm bill, food riots, high gas prices, colony collapse disorder, emergency food aid, food safety... but I must admit (to myself and my readers) that I haven't got time to post about all of those prescient issues because I'm focusing on what's going on in my own backyard.

I've been preoccupied with the health, happiness, and habits of our new hens- four sweet old rhode island red crosses who persist in providing us with fresh eggs each day while whistling a low trill to the apple blossoms above. Yes it is spring; and I'm living in wonderland. A once in a lifetime opportunity has brought my partner and I to a place where we can grow a large garden, keep a few animals, thank goodness for our good fortune, and reflect on the nature of eggs.

Eggs are amazing, nutrient rich, culinary stars. They play an undisputed starring role in omelets, frittatas, scrambles, scones, cakes, cookies, ice creams, souffles, tortes, meringues, custards, puddings, mayonnaises, bearnaises, crepes, and more.

Of course there is a bit of controversy about their contribution to our overall health picture- much demonized for their cholesterol content, heart healthy nutrition recommendations often recommend limiting egg yolk consumption to 3 yolks per week, with unlimited whites. I often see patients who have given up eggs due to there fear of cholesterol. To this I say- there is no correlation between dietary cholesterol and increased serum lipo-proteins. Studies show no increased risk of heart disease associated with egg consumption!

Eggs are low in saturated fat, trans fat, (the real drivers behind high cholesterol) total calories, and sodium. They are a good source of high biological value protein, and the yolks contain Vitamin D, lutein, beta-carotene, folic acid, choline, and possibly omega three fatty acids*. (*The composition of the egg is dependent upon what the chickens eat.) If the layers are free range, eat some grass and some grubs and are supplemented with good feed, the egg will be of significantly more nutritive value than the factory farmed look alikes.

Eggs are affordable and to avoid them or waste their nutritious yolks seems to me an extreme (and decidedly American style) reaction to an age old source of important nourishment and gastronomic pleasure. The egg replacements which have been the darlings of the specialized nutrition food product world are an industrialized alternative to the simple whole foods beauty of a free range, farm fresh egg. Give me yolks of a deep orange hue any day over the homogenized egg whites mixed with "natural flavorings" and stabilized with xantham gums that taste like the card board container they come out of...

If you are a health professional and have been spouting the American Heart Association's attitude you should give people the whole story (i.e., the AHA recommends no more than 3 yolks per week, but research shows no correlation between egg consumption and heart disease) instead of distilling it down because you think the whole story might be too complicated for "lay-people" to understand.

The Bottom Line:
In a time of increasing food insecurity, the egg is an affordable, healthy food option that can be produced sustainably fairly easily. Purchase eggs from local farmers. Keep your own hens. Many cities are allowing citizens to keep laying hens in their own backyards- treat your chickens well and you may have all the quiche you can eat.

I should be very clear that I do not recommend unlimited consumption of factory farmed eggs. The ecological footprint is large, the lives of the chickens are bleak, and the nutrition sub-par. Seek out and support the good stuff.

Find good eggs at http://www.eatwellguide.org. Let me know if you want to learn more about raising your own.