Eggs

 

Eggs can often get a mixed review but with 6g of protein, 0g of carbs and 0g of sugar each, eggs are a staple of my breakfasts. They’re a great way to start your day with some filling protein and energizing healthy fats. Personally, I like to start my day of with two eggs, typically fried (with cooking spray not butter) or hard-boiled, depending on what’s available to me.

That said not all eggs are entirely equal. While home for the holiday I got to enjoy some local eggs from our neighbors chickens and was surprised at the difference it made. Above you see a comparison of the grocery-store eggs we typically buy and the local ones from our neighbors. The darkest shell is a Market Basket “Organic Cage-Free” egg, the middle shade is a Market Basket “Cage-Free” egg and the lightest is the local one.

Of the cracked eggs the store bought ones are on the left and the local one is on the right. Just from cracking them I could already tell a difference. The farm fresh/local egg has a deeper colored and larger yoke. The entire local egg was also thicker including to yolk, whites and shell which was harder to crack than the others. This is because the neighborhood chickens get even more time outside and thus more vitamin D than the cage-free chickens letting them produce sturdier eggs.

The taste of the farm-fresh eggs was delicious! They had a fuller and more flavorful taste than the more muted store-bought variety. Additionally, the naturally varied diet of local farm chickens (along with their higher rate or exercise and lower rate of illness) allow them to fill their eggs with more nutritional value, which is mainly concentrated in the yolk. So not only do these local eggs have a higher quality of omega-3 fats, vitamin D, vitamin A and vitamin E, the larger yoke means a larger quantity of them.

While changing to farm-fresh local eggs may not be feasible for you (especially if you’re a student) this egg test serves as a testimony to the importance of knowing where your food came from and shopping local when possible. Even as a student I recommend visiting a local farmers market for some in-season produce or growing your own. It may take more effort than buying the mass produced and often genetically modified versions at the grocery store but your health and body are worth that extra effort.