We all are very much familiar with the brown trend of weight loss. It is nothing but consuming brown edibles. They are said to be more nutritious and healthy than the other colourful food. Same is the case with brown eggs. Brown rice, brown bread etc. are all healthier than their white or refined counterparts; is it the same with brown and white eggs? There is a lot of debate on brown eggs healthier over white eggs. Let us see which ones healthier or if they are the same, but before that let us understand what the egg labels mean:
EGG LABELS
EGG LABEL: CONVENTIONAL
Eggs with ‘Conventional’ labels are acquired from hens that are grouped in small cages with little or no room to move. They are fed grains that are cheaply available are often subjected to hormones and antibiotics. Eggs acquired from such hens are least in nutrition.
EGG LABEL: CAGE-FREE
Eggs with ‘Cage-free’ labels are acquired from hens that are not caged but are very crowded. They too are given conventional feed and are subjected to hormones and antibiotics. Eggs acquired from such hens are very less in nutrition.
EGG LABEL: FREE RANGE
Eggs with ‘Free-range’ labels are acquired from hens that too are very crowded even if they are not caged. They have outdoor access but are very limited and not regulated. They are given typical chicken feed and are subjected to hormones and antibiotics. Eggs acquired from such hens are very less in nutrition.
EGG LABEL: CERTIFIED ORGANIC
Eggs with ‘Certified organic’ labels are acquired from hens that are without cages and are given some space to move which varies from farm to farm. They are given outdoor access but are not regulated. Their fodder is always organic vegetarian and pesticide-free and they are not given any hormones or antibiotics. Eggs acquired from such hens are nutritious.
EGG LABEL: PASTURE RAISED
Eggs with ‘Pasture raised’ labels are acquired from hens that are grown in natural spacious fields and they live outside with access to barn. They are given natural and organic fodder which varies from field to field. They are not given any hormones or antibiotics and eggs acquired from such hens are highly nutritious.
COMPARISON – BROWN EGGS VS WHITE EGGS
SOURCE
The colour or hue of the eggs depend entirely on the breed of chicken. White hens with white earlobes lay white eggs while red hens with red earlobes lay brown eggs. It is that simple. There are other colours too like the ones with spots; it entirely depends on the hen species.
NUTRITION AND TASTE
It is the hue or colour that differentiates the two eggs from each other. The brown eggs and white eggs, both have the same nutrition content and taste similar too. In fact, brown eggs are comparatively expensive but have the same nutrition and taste as that of white eggs. Although, you may have experienced the eggs taste richer when they are from the hens you have at your courtyard/home-raised. That is because of the rich fodder.
MORE: UNDERSTANDING FOOD LABELS – MAKE THE BEST FOOD DECISIONS
SHELL
You may have noticed that some egg shells are harder while some are thinner. If you think you have a brown egg with hard shell, it might just be a coincidence since eggs can be harder or thinner irrespective of whether it is white or brown. The egg shell thickness depends upon the age of chicken; the young hens lay eggs with harder shells while the old hens lay eggs with thinner shells.
SIZE
The brown eggs if you see are bigger in size than the white eggs. This means, the bigger sized brown eggs have more content than the comparatively smaller white eggs. Although, if you check the same quantity, they have same nutritive value. It’s only the size that makes brown eggs preferable over white eggs for nutrition.
PRICE
Brown eggs are comparatively expensive than white eggs. This is because the red hens that lay brown eggs are bigger in size and they also need to be feed more often. While the white hens are not high maintenance like red hens. This makes brown eggs expensive than white eggs.
CONCLUSION:
Brown eggs are produced by brown hens and white eggs are produced by white hens, its simple as that; white eggs are no different than brown eggs! But then why is it listed in brown healthy edibles list? Well, brown eggs are bigger in size than white eggs. Brown eggs contain the same nutrients as that of white eggs but they are double in quantity than white ones. They keep you full for longer and help you control your appetite. Also, Eggs labelled ‘Pasture raised’ are nutritious and good for the body whereas eggs labelled ‘Conventional’ are least nutritious and contains hormones and antibiotics.