Have you been denying yourself a hearty breakfast because you believe the myth that egg yolks are unhealthy? Other misconceptions about eggs involve the quality of the contents based upon the color of the eggshells. The difference in the color of eggshells lies in the chicken breed.
Are egg-white omelets healthier than those made with whole eggs?
I can’t think of anything less appetizing than egg-white omelets. Egg yolks contain more cholesterol and fat than egg whites. However, that doesn’t make them unhealthy. Not all fats are bad for you, and not all cholesterol consumption causes bad cholesterol levels. However, people with heart disease or diabetes should avoid eating too many. If you are unsure, a chat with your doctor could set your mind at ease.
Why should you keep eggs in the refrigerator?
The need to refrigerate eggs depends on whether producers washed them or not. In the U.S. and several other countries, suppliers must wash them all before marketing them in stores. That is to prevent the spread of salmonella. However, eggshells have a natural protective layer, and washing them removes that layer. Therefore, storing them in chilled conditions fends off pathogens and prevents spoilage.
What do you understand about humane chicken farming?
We see “free-range,” “humanely raised,” and “cage-free” on the labels of the egg containers in supermarkets. Those terms may not mean what you think they mean. For example, cage-free chicken farming is nothing more than keeping masses of chickens in pens, which are just large cages. In those circumstances, crowded hens often hurt each other. Many chicken producers burn or cut off the sharp ends of the birds’ beaks at baby-chicken age to prevent them from hurting each other.
Furthermore, male chicks have no commercial value, which is why producers mostly kill male chicks immediately after they’ve hatched. They keep limited numbers alive to mate with the hens and fertilize eggs for breeding.
So, if you want eggs laid by happy hens, you might want to buy them from farm stalls or local farms where “Certified Humane” labels mean what they say.
Do chickens with white feathers lay white eggs?
If that’s what you thought, you’re not entirely wrong. The only thing is that it is not the feathers but the chickens’ earlobes that tell what color their eggs will be. Chickens with brown or red feathers typically have red earlobes, and their eggs are usually brown. Chicken with white earlobes, even if they have dark feathers, will lay white ones. However, as with everything else, there are exceptions to this rule.
Brown is not always healthier
We all know that brown rice is healthier than white rice, and brown bread is better than white bread. However, that does not make brown-shelled eggs healthier than those with white shells. The nutritional value of what’s inside does not depend on the color of the shells. The shells being brown is also no indication that eggs are more natural.
No! — every egg is not an unborn chicken
Women ovulate and produce eggs, and only fertilized eggs turn into fetuses. The same goes for chicken eggs. The hen ovulates and lays the eggs. If she mated with a male partner the egg becomes fertilized. And even then, if that egg is not kept at a specific temperature for a specific time, it will not develop into a chicken. A broody mother hen will only sit on her eggs to keep them warm if they are fertilized. On commercial chicken farms, fertilized eggs will hatch in machines.
“Progress? It ought to be stopped, that’s what I say. If the Lord meant chickens to come out of incubators he’d never have made hens, it stands to reason.”
— Winifred Holtby
