Pastured Eggs

Do you see any difference between these two eggs?

The pastured yolk on the right is more orange than the conventional yolk on the left.

Here I am eating my daily breakfast of two eggs.

It is amazing to me how different pastured eggs, meat and dairy products are compared to their conventional counter parts.

Remember my post about pastured butter?

Pastured eggs have been harvested from chickens that are free to roam in open pastures. Chickens are actually omnivores (like us) and need to eat a variety of grass, insects, feed, and the occasional snake! Chickens are not vegetarians and the more variety in their diet the more nutritious the egg! Pastured eggs have more omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin E A and C, along with notably higher amounts of folic acid and B-12. I remeber a labor and delivery nurse telling me when I was pregnant with Luke to get more B-12 in my life to control morning sickness!

Pastured eggs are not to be confused with free-range eggs. Free-range eggs, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, must come from chickens that are allowed access to the outside. In this scenario, a small door is opened periodically throughout the day. This allows the chickens "access" to the outside but since they are so used to the indoors they do not go outside. You can get free-range eggs in the grocery store where they are sold alongside conventional eggs. You have probably seen them? They are more expensive.

Conventional eggs come from a large warehouse full of hens. I don't want to even talk about what goes on inside of a chicken house of this nature. These hens are most definitely NOT allowed access to the outside. They have never even seen the out of doors! But this method does provide an affordable egg.

I am not really sure what my purpose of this post is?

I was just struck by how drastically different the yolks in these two eggs were side by side...I had to tell someone! I have recently started buying pastured eggs for my daily breakfast. They are more expensive and harder to come by but if they are more nutritious it is worth it. I would much rather get the nutrients that my body needs the old fashioned way... from my food and not as many supplements!

If you want to read more about pastured eggs here would be a good place to start. I happened upon the Weston A. Price Foundation about 3 years ago and yes they encourage you to eat REAL butter. I love it over there...and now I am off to make my own real butter! Love it!