Eggs and how to buy them! Scrambled Egg Recipe Below!
Share This
Grade AA – This is the best grade an egg can get. This egg is thick and firm with a high yolk. There are no imperfections on the shell. There is nearly no air inside the egg.
Grade A – Just like AA, but not as firm, with a bit more air in the egg.
Grade B – Has thinner whites, a yolk that does not stand as high and the shell may be stained. Also has more air inside the egg. These eggs are used to make liquid, frozen, dried or other egg products. Check your liquid egg whites/liquid eggs for more information.
Labels/Substitutes:
Omega-3 Enriched / Enhanced – the hens were fed either fish oil or flaxseed and passed the omega 3 second hand to you. Keep in mind that Omega-3 eggs are unregulated, so you don’t know how much omega-3 you’re actually getting.
Natural, Naturally Raised – unregulated, take this statement lightly. No Hormones, No Antibiotics – unregulated, take this statement lightly.
Certified Organic – the hens are fed an organic, all-vegetarian diet free of antibiotics and pesticides. They are uncaged, “residing” inside barns or warehouses, and are required to have outdoor access, but the amount, duration, and quality of outdoor access is undefined. They may also be starved and de-beaked. There is quite a riff now in the organic egg industry between the small family farms and the more industrialized organic egg facilities, who some believe have strayed from the true meaning of organic.
Free range – There is no USDA standard for “free-range” egg production. Typically,free-range hens are uncaged inside barns or warehouses and have some degree of outdoor access, but there are no requirements for the amount, duration or quality of outdoor access. However, it’s a step in the right direction.
Cage free / Free run – even less promising than free range because no degree of outdoor access is implied.
Certified Humane – Chickens not in cages but inside barns or warehouses. Access to the outdoors not a must. Certain requirements must be met, for example, the chickens are able to perform natural behaviors.
Animal Welfare Approved – The highest animal welfare standards of any third-party auditing program. Cage-free environments with access to outdoor pasture. They are able to move freely, socialize, and engage in natural, health-promoting behaviors. Beak trimming and forced molting are prohibited. Unfortunately, there are no participating producers that sell to supermarkets. Excellent choice, but hard to find. One last note – there is no difference nutritionally or otherwise between
brown eggs and white eggs. The eggshell color is determined by the chicken type. United Egg Producers – no special meaning, aside the fact that the hens are fed and given water. The majority of factory farms with tens of thousands of hens comply with this program. FOODUCATE YOURSELF and make your own decision on what to buy.. If you see Animal Warfare Approved eggs grab them, or, if you personally know a farmer who allows chicken to move freely, socialize, and engage in natural, health-promoting behaviors, grab them!
Seems to us that Grade AA eggs are just fine from Trader Joe’s!
Try our 3 in 1 Scrambled Egg Breakfast Option 1 dish from our Fuel Your Performance program!
Ingredients:
-1-5 eggs
2-4 tennis balls worth of veggies like:
-1/4 onion (slice 1st)
-1/4 cupped hand of mushrooms
-1/2 zucchini
-1/2 squash
-1-4 asparagus
-handful of bell peppers
-handful of tomatoes
-handful of spinach
-handful of potatoes or piece of bread option for added calories
Directions
1. Wash & slice up veggies of your choice
2. Heat teaspoon of coconut oil or butter in a medium saute pan on low-medium heat and spread around pan
3. Wash and cook potatoes (if needed) until golden and add a few dashes of salt
4. Add sliced up veggies and your choice of dashes of seasonings like: salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, etc.
5. Crack eggs in a bowl, add some milk of your choice and scramble
6. Add eggs to pan and cook on low
7. Once cooked, turn off heat and add handful of raw spinach leaves or kale and mix into pan