Are brown eggs healthier than white eggs? Often, people who prefer brown eggs do so because they believe brown eggs are healthier and more natural than white eggs. However, the truth is that all eggs are nutritionally very similar, regardless of their size, grade, or color ( 2 , 7).
Brown and white eggs are nutritionally identical. The only reason brown eggs cost more is because all that brown pigment takes more food – and more money – to produce.
The color of the egg doesn't matter. What is important is the quality of the egg. You might notice that most chefs and bakers use brown eggs instead of white. This is most likely because brown eggs tend to be fresher than white as they come from local farms.
Pasture-Raised Eggs / Pastured Eggs): Pasture-raised eggs (sometimes referred to as pastured eggs) are the healthiest eggs to buy, no question. Pasture-raised means that the hens are free to roam and graze freely in a large open pasture.
The eggshell colour depends on the breed of the hen. Generally speaking, white shell eggs come from hens with white feathers, while brown shell eggs are produced by hens with brown feathers. Nutritionally, both brown and white eggs are identical unless the feed has been enhanced for speciality eggs such as Omega-3.
Shell color can influence people's choice of eggs, and some people believe that brown eggs are superior or healthier. However, there is no significant difference in nutrients between brown and white eggs.
While there is no nutritional difference between brown and white eggs, there can be differences in nutrition depending on what the hen is fed. Brown eggs and white eggs do not taste different, the most important thing is getting fresh eggs.
The color of the egg doesn't matter. What is important is the quality of the egg. You might notice that most chefs and bakers use brown eggs instead of white. This is most likely because brown eggs tend to be fresher than white as they come from local farms.
In the United States, fresh, commercially produced eggs need to be refrigerated to minimize your risk of food poisoning. However, in many countries in Europe and around the world, it's fine to keep eggs at room temperature for a few weeks.
Nutrition: In terms of calories, protein and cholesterol, both the types of eggs have the same profile. Brown eggs perhaps are slightly richer in omega-3 fatty acids, but even that difference is negligible.
Brown eggs are more expensive than white eggs because of the difference in the hens that lay them. White eggs are laid by chickens with white feathers and white ear lobes, while brown eggs are laid by red-feathered chickens with red ear lobes.
Egg Science: Blame the Membrane
As the egg ages, the white becomes more alkaline as the dissolved carbon dioxide (a weak acid) it contains dissipates. The more alkaline the white, the easier it is to peel when cooked.
The American Heart Association recommends up to one egg a day for most people, fewer for people with high blood cholesterol, especially those with diabetes or who are at risk for heart failure, and up to two eggs a day for older people with normal cholesterol levels and who eat a healthy diet.
Although scientifically there is no difference between brown and white eggs, the breed of chicken, type of feed and freshness may make the brown ones taste different from the white ones. When it comes to weight loss, both brown and white eggs provide you with the same amount of nutrients.
Ideally the best egg is organic, pastured (or free-range), USDA A or AA, stamped with the Certified Humane or Animal Welfare Approved seal. If you have to pay a dollar or two more than usual, you'll know you spent money on the things that matter.
For most healthy adults, it's safe to eat 1–2 eggs a day depending on how much other cholesterol is in your diet. If you already have high cholesterol or other risk factors for heart disease, it may be best to eat no more than 4–5 eggs per week.
Most healthy people can eat up to seven eggs a week without affecting their heart health. Some choose to eat only the egg white and not the yolk, which provides some protein without the cholesterol.
To get the maximum protein from your eggs without consuming added saturated fat, boil or poach them, or cook them in a small amount of healthy unsaturated fat, such as olive oil, rather than butter.
The main egg colour available in Australia is brown, although a small number of farms also sell white eggs. While many people assume brown eggs are more natural and therefore healthier, that's not the case. Brown hens lay brown eggs, white hens lay white eggs, and they both have the same nutritional profile.
In fact, most eggs start out white, but different breeds are genetically coded to release different colored pigments as the egg passes through the hen's oviduct. Voilà! You have different colored eggs. Just like when you dye Easter eggs, the pigment doesn't penetrate the shell.
No, brown eggs are not dyed! This one comes down to some basic science. The egg shell is composed mainly of calcium carbonate, which is white. If the hen lays brown eggs, the natural pigments of the brown egg are added to the shell in the last hours of shell formation.
Usually, white hens lay white eggs, and brown hens lay brown eggs. Eggs that are not white have pigments deposited on them as the eggs travel through the hen's oviduct. Blue and other egg colors are formed as the egg develops and the color appears on both the inside and outside of the shell.
The supermarkets usually sell brown eggs because they gain more from selling the more expensive egg. The reason brown eggs are more expensive is that the chickens that lay brown eggs are larger than those that lay white eggs.. and thus the cost to feed the brownish-feathered chickens is actually more.
Chicken eggs are an affordable source of protein and other nutrients. They're also naturally high in cholesterol. But the cholesterol in eggs doesn't seem to raise cholesterol levels the way some other foods, such as those high in trans fats and saturated fats, do.
Most egg producers in Australia recommend that eggs are stored below 15°C. This means that if the temperature in your kitchen is warmer than this, and in Queensland it most likely will be, then you should store your eggs in the fridge.