Are Farm Fresh Eggs Healthier Than Store-bought Eggs?
The age-old question still plagues the minds of most of us; “Are farm fresh eggs really any better than store-bought eggs or is this just a hype?” The answer isn’t a simple one, but the science speaks volumes.
The real benefits of pasture-raised, farm fresh eggs is in their nutritional value.
Studies show several advantages, including:
– Less Cholesterol
-
While farm-fresh and store-bought eggs both have cholesterol, farm-fresh eggs contain less.
Most of the cholesterol in eggs is considered “good” cholesterol that doesn’t cause the health problems that “bad” cholesterol does.
Cholesterol is still an important part of our diet, as it helps us maintain calcium and phosphorous levels in our bloodstreams.
– Increased vitamins A, E, and D
- The vitamins in eggs are all extremely beneficial to the human diet. Pasture-raised eggs are widely regarded as one of the best food sources for vitamin D.
– More Omega-3 Fatty Acids
-
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential to our body’s day-to-day functions and help to prevent several chronic diseases.
Why do pasture-raised, farm fresh eggs have more fatty acids, you ask?
Pasture-raised chickens, like ours at Huxley’s Homestead, eat things such as bugs, leafy greens, and flowers — ingredients absent from the diet of caged hens.
– More Beta Carotene
– Less Saturated Fat
Let’s take a closer look at the details (and the studies) below.
1. Less Cholesterol
While farm-fresh and store-bought eggs both have cholesterol, farm-fresh eggs contain less.
Most of the cholesterol in eggs is considered “good” cholesterol that doesn’t cause the health problems that “bad” cholesterol does.
Cholesterol is still an important part of our diet, as it helps us maintain calcium and phosphorous levels in our bloodstreams.
2. less saturated fat
The real benefits of farm fresh eggs are in their nutritional value. Studies show several advantages, including:
– Less cholesterol
– Less saturated fat
– Increased vitamins A, E, and D
– More Omega-3 Fatty Acids
– More Beta Carotene
Check out our more detailed blog on the direct health benefits of eating farm fresh eggs here.
3. increased vitamins
By law, an egg can be sold for up to 30 days after it was placed inside its carton. To top that, the company has 30 days to place the egg into the carton after it’s laid.
That means your commercially-sold supermarket egg can be up to two months old just by the time you purchase it.
I can remember having a carton of Wal-Mart eggs inside our refrigerator for weeks as a kid. That means we ate what were probably 45-or-more-day-old eggs on the regular.
Don’t get me wrong – these eggs are still perfectly safe to eat, but they will likely have runnier yolks, a more pale color, and less flavor.
In an anonymous poll we conducted, it was found that most small farmers sell their eggs within two to three weeks directly to their final home.
That’s over a month less than most supermarket eggs.
4. more omega-3 fatty acids
Farm fresh eggs truly taste better. The yolks are more golden-orange, the whites thicker, and the shells harder.
Take it from our first-ever customer; “Oh my gosh, I had no idea they tasted so different.”
Why do they taste better, though? This is up for debate.
Some say it is because most local farm fresh eggs are from chickens who have access to more sunlight while some say it’s because they are fed a better diet.
We feed our feather babies an all-natural diet with daily protein treats and our hens have access to over six acres of sunlight and forest to forage and feast on natural goodness. We believe this contributes greatly to their rich taste.
Where to Find Farm Fresh Eggs Near You
Local, farm fresh eggs are easier to find than you may think.
– craigslist.com is old-school, but still common and effective. Farm fresh eggs are being posted all the time. Just be sure to double check the price, as craigslist requires the poster to round to a whole number.
– localhens.com is a great resource for registered farms in your area. All you have to do is input your zip code and search! You can read your farm’s story and find contact information on their profile.
– Check your local farmer’s markets. Farmer’s markets allow you to connect directly with your egg farmer, which I always encourage. A sense of community keeps us going! You can typically find these markets by checking with your local feed stores such as Tractor Supply Co. or your local co-op.
– Facebook Marketplace typically flags marketplace listings with “eggs” in the title as selling animals (which is against Facebook policy). However, you can still find them listed as ” farm fresh orbs,” or presented as empty “cartons.” Or, you can find ours under our personal favorite, “farm fresh butt nuggets.”