ini mini miny moe, which eggs for my breakfast-o?

Buying eggs used to be easy.  You choose half a dozen or a dozen, brown or white, and just pop open the cover to eyeball the eggs to make sure none are cracked.   As with buying almost everything nowadays, buying eggs can be a confusing feat.   There are now several types of eggs:  regular or factory, cage-free or free-range, and organic eggs, and each may come in brown or white, totaling 6 choices without taking into account all the different brands.  And the price varies greatly:  For example, factory eggs may go for as low as $1.50 per dozen, cage-free over $3, and organic for over $5.

Surprisingly, a study published by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says the different eggs are the same in nutritional level.  The white of an egg is where all its protein is found; it is made of both thin albumen, the watery fluid that runs farthest from the yolk when the egg is cracked into a cold pan; and thick albumen, the more viscous fluid that stays closer to the middle. The greater the amount of thick albumen, the more nutritious the egg.  All things equal, all three types of eggs have the same amount of thick albumen.

But what about safety?  The USDA says hens are not routinely treated with antibiotics, though they may be if they're sick.  So it seems like there is no difference in safety.   As a matter of fact, since environmental contaminants may be the biggest issue, factory eggs may even be the best choice.  Research shows that free-range chickens have higher levels of contaminants, simply because they get out more and can peck almost anywhere.

Also, the color of an egg does not make a difference and brown eggs, even though they are more expensive, are not better than white ones.  Color is determined by the breed of chicken laying it, so it just takes a brown-shell-species hen to lay brown eggs.

But what about which egg-laying conditions is the best for the hens themselves.  It is well-known that factory hens are confined in what are known as battery cages, which reduce them to little more than egg-laying machines.  There's no question it is not a humane way of treating chickens.

So if you are price sensitive but concerned about nutritional value and safety, you can choose to save a few dollars next time you are in the supermarket.  But if you would like to protest against inhumane conditions for the hens, by all means spend a little more and buy cage-free or organic eggs.  Just know what you're paying for.   

There is also another option.  Pastured eggs come from pastured chickens that are raised outdoors on pasture.  They run around and eat grass from the land along with their daily rations of grain, and have a happier, healthier life than free range or cage free chickens that stay indoors.  Pastured eggs are not necessarily organic, but they may be healthier.  Pastured eggs contain up to 20 times more healthy omega-3 fatty acids, have 10 percent less fat, 40 percent more vitamin A, and 34 percent less cholesterol.  The yolk is deep orange, and the white is clear and doesn't spread and thin out.   Pastured eggs are not easy to find, but you may be able to buy them from your local farmers or health stores.