Mounting evidence suggests that there are significant nutritional differences between conventional eggs and pasture raised eggs.
Pasture raised eggs have:
• 1/3 less 
cholesterol
• 1/4 less saturated fat
• 2/3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene
Why such a difference? Well, we all know you are what you eat and the same holds true for chickens. Although the USDA uses tricky language to try to deny the difference (not good for the Poultry industry if people knew their eggs were less nutritious than they should be)
True free-range birds eat a chicken’s natural diet — all kinds of seeds, green plants, insects and worms, usually along with grain or laying mash.
Think you are doing better because you buy organic / free range eggs? Look a little closer. The term Free Range is not regulated by the USDA. Free range simply means that birds have “access” to the outdoors. Often this criteria is met by having a small door on the side of a commercial chicken producers warehouse that the chickens may or may not even use. Frequently there is only dirt or concrete outside the door, not the lush green fields depicted on the egg carton label.
For more information on the differences between store eggs and pasture raised eggs see our blog post on Egg-speriments!
How do you feel about the cost of pasture raised eggs? Are you willing to pay up to $7.99 in the grocery store for a dozen eggs compared to $1.69 for the conventional non-organic caged eggs? Why or why not?
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