If you’re an egg eater, make sure you’re eating green eggs environmentally green, that is. Make sure the eggs you buy satisfy your environmental standards.
Eggs exist in a funny grey area somewhere between food that is easily classifiable as meat and food that is not meat. In fact, eggs are single-handedly responsible for delineations between certain types of vegetarians. Lacto-ovo vegetarians, for example, won’t eat meat but will eat dairy and eggs. Most vegans, on the other hand, won’t eat eggs.
The distinction, of course and it’s a key point at least for those vegetarians who rely on eggs for their protein is based on the theory that egg-producing hens can live a comfortable and healthy life without having to be killed or having to suffer through inhumane conditions to provide us with that protein.
The problem is that egg production, much like the other branches of the animal-based food industry, can often be inhumane. Vegetarian or omnivore, make sure you’re aware of the greener egg options available.
Free-range eggs are produced by hens which are purported to have access to free movement outdoors. Eggs not marked free-range are often produced in dark, closed-off high-density sheds.
Eggs labeled grain-fed are provided by hens which are fed a grain-based diet, rather than the wide variety of other, sometimes questionable foods given to egg-producing chickens. Eggs advertised as Omega-enriched are usually from hens which were fed an increased amount of flax.
Organic eggs, of course, are also available.
