From cage-free” to “free-run” and “omega 3”, egg cartons are littered with various terms and buzzwords making it rather confusing for the average consumer to know what he or she is actually buying. The price of a dozen eggs can range anywhere from $2.99 to $8.99, but it begs the question; Are the more expensive ones worth it? So here is a simple guide to buying healthy eggs so you can make an informed decision that works for you.

 

How to Buy Healthy Eggs

Here are some easy tips to help you dissect egg labels and buy the healthy eggs available to you.

Types of Eggs: Size & Colour

White or brown? Medium, large or extra-large?

When it comes to the color of the egg, the only difference is the breed of the chicken. Much like there are different varieties of tomatoes that come from different breeds of plant, brown eggs simply come from a different breed of hen. White eggs are laid by white-feathered chickens with white or light-colored earlobes while the brown ones are laid by brown-feathered chickens with red earlobes. As for size, egg size is related to the age of the hen, as a hen gets older, she lays larger eggs. Nutritionally speaking, the color or size of the egg does not affect its nutritional value, it simply comes down to what is available and which you prefer.

Types of Eggs: Grades, Organic, Free-Run, Free-Range

In addition to color and size, many other marketing buzzwords litter our egg cartons, so let’s have a look at some of the most common terms and types of eggs in this guide to buying healthy eggs.

Grade A Eggs

In Canada, eggs are graded at a grading station before appearing on your grocery store shelf. The grading process checks the condition of the shell, the position of the yolk, and the size of the air cell inside the shell. Grade A eggs can be sold at retail, while Grade B eggs are often used for commercial baking, and Grade C eggs are used in the production of processed egg products.

Conventional Eggs

These are often the most inexpensive type of eggs available in the grocery store. In conventional farming practices, chickens are typically confined to cages, often battery cages, in barns with thousands of birds. These chickens do not have access to the outdoors, or access to nests, perches, or scratching areas. (Hens are naturally compelled to scratch at the ground with their toes in search of seeds, greens, or bugs to eat.) Caged hens are fed enriched grain feed. In 2016, about 90% of egg production was in conventional housing, however, Canada has committed to phasing out conventional egg production in order to improve animal welfare conditions and provide a new form of housing for enriched colony eggs, housing hens in smaller groups to help reduce stress on the birds, allowing them to express their more natural behaviors.

Free-Run Eggs

Free-run eggs (sometimes labeled cage-free) are not confined to a life in a cage and come from hens that roam the entire barn floor. These hens are able to roam in the barn, however still have no access to the outdoors, and may experience overcrowding. Free-run hens are also fed enriched grain feed and are able to eat what they find on the barn floor.

Free-Range Eggs

Like free-run eggs, free-range eggs come from hens that live cage-free and are housed together on the barn floor but also have access to the outdoors, when weather permits. In Canada, outdoor access is only available seasonally, so hens are housed in barns during colder months. In addition to feed, hens are able to eat what they find outside and on the barn floor.

Organic Eggs

Organic eggs come from hens raised in free-range barns, with access to the outdoors, weather permitting. All organic hens are fed certified organic feed, and hens may also eat when they find it outside or on the barn floor. Eggs that are sold as organic are produced under specific standards laid out by the Canadian General Standards Board and certified by a reputable organic certification board.

Pastured Eggs

Pastured-raised is not a term that is officially defined in Canada, however, it typically implies hens who have access to pasture and grass. Pastured birds are raised outdoors based on time of year and location, kept in shelters that help to protect them from predators. Shelters are rotated on different areas of pasture daily so the hens can forage for a larger portion of their food, which is nutritionally superior. In addition to feed, pastured hens forage for their natural diet, which includes grass, seeds, green plants, insects, and worms, which helps to ensure their eggs are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

To add to the confusion, some labels will contain information about the diet of the hen, however, it is not always as beneficial as it might seem.

Vegetarian-Fed

Chickens are omnivores and their natural diet consists of green plants, wild seeds, and animal foods, such as earthworms, insects, and fly larvae harvested in cow droppings. Vegetarian eggs imply that the hens were fed a feed of grain, however, this is not the most beneficial form of diet to produce the most nutritious egg. Ideally, hens should be pastured or roam outdoors in order to ensure they can forage for their natural diet.  Vegetarian-fed eggs are typically conventional eggs unless otherwise specified.

Omega-3 Eggs

Eggs are a naturally occurring source of omega-3 fat, an essential dietary fatty acid. In order to produce omega-3-enriched eggs, producers will supplement the hen’s feed with omega-3 fatty acids, typically in the form of flaxseed. Although beneficial, omega-3 eggs are also typically conventional eggs unless otherwise specified, so are not necessarily always a better option. If you are looking for omega-3-enhanced eggs, be sure to look for free-range or organic options.

What are the best eggs to buy?

Determining which eggs to buy certainly comes down to what is available and what fits your budget, so here is a simple guide to buying healthy eggs to help you prioritize what to look for:

1. Local Pastured Eggs: Your best source for eggs will always be a local farmer that allows his hens to roam free on pasture. If you live in a city centre, visiting your local farmers market is typically your best source to get pasture-raised eggs. Speaking directly to the farmer and learning more about his practices will help to ensure you are buying the best quality eggs you can, and one of the many benefits of shopping local.
2. Organic and/or Free-Range Eggs: Second to local pastured eggs, free-range and/or organic eggs would be best. These options help to ensure that eggs had access to the outdoors and the opportunity to forage for a portion of their natural diet.
3. Free-Run Eggs: Free-run eggs would be the next best option, as hens were able to roam free and express their more natural behaviors with access to nests, perches, and scratching areas.

Vitamin-enriched eggs, such as omega-3 eggs, or vegetarian-fed eggs do not necessarily ensure a better quality egg and are therefore not necessarily worth the investment. Instead focus on the life quality of the hen, and their ability to roam free, their access to the outdoors, and their diet.

The Bottom Line

Whether they are fried, poached, boiled, or scrambled, there is no denying eggs are an incredibly versatile and nutrient-dense food. They serve as a simple breakfast, brunch, snack, or dinner in a pinch. Use this simple guide to buying healthy eggs to help get you started; knowledge is power and the more you learn, the more you can make an informed decision on the food you purchase. If you have access to a local farm or farmers market, this would be your best option for ensuring you are buying high-quality eggs. If not, choose the best option that fits within your budget at your local grocery store. At the end of the day, any egg is better than a breakfast of boxed cereal.

Everyone knows the heavy, uncomfortable feeling of being bloated. It has become so common that many people consider it a regular, everyday occurrence and just part of their normal digestion process. However, the truth is that bloating, gassiness, and abdominal discomfort are not “normal” whatsoever; rather, they are signs of digestive distress.

While reasons for digestive upset can vary from person to person based on diet, lifestyle, stress, or environmental factors, and although it can seem difficult to identify the culprit, it is possible; you just need to know what to look for. So here are six of the most common causes of bloating and what to do about them.

1. Not Chewing Enough

The digestive process operates like a chain reaction, working from the top down. Taking the time to chew your food and eat slowly is the first vital step in supporting good digestion and reducing digestive issues further in the process. Although most people think digestion occurs in the stomach, very little digestion occurs in the stomach, as digestion actually begins in the mouth. The action of chewing helps to pre-digest food by mechanically breaking it down, and by chemically breaking it down with the help of an enzyme found in your saliva called salivary amylase. The action of chewing helps to signal to the rest of the body and triggers your stomach to begin producing stomach acid to further break down your food and continue the digestive process. If you don’t fully chew your food, or you eat too quickly, you are essentially putting a big wet log on your digestive fire; you are going to put it out.

Solution: Take the time to fully chew your food when you eat. When you eat, sit down, slow down, and put down your fork between bites. The more mindful you can be when you eat, the more it will support digestion and reduce potential bloating.

2. Low Stomach Acid

Low stomach acid, also known as hypochlorhydria, is a commonly overlooked problem that can lead to digestive issues such as bloating, gas, acid reflux, and heartburn. Although many people assume that these issues are caused by excess acid in the digestive tract, they are actually caused by not enough. Stomach acid is essential for helping us produce the enzymes that break down our food, and low levels of stomach acid can lead to inadequate digestion of proteins, nutrient malabsorption, imbalanced gut flora, and potentially the overgrowth of harmful bacteria, yeast, or parasites in the stomach and small intestine. The production of stomach acid levels will naturally decline as people age, however, they can also be suppressed by a poor diet, consumption of additives and preservatives, stress, smoking, and many other poor lifestyle factors.

Solution: If you suspect you have low stomach acid, consider supporting it by drinking a natural digestive aid such as lemon juice or apple cider vinegar before meals. This will help to stimulate stomach acid and help you break down your food. Alternatively, you can use various supplements to support your digestive fire, such as digestive enzymes, digestive bitters, or betaine HCL.

3. Unbalanced Gut Flora

The health of our digestive system is deeply influenced by the bacteria that call our body home. Your microbiome, or our gut flora, is a beneficial colony of one hundred trillion bacterial cells residing in your large intestine, which directly impacts our health.

However, when the number of beneficial bacteria is outweighed by unfavorable bacteria, be it from low stomach acid, poor diet, or a combination of both, dysbiosis of the microbiome occurs. Unbalanced gut flora is one of the major common causes of bloating, gas, constipation, and inflammation of the digestive tract. One of the easiest and quickest ways to boost the beneficial bacteria in your gut is to eat probiotic-rich food, most often made via fermentation. Fermentation not only helps to increase beneficial bacteria but can help to remove anti-nutrients, ensuring that food is more easily digested.

Solution: Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, pickled vegetables, tempeh, miso, kombucha, and cultured dairy all contain probiotic bacteria that can help to reduce bloating. Additionally, you can also use probiotic supplements to help rebalance your microbiome.

4. Food Intolerances

Although probiotic-rich foods contain beneficial bacteria that can help to alleviate bloating, it is important to understand that not all foods affect people the same way. Although cultured dairy might be rich in beneficial bacteria, if you do not tolerate dairy well, it will only lead to more bloating and digestive distress. Food intolerances are one of the most common causes of bloating, and one that can easily be avoided if you know what foods negatively affect your digestion. Not everybody is created equal, and therefore not everyone will react the same way to the same foods. Paying attention to your body’s reactions to foods is the single best way to identify food intolerances.

After you eat, are you bloated? Gassy? Uncomfortable? The more you can pay attention to how your body reacts to certain foods, the easier it will be to identify the foods that are causing your bloating. There are dozens of different foods people can be sensitive to; however, some of the most common include dairy, gluten, eggs, peanuts, soy, and shellfish.

Solution: If you suspect that you might be sensitive to a certain food, the easiest thing to do is to remove it entirely from your diet until you see improvement and reintroduce it to see how your body reacts. You can begin by simply testing foods out at home, or use an elimination diet protocol; however, if you are still not seeing an improvement, you can speak to a healthcare practitioner to help identify food intolerances through testing.

5. Artificial Sweeteners

Although artificial sweeteners might seem like a safe bet for someone trying to be diet-conscious, they are a very common cause of bloating and digestive upset. Because artificial sweeteners are just that, artificial, many of them are not broken down by the digestive tract. Artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, and sugar alcohols such as xylitol, sorbitol, and mannitol are passed whole into the small intestine which easily ferments in the gut. These types of sweeteners are commonly found in “health” foods such as protein bars, protein shakes, and chewing gum, so it is essential to read labels.

Solution: In order to reduce bloating, it is best to avoid these forms of sweeteners altogether and simply opt for a limited amount of natural sweeteners from time to time when you need to satisfy your sweet tooth.

6. Lack of Movement

Exercise helps to stimulate the peristalsis, the rhythmical, muscular contraction that propels food through the intestinal tract, which aids in stimulating good digestion. Ideally, bowel movements should occur naturally every 18-24 hours and be easily passed. A slow bowel, much like a sedentary lifestyle, can lead to constipation, which is one of the leading causes of bloating. Adequate movement, be it low or high intensity, along with adequate fiber and hydration, can help to stimulate the natural digestive process. Additionally, movement can help to reduce stress and anxiety, and giventhat many digestive issues are impacted by our mental state, movement can help to reduce the impact of our lifestyle and mental health on our digestive system.

Solution: Any form of activity, light or intense, will help to stimulate the digestive process. Something as simple as a light walk after a meal can help to reduce bloating and stimulate digestion.

For those days when you are in a pinch and life is just too hectic to meal prep, here are 5 easy and healthy no-cook lunch ideas for work that you can take to the office to help keep your healthy eating on track.

Whether you are single, a mother of two, or a broke student trying to make ends meet, lunches seem to be the last thing on everyone’s mind. Of course, there are lots of great meal prep ideas you can do to ensure that you have healthy meals ready for the week, but sometimes life just gets the best of you so the simpler you can keep things the better.

When it comes to packing a healthy lunch, there are a few simple guidelines I like to suggest to ensure that your meal is well-balanced (while still being simple) to help keep you full and focused for a day of work.

In order to create a well-balanced meal, the best thing to do is include all three macronutrients; a good source of protein, some healthy fats, and good-quality carbohydrates in the form of vegetables and/or fruits. This is easier done when cooking, but it is actually still pretty easily done when you can’t cook at all.

There are lots of easy-to-find foods and shortcuts that you can take at the grocery store or in your own kitchen to help you save on time while still keeping nutrition in mind. Although I don’t work in an office now, when I did ,I always kept a few super simple no-cook work lunch ideas in my back pocket so I could just grab and go in the morning, or pack lunch in five minutes when I got home after a long day of work. So here are my top 5 favorite no-cook work lunch ideas for those mornings when you just don’t have the time and need to get out the door.

List of Easy No-Cook Lunch Ideas

Here are 5 easy no-cook lunch ideas you can whip up tonight and enjoy at work tomorrow.

1. Can of Tuna + Leafy Greens + Tomatoes + Avocado

This is such a quick and easy lunch to toss together, and I personally ate this particular lunch all of the time when I was working in an office. The key to this no-cook lunch idea is that you really have to commit to doing as little work as possible, honestly.

To make this super quick to put together, simply keep a box or bag of pre-washed leafy greens and a pint of cherry tomatoes in the fridge, some avocados on the counter, and a can of tuna in the cupboard. In a big container, combine a bunch of leafy greens and a handful of cherry tomatoes, and bring an avocado and a can of tuna to work with you.

At the office, you can combine all of the ingredients to make a tasty tuna salad. Just be sure to leave a bottle of salad dressing in the office fridge (so you don’t have to carry it back and forth), make sure the office kitchen has a can opener, and lunch will be ready in no time.

2. Hummus + Vegetables + Nut Butter + Apple

Hummus is often considered more of a snack, but in reality, there is no reason why it can’t be used in a healthy lunch; made of chickpeas and tahini, it is loaded with complex carbohydrates, plant-based protein, and healthy fats. Plus, there are tons of different flavors available at most grocery stores!

To ensure this meal is filling enough, simply increase the serving size of hummus and add lots of sliced vegetables to create a deconstructed salad (if you will), and pair it with nut butter for added fat to help keep you going all afternoon.

When it comes to types of nut butter, the options are truly endless, as you can buy everything from peanut butter to almond butter to pecan butter and combinations of all three and more. Just be sure to choose an all-natural nut butter to ensure that there are no added sugars or refined oils, so you are actually eating butter made of nuts, not sugar butter with some nuts in it.

3. Hard-Boiled Eggs + Olives + Vegetables + Berries

I know what you are thinking, “Red, you have to cook hard-boiled eggs, so this meal doesn’t count as one of your no-cook lunch ideas”. On the contrary, my friend, almost every grocery store now carries pre-cooked boiled eggs, so you don’t even have to do it yourself!

Hard-boiled eggs often come in little packs of two and can be found in the cheese or take-out section, so just have a little browse at your local supermarket. Paired with olives, boiled eggs will give you a boost of protein and lots of healthy fats between the two to keep your blood sugar balanced, your mind sharp, and keep cravings at bay for the rest of the afternoon.

Plus, the vegetables (buy them pre-cut if you need to) and fruit give you a little source of carbohydrates for a boost of energy, and if you are feeling extra hungry, just add an extra egg or two.

4. Bean Salad + Vegetables + Cheese + Nuts

In addition to tuna salad, this was also one of my go-to no-cook work lunch ideas when I worked in an office. Canned beans are really easy and inexpensive to find, and although you can buy individually canned beans, it’s also really easy to find canned bean medleys.

A lot of these options pair several types of beans together, marinated in a simple dressing with some herbs and spices to give them a little flavor. You can eat them right out of the can if you want, but I prefer to rinse the excess brine off a little bit.

Beans serve as a good source of plant-based protein, and when paired with vegetables, cheese and nuts, you have a complete balanced. And packed in these DALCICI Stainless containers, it’s like a little cheese board to go.

5. Deli Meat + Lettuce + Vegetables + Guacamole

Deli meats have a really bad reputation, and although many of them are less than ideal, some types can certainly be used from time to time. If you want to use a deli turkey, chicken, or roast beef, be sure to look for all-natural versions with limited added sodium and added sugar.

They are convenient to have on hand for a simple source of protein, and you can eat them on their own or make little deli roll-ups with leaf lettuce and extra veggies.

Pair them with a side of guacamole for added healthy fats, which you can buy pre-made in grocery stores or simply mash an avocado yourself, and this example of no-cook lunch ideas has got everything you need for your day ahead.