Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I've decided I want to try to include more eggs in my diet. The reason I don't eat them as much as I want, is because I have yet to find a local source of pasture eggs. On to the questions.

1) Anyone in San Diego know of a supplier of local pasture eggs? Or know of a relatively close farm that would ship?

2) Has anyone tried, and or have any positive / negative feelings towards to "cocofeed" eggs from tropical traditions? http://www.grassfedtraditions.com/organic_soy_free_eggs.htm

I have yet to order due to price, I cannot decide if it's worth it.

3) Am I overthinking this too much? I have tended to avoid due the the local eggs I have access to being on soy / grain diet. All my meats are pasture fed, so I find a hard time eating eggs that are not.

Thank you for any info

flag	asked Jan 13 2011 at 17:56 Todd 5,837●1●11●39

Also, anyone have a hack for cleaning the skillet if you burn them? It's pain in the arse! – Todd Jan 13 2011 at 18:56

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Todd, fill skillet with warm water and let sit for 5 or 10 minutes (even if it's a cast iron). The burnt bits should get mushy and clean off really easily then. :) – gilliebean♦ Jan 13 2011 at 19:14

:) Thanks, Gilliebean. – Todd Jan 13 2011 at 19:44

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If you are burning the the eggs, you are probably cooking them at too high of a temperature. After an initial medium-high, I lower my skillet to medium-low. – JJ Jan 13 2011 at 20:26

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You can also fill the skillet with water and boil. 8) – Ali Jan 13 2011 at 20:42

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Nicole · Answer 1 · 2011-01-13 19:28:19Z UTC

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Cage-free is not pastured. All cage-free means is that the chickens are in a giant barn with artificial lighting that may or may not have a little doggie door where they can, in theory, go outside. There's no guarantee they aren't still crowded together to some degree.

answered Jan 13 2011 at 19:28

Nicole
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Exactly. This is why I have been avoiding eggs until I find a completely pastured source. – Todd Jan 13 2011 at 19:45

For local sources of pastured eggs, check out these websites: eatwild.com/index.html localharvest.org – wjones3044 Jan 13 2011 at 20:06

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There is generally a door where chickens could exit to the great outdoors (a small barren side yard.) But the door is not opened for the first five days of the chickens stay in the house, so they won't explore. After five days, they won't change their habits to leave through the opened door, even if they are close to the door (have you ever seen the size of a chicken house?!). Cage free really doesn't mean anything. – Karen Jan 13 2011 at 21:20

Tim · Answer 2 · 2011-01-13 18:43:12Z UTC

Todd,

I can't help with #1 or #2, but will share my thoughts about eggs/soy vs. alternatives. I keep about 40 layers to provide eggs for my family and a few friends (we get about 15-20 dozen eggs per week).

In most cases, if you purchase commerical feed that is soy-free, the primary protein that is used is fish meal. Personally, I believe that the eggs pick up some of this taste. What I have done is to use a custom blended feed that does include soy; however it is cracked, roasted soy vs. soy meal which has undergone a tremendous amount of processing and is more of a by-product. This whole grain soy is combined with 4-5 other seeds to provide more of a complete diet. While soy isn't ideal, I think the chickens are extremely well designed to process seeds for their diet.

However, my chickens probably get about 30% of their diet from bugs and grass, being that they are kept completely on pasture. We also feed our hens table scraps when appropriate. So with this setup, the hens end up not relying too much on soy.

To find good quality local eggs, you could check with a San Diego Weston A. Price chapter.

ABP · Answer 3 · 2011-01-13 18:34:47Z UTC

I like the "Cage Free" eggs from Trader Joe's (the white ones, $2.49/dozen). They are no-hormone, no-antibiotic, and the yolks are noticeably more vibrant than supermarket eggs. If I had unlimited funds I would go for the $5/dozen pastured eggs from the farmer's market, but the Trader Joe's eggs are a good compromise for me (my family of 5 goes through several dozen each week).

familygrokumentarian · Answer 4 · 2011-01-13 18:40:11Z UTC

I usually buy Target's certified organic eggs that are labeled cage free/free range - around $3.75/doz. (Oh, how I wish there were a Trader Joe's nearer to us!) This is the cheapest/best quality manageable for my family of four and our budget.

Occasionally I will also pick up 2 dozen organic eggs at Sam's Club for ~$6.50/$7.

Eggs are a staple for us due to their convenience, so I try to source organic at least, but still within budgetary constraints.

Travis Culp · Answer 5 · 2011-01-13 18:58:47Z UTC

I buy pastured eggs when they're in season (Oregon, you should be able to get them pretty much all year) and organic omega-3 eggs for the rest of the year. I figure the omega-3s from flax balance out the 6 from the rest of their diet. I don't think the phytoestrogens make it into the eggs.

Jack Kronk · Answer 6 · 2011-03-11 22:53:56Z UTC

Todd,

1) I asked the same exact question a while back and didn't get a real solid response...

http://paleohacks.com/questions/23237/eggs-from-pastured-chickens-in-the-san-diego-area#axzz1GKj2BzYV

Seems that the San Diego area is in great need of a reliable source of pastured eggs other than Vital Farms at Whole Foods, which is shipped in from Texas.

2) Maybe we should go in on buying in bulk from Tropical Traditions to get a better deal. I wouldn't wanna get more than 2 weeks worth at a time, which would be about 6 dozen for me. I have been eyeballin them eggs for a while too, but that price with the shipping is a real poker. As I type this though, they are 40% off right now, fwiw.

3) I would not avoid eggs. Go with organic free roaming eggs over no eggs at all.

Bonus comment: As others have said, if you are burning the eggs, you are using too high of heat. Also, I find it nearly impossible to burn if you use a spoon of ghee or coconut oil. Either of those make the eggs taste amazing too!

3 part question on Eggs

6 Answers