Why Choose Pasture-Raised Eggs? The Nutritional Powerhouse of Nature’s Perfect Food

Introduction

Eggs have long been hailed as nature's multivitamin, providing a wealth of important nutrients that are essential to human health. Packed with high-quality protein, vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids, eggs are more than just a delicious breakfast staple - they're a nutritional powerhouse. Eggs have been a valued food for a long time but have been demonized in the past for exaggerated fears of cholesterol and fat in general. However, in recent years eggs have been making a comeback and have been vilified in the scientific research. In this article, we'll delve into the incredible benefits of pasture-raised eggs and how our regenerative farming practices here at MannaFeast and our hen’s diverse, natural diet leads to even more nutrient-dense, delicious, and ethical eggs.

Eggs: Nature's Multivitamin

Often described as nature's multivitamin, eggs are extremely nutrient-dense and provide a wide range of essential nutrients necessary for a healthy diet. Eating just two whole eggs per day can cover up to 30% of a person's daily vitamin requirements. They are an excellent source of:

• High-quality protein
• Essential amino acids
• Fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K
• B vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, biotin, and folate
• Selenium, choline, and iodine
• All trace elements with moderate amounts of the minerals zinc, iron, and copper
• Some magnesium and manganese

It's no wonder that eggs are considered nature's perfect food! After all, consider this: the yolk of an egg is designed to nourish a newborn chick and in fact will be its very first meal, immediately gobbling it up after hatching. This nutrient-rich yolk provides all the essential nutrients required for the chick's growth and development. So, next time you're cracking open an egg, remember not to throw away those yolks!

Enhanced Nutritional Content in Pasture-raised Eggs

While all eggs are nutritious, pasture-raised eggs are known to be even more nutrient-dense than their conventional counterparts. This is due to the diverse, natural diet that true pasture-raised hens receive. Pasture-raised eggs contain higher levels of:

• Fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K
• Omega-3 fatty acids
• Antioxidant carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin.

In fact, studies have shown that pasture-raised eggs have up to an astonishing seven times more vitamin E, almost double the vitamin A, and over 20 times the heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids compared to conventional eggs. They also contain over 20% more vitamin K and up to three times more of the plant carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin.

The Power of Vitamins and Minerals in Eggs

The vitamins and minerals found in eggs serve many important functions in the human body. They play crucial roles in everything from:

• Maintaining good vision
• Supporting immune system function
• Promoting healthy skin
• Ensuring proper cell function

Vitamin D and K, for example, are especially important for bone health. In addition to this vitamin D plays an important role in immune function while vitamin K is vital for proper blood clotting. Omega 3’s are essential for brain function and heart health. Essential minerals like selenium act as an antioxidant and support a healthy immune system, while iodine is necessary for proper thyroid hormone production. Lutein and zeaxanthin - two powerful antioxidants, play a crucial role in eye health and reducing the risk of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.

Eggs are also a rich source of choline, a nutrient not commonly found in other foods. Choline is essential for brain function and nervous system health and is particularly important during pregnancy and early childhood, as it supports proper brain development. Eggs also contain a significant amount of folate, a B vitamin that helps prevent birth defects and supports cell growth and DNA synthesis. This is just a brief list of the many amazing functions vitamins and minerals play in the human body and how nutrient-dense eggs can help support these many systems.

A Word About Cholesterol

Eggs, previously criticized for their high cholesterol levels by well-intentioned medical professionals and scientists studying heart disease, are now experiencing a resurgence in popularity. So, what has changed? While a single large egg yolk contains 200 mg of cholesterol, making it one of the most concentrated sources of dietary cholesterol, eggs also offer additional nutrients that may contribute to reducing heart disease risk. The combination of fats and carbohydrates in your diet has the most significant impact on blood cholesterol levels, not the quantity of cholesterol you consume from food. That’s why it’s crucial to make a distinction between dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol, as their relationship is relatively weak.

Cholesterol plays many vital roles in the body. It is produced by almost every cell, makes cell membranes waterproof, and is nature's repair substance, helping to repair damage in arterial walls. This is why there has long been a debate about whether cholesterol is the “fire” or actually “the fireman” sent to put out the fire, aka damage in the arteries. Cholesterol is also the precursor for many essential hormones and compounds, including those regulating mineral metabolism, blood sugar, stress, and sex hormones like testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone. Cholesterol is crucial for brain and nervous system function, protects against depression by helping your body utilize serotonin, helps in digesting fats through the production of bile salts, and even acts as a precursor of vitamin D. Vitamin D is actually formed when sunlight (UV-B) interacts with cholesterol in the skin.

Additionally, many do not know cholesterol serves as a powerful antioxidant in the body, protecting against free radicals and cancer. LDL-cholesterol, or the so-called “bad” cholesterol even has important roles in the body and helps us to fight infection.

Will all this being said, we are learning cholesterol is not the demon we once made it out to be. So, when you find yourself asking the question, “are eggs healthy?”, remember that eggs are a nutritional powerhouse and have been a staple food in the human diet for thousands of years, being consumed by traditional cultures with egg-celent health around the world! (I made it this far without an egg pun!)

The Pasture-raised Difference

At MannaFeast, our genuinely pasture-raised hens thrive outdoors on rich regenerative pastures, where they can freely forage on a diverse array of grasses and plants. They actively peck and scratch in pursuit of delicious insects and worms, including fly larvae found in manure.

This instinctive behavior not only results in happier, healthier hens, but it also aids in incorporating manure into the soil and keeping our pastures clean by disrupting the fly life cycle (which benefits our cattle and sheep). Additionally, it has the secondary benefit of suppling our hens with a free nutrient-rich food source.

The natural, nutrient-dense diet our hens receive directly influences the rich orange color of true pasture-raised egg yolks, as well as contributes to their exceptional nutrient density and taste. This is what distinguishes our hens from conventional hens, which generally receive a diet composed solely of grains.

All these benefits can only be achieved when hens are genuinely raised outdoors on pasture. Our hens aren’t crammed in dark, dusty buildings with "outdoor access" or access to "pasture" as is the case with most supposedly "free-range" eggs typically found in grocery stores. They actually live outside, just as nature intended.

At night, the hens return to their mobile coop to roost, which provides them protection from predators. We then rotate this mobile coop to new pasture every three days, following behind our ruminants to clean up our pastures and provide our hens with tasty fly larvae. This kind of careful management is what sets our eggs apart and guarantees our hens always have access to fresh pasture. This is unlike stationary building setups where the "pasture" outdoors quickly becomes nothing more than bare soil due to the constant foot traffic.

This is the real secret behind our pasture-raised eggs and is something that’s hard for the “big guys” to duplicate. We promise MannaFeast pasture-raised eggs are better than anything you will find in grocery stores. And the regenerative farming practices we employ not only create one incredible egg but also help to restore fertility to the land and make for happy hens at the same time!

Conclusion

In conclusion, eggs are a nutritional powerhouse, providing a wide range of essential nutrients that are crucial for maintaining optimal health. From essential vitamins and minerals to brain-boosting choline and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, eggs are truly nature's perfect food.

Pasture-raised eggs from MannaFeast are a step above conventional eggs, offering even greater nutrient density due to the hens' diverse and natural diet. Regenerative farming practices at MannaFeast contribute to happier, healthier hens, and in turn, more nutritious, delicious, and ethical eggs for you and your family.

We believe that the benefits of consuming pasture-raised eggs far outweigh the outdated concerns surrounding cholesterol. With a better understanding of cholesterol's many vital roles in the body, it's time to embrace eggs as a valuable part of a balanced diet.

By choosing MannaFeast pasture-raised eggs, you're not only investing in your health but also supporting a farming system that promotes animal welfare, soil regeneration, and environmental regeneration while supporting small-scale agriculture.

So go ahead, enjoy the incredible benefits of MannaFeast eggs, and feel confident knowing that you are making a smart choice choosing food that’s good for you and good for the planet.

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Ready to experience the rich taste and nutritional benefits of MannaFeast's regenerative pasture-raised eggs? Sign up for our waitlist by clicking the button below, and you’ll be the first to know when our farm-fresh, pasture-raised eggs are available to order!

Join the MannaFeast Egg Waitlist

P.S. we are currently working on a solution to be able to ship our eggs directly to you! Our eggs are truly farm-fresh and “pasture-picked” meaning they still have the natural protective membrane that surrounds all eggs, from the moment they are laid. Because of this, our eggs are safe to store at room temperature for long periods of time, allowing you to stock up and buy in bulk to save! If you’ve ever been overseas and seen eggs sitting on the shelf at the grocery store, you’ll know what we mean.

P.S.S. looking for a not only nutritious but delicious recipe you can use to help incorporate eggs into your daily diet? Then, try our ‘Copycat Starbucks Egg Bites’ recipe for a quick and easy solution to breakfast time!