Are you eating the wrong colour eggs? Eggs can be a great food choice. They are full of quality protein and vitamins and minerals. But should you be eating brown or white ones? If you’ve wondered about the difference between brown eggs and white eggs, you’ve come to the right place!

This article will take a look at what the different colours actually represent and if one is better than the other.

The Difference Between Brown and White Eggs: Separating Myths from Facts

Usually, the thought is that brown eggs are nutritionally superior over the regular white egg. Some people think that brown ones contain more nutrients and a wider variety of vitamins and minerals. There is also the thought that brown eggs lend themselves better to certain dishes.

Quiches and other pastry-based egg dishes are thought to be better with brown eggs, while cakes and baked goods are thought to be better with white.

There is also the thought that they differ in shell thickness with brown eggs being stronger. This is also not true as they are pretty much the same when it comes to that.

If there is a difference in shell thickness, it has to do with the age of the chicken. Younger chickens lay eggs that have thicker shells compared to their older counterparts.

Is Their Nutrition Different?

Brown eggs and white eggs may look different on the outside, but on the inside, they’re the same. They contain the same amount of protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. The difference may be if one of them is organic compared to a factory-farmed egg. An organic white egg will have deeper nutrition, more minerals, and a darker yolk compared to a factory-farmed brown egg.

But when we’re looking at a brown and white egg that is from the same place, they only differ in their outward appearance. They will both work equally well in dishes, recipes, and baked goods.

Why Are Brown Eggs Thought To Be Better?

There’s no specific reason why brown eggs and white eggs are thought to be different, but it may be due to price. Brown eggs, traditionally, have always been a bit more expensive in the grocery store compared to white ones. If something costs more, it must be better for you?

This approach, unfortunately, has led to manufacturers raising prices on general items that shouldn’t be. Frozen fruit and vegetables tend to come from the same place, and the brand versions tend to be more expensive. These are often exactly the same as the generic versions. The difference here is that you’re not paying for the brand packaging and marketing.

Raising the price of brown eggs is a classic marketing trick to make you spend more money. You are to think that the more expensive product is better than the comparable, cheaper product.

Where Does The Colour Difference Come From?

Whether it’s a free-range, caged, organic, or factory-farmed, the difference between the colour of brown eggs and white eggs comes down to the type of chicken. The feed they are fed can influence it a bit, but it’s the breed that determines the colour of the egg.



In general, white eggs are laid by white-feathered chickens that also have white earlobes. Brown eggs, in general, are laid by reddish-brown-feathered chickens that have red earlobes. Again, the colour does not change the nutrition or what’s contained within the egg.

Some people claim that brown eggs taste better, but this is a hard thing to prove. When you do blind taste tests, the taste of either is indistinguishable. People have come to think that a brown egg just tastes better and is better for you. But why is this the case? The answer may lie with white eggs being associated with other white foods that are unhealthy.

When you think about the foods that you need to avoid to be as healthy as possible, avoiding white ones are at the top of the list, such as:

  • White sugar
  • White flour
  • White pasta
  • White rice
  • White bread

Somewhere along the way, we have lumped white eggs into this group. In most cases, avoiding anything white is a great health tip, but we need not include white eggs.

What Should You Really Look for in an Egg?

Since there is no real difference between brown eggs and white ones health-wise, what should you really be looking for when you purchase eggs? Whether you prefer brown or white, the source of the eggs is the most important thing. What type of animal are they coming from? Where was the animal raised and what was it fed?

You want to keep your diet as clean as possible, and this includes choosing animal proteins that are as natural as possible.

A factory-farmed caged chicken is raised in unnatural conditions and pumped full of hormones to accelerate its growth rate. They also eat unnatural, artificial feed that also boosts its growth rate. You can observe this in the eggs they lay. Those eggs will also potentially contain antibiotics and hormones and have very bland looking yolks.

Compared this to a true free-range chicken that is allowed to roam as nature intended. These animals are hormone-free and fed a natural diet while still being able to eat bugs and insects as they are designed to do. Pastured eggs like these have deeper yellow yolks and high levels of lutein, vitamins A, D, and E.

They also are higher in healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which you won’t find in a commercial feed-lot egg.

Final Thoughts

As much as people have always thought the brown variety was superior, there is no difference between browns and white eggs. The colour truly is the only difference while everything inside remains the same. There is no difference nutritionally, taste-wise, or what they can be used for.

The important thing is to find the most natural eggs you can, and the colour choice will just be a matter of personal preference.

References:

  1. https://www.ams.usda.gov/

Like what you are reading? Subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss new life-advancing articles!

Copyright © 2014-2024 Life Advancer. All rights reserved. For permission to reprint, contact us.

Leave a Reply