Missing Eggs on a Vegan Diet

by Deborah
(Manhattan, Montana USA)

Question:
I have been a "vegan" for a month now and am finding myself really missing eggs. My question is I have a friend who raises a few chickens for pleasure, free range, grass fed etc and she is always asking me if I would like some eggs. She doesn't sell her eggs only has the chickens for her benefit and to share eggs with friends. We all know eggs are a great source of protein and these chickens are happy and not hurt in anyway. I will never again eat a factory farm egg or those claiming to be free range etc eggs...but if in this case you know the people and actually the chickens is it still wrong to eat eggs?

Answer:
First of all, congratulations on being vegan for one month. Every little bit counts, and you have to start somewhere.

Secondly, I have found that when you are starting out, it's common to have cravings for foods we used to eat, especially the more addictive ones like eggs and cheese. With cravings, you can either take the stance that you will ignore them until they go away, or you could try to indulge them by eating that food. If you do indulge them, my recommendation is to do it thoughtfully. Eat the egg slowly, really taste it, and see how it makes you feel. If you really want to eat more, do it again at the same pace. Keep track of how you feel. You might find that putting something in your body that hasn't been there for a month makes you feel yucky, or maybe not.


To answer your question about whether it's wrong to eat eggs, that is something you need to decide on your own. No one can tell you what is or isn't right.

Eggs raised by a friend who doesn't sell them and whose chickens live good lives are certainly way more humane than factory farmed eggs.

Many vegans would still not eat those eggs, and the main reason is because we believe that other animal's products are meant for human consumption. We believe this ethically, but from a health standpoint, I also can't see the point. Numerous health studies show that humans need to consume no cholesterol to be healthy, and the less they do consume, the less likely they are to develop heart disease and other illnesses.

There are two discussions in Vegan Nutritionista's forum you might want to check out:

This question was very similar to yours, and the person was asking about her own farm-raised eggs and cheese.

This person wanted to know about commercially produced free-range products.


All that being said, I understand the desire to have an eggy-tasting product. You might want to check out Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Vegan Brunch. She has some absolutely fabulous egg recipes, including omelettes (who would have thought?), eggs benedict, and others. She recommends pink salt, which has a sulfury flavor, and all her recipes are outstanding. I would imagine that once you tried that, you would have less of a craving for chicken's eggs.

Hope that helps!

~Cathleen

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