GET CRACKING IN THE NEW YEAR!

The egg. 
Averages 72 calories, 6 grams of protein and packed with vitamins and minerals.
A perfect food!

PS: The yolk contains half the  protein and pretty much ALL the nutrition (90 % of the egg's iron and calcium). It also contains lecithin which will help your body use the fat/cholesterol in the yolk efficiently. No more "WHITES ONLY", okay?!!!

Nothing beats knowing your farmer and getting your eggs from a local, ethical, reliable source. However, if that isn't available to  you - here is what the words on the carton mean in the grocery store. 
Sadly, close to 90 % of egg laying chickens in Canada are confined  to "battery cages" — small wire cubes housing five to seven birds each, beaks cut (to control damage from pecking their cage mates), stacked row upon row upon row in large, windowless barns. A horrible existence. They grow so fat with no exercise that their legs break as they sit in their own feces. If this information bothers you, it is important to read your egg cartons. If nothing is written about the care of the chickens, then this is where the eggs are from. The quality of these eggs suffer, too.

Then there is: Cage-free eggs
"Cage-free" means hens are not confined to battery cages, but that's about it. They don't have access to the outdoors, and there are no assurances about what they are fed or what kinds of medications they are given. You might see this claim on all three types of non-battery cage production eggs — free-run, free-range and organic.

Next: Free-run eggs
"Free-run" means chickens can move around in open concept barns, but they don't necessarily have access to the great outdoors and overcrowding is still likely.


Next: Free-range eggs
"Free-range" means hens will get to feel sunlight(depending on the weather) and their feet actually come in contact with the earth. If they are "pastured", they will be roaming around eating grubs and well, being chickens   :)


Finally: Organic eggs
Hens that produce certified organic eggs benefit from the highest welfare standards. Certified organic labels  assure us that the eggs come from farms that have passed their animal welfare standards. They often require the use of organic feed without growth hormones or antibiotics, too.

As mentioned above, your best bet is to source out a local egg man/woman!! You can see where the eggs are coming from and how the chickens are treated. 
In the grocery store, pay the extra buck or two and buy organic. It is best for you, your family and the chickens. 

Here are a couple of quick ways to whip up your eggs (with no need for toast!):

1)  Drizzle a small amount of grapeseed oil or melt a little butter in a skillet. Beat an egg (or 2, if your skillet is large)  in a bowl with some salt and pepper and then pour into the pan. Swirl it around so it covers the bottom and let it cook on medium-high heat until you see it start to firm up. Loosen the edges all around and then flip it over, like a pancake! Cook for a couple of minutes longer and then slide it onto a plate. Saute some organic baby spinach in the same pan until wilted and then place on top of the egg. Crumble some goat cheese on top and roll it all up. YUM!! 


2) Heat a small amount (like a teaspoon) of grapeseed oil or butter in a skillet. Cut a 3/4 inch ring from a bell pepper. Place the ring in the pan and let it brown slightly on one side. Flip it over and then crack an egg in the centre of it. Cook for 2 minutes or so and then flip it over again and cook for 2 minutes longer. Pop it on top of a bed of greens. Add some sliced avocado and tomatoes. And...YUM!!!

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