5 Tips to Pick the Healthiest Eggs at the Grocery Store Every Time

Eggs are indispensable in many recipes and a good source of important nutrients. Tips for choosing the healthiest eggs include knowing what makes a difference in how the eggs are produced, how they look, and how to read the labeling.

1. Check How The Eggs Look

When you open a carton of eggs, consider the following:

• Shell appearance: The shells should be smooth with no cracks.

• Color: The color of an egg doesn't affect nutrients or taste. White, brown, blue, or green are the same. Spots on the shells of brown eggs are from extra pigment.

• Size: How big or small an egg is doesn't reflect freshness or flavor. Brown eggs tend to be larger due to the breed of the hen.

2. Read the Sell By Date

Eggs are usually shipped within a week of being laid. A three digit code on the label shows when the eggs were packaged. It's called the Julian date and counts each day of the year from one to 365.

Eggs in the shell can stay good for up to five weeks:

• If they have an odor or the whites have a greenish tint when cracked, throw them out.

• Older eggs may have thinner whites, which can affect how well they combine with other ingredients, but it does not affect the nutrients.

• Always buy eggs from a refrigerated case to ensure safety.

• In the United States, eggs are washed to remove contaminants. Unwashed eggs stay fresher longer because of the egg's natural protective coating, called the bloom.

3. Know How the Hens Were Raised

Egg labels can be confusing, but they can tell you a lot about what you're buying:

• Organic eggs: Hens must be cage-free and always have access to the outdoors. They eat organic feed, free of animal by-products, fertilizers, pesticides, or additives.

• Pasture-raised eggs: Hens have access to about 108 square feet of outdoor space, as well as indoor space. They can forage, and their diet is supplemented with feed.

• Free-range eggs: Hens have at least 2 square feet each indoors, in areas that contain litter made of chicken waste and other materials. They have outdoor access to lay their eggs.

• Cage-free eggs: Hens are kept inside, with about a square foot of space each, covered in litter. Conditions and diet can vary widely.

• Conventional eggs: Hens live in barns in cages that are about 67 square inches in size. Hens are fed a diet designed to maximize egg production.

These categories are regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), except for "pasture-raised." Some egg cartons will have the words “certified humane” or “animal welfare approved,” which means that the hens were raised according to standards set by animal welfare organizations.

Other labels include:

• UEP Certified: The United Egg Producers is an organization that sets standards for the size of cages to access to food and water.

• Hormone-free: Hormones are banned by the USDA, so eggs don't contain added hormones.

• Antibiotic-free: Antibiotics are rarely used in the United States and leave no residue in eggs.

• Pasteurized: These eggs are heated to destroy pathogens, which can be useful when preparing food that contains raw eggs.

• Enriched with omega -3: Hens are fed flaxseed, fish oil, or other foods that increase the eggs' omega-3 fatty acid content.

• Vegetarian-fed: A vegetarian diet may not supply all the nutrients hens need, as they are omnivorous.

4. Understand the Nutrient Value in Different Egg Types

Eggs are a generally healthy food, but some research shows there can be differences in the nutrients they offer, depending on how they were produced. For example:

• Organic eggs: Organic eggs can have triple the amount of unsaturated fats, 40% more vitamin A, and double the amount of vitamin E as conventional eggs.

• Pasture-raised eggs: One study showed that pasture-raised eggs had twice as many antioxidant carotenoids and three times as much omega-3 as cage-free eggs.

• Enriched eggs: These eggs contain up to 600 milligrams (mg) of omega-3, compared to about 30 mg in conventional eggs. Omega-3s can reduce inflammation, help reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, as well as lower blood pressure.

• Conventional eggs: Factory-farmed eggs can have higher levels of cholesterol and triglycerides than organic eggs and lower levels of other nutrients.

5. Know What the USDA Grades of Eggs Mean

Egg producers can pay the USDA to grade eggs as follows:

• Grade AA: The freshest and highest quality, these eggs have firm, thick whites, high, round yolks, and clean shells.

• Grade A: The most commonly sold eggs in supermarkets and grocery stores, they have high quality with firm whites and clean, unbroken shells.

• Grade B: Eggs have thinner whites and wider, flatter yolks. The shells are unbroken but may be stained. They are usually sold for commercial use, such as powdered eggs.