The flexitarian prescription

Diamonds and eggs. You ever thought about just how much they have in common? No? Hear me out, and do me a favor … if you are reading this, do so with an open mind and please, read the whole post. It won’t even take you four whole minutes. And if you leave some nasty comment that has nothing to do with what I’m writing about, I’ll just toss you aside like a rotten egg. So there. Moving on … I’ve written about this before. Or at the very least, I’ve touched on the subject of eggs in a plant-based or vegan diet which are NOT the same thing. Yes, I’ll get to that in a minute, but first, a bit about eggs.

Should Vegans Eat Eggs?

I’ve heard a lot of debate lately over whether or not vegans should allow eggs into their diet. Some say absolutely not quoting the whole all-or-nothing approach, because allowing even the occasional egg into one’s diet does not coincide with the ethical platform so many vegans bark about. But, at the same time, I hear some vegans say that hens producing eggs is a natural thing as it’s not forced … it doesn’t harm the chicken … and if left unfertilized the eggs are just that. Eggs. And therefore, OK to eat. CAVEAT we are going off the assumption that the eggs in question are the product of humanely-raised hens. And no, “free range” doesn’t even remotely mean that the hens are humanely-raised … 

The USDA defines “free range” eggs as those “produced by hens housed in a building, room, or area that allows for unlimited access to food, water, and continuous access to the outdoors during their laying cycle.”

Bear in mind, access means nothing. It only means that they can go outside … and in most cases, any images of hens flocking around a lush grassy area isn’t exactly what’s provided. Which is why we should only eat PASTURE-RAISED eggs. And we should also abide by the assumption (at least for the sake of this article) that those who do eat eggs are choosing to purchase from local farmers … however …

The USDA defines locally-produced eggs as those “originating from a source flock(s) located less than 400 miles from the processing facility or within the state in which the eggs originated from and were processed in.”

But I’m not getting on the “local” soapbox today so back to the whole “should vegans allow eggs into their diet or not,” … choosing to adhere to a vegan diet means you also adhere to the lifestyle—you don’t eat anything derived from an animal, anything with a face … and you don’t wear leather, etc. But what about those who follow a plant-based diet?

Eggs Are a Healthy Part of a Plant-based Diet

Following a plant-based diet means your meals are just that, plant based … so 75ish percent of what you eat comes from plants. Hence, the “based” part. So, from a definition standpoint, yes, it seems like eggs are a fine choice, and a Healthy choice, for those who eat foods derived mainly from plants.

And What About the Carbon Footprint?

A few years ago, I stopped eating eggs because I thought it was the right thing to do. You know, the whole carbon footprint thing, CO2 emissions, etc. But, as it turns out … everything has a carbon footprint and the things people use as substitutes for eggs in their cooking just might be worse for the environment. Case in point … diamonds. I’m not a fan. Yes, they are beautiful. Yes, I have owned plenty of diamonds in my day but I have a major issue with the diamond trade and made a decision a few years back not to ever purchase a diamond again. But then someone asked me if I would buy (or wear if someone gave it to me) other stones, and I said yes, of course, and proceeded to list out my favorites and also said that I’d consider lab-created diamonds. And then she asked me if I’d considered the fact that other stones also have illegal and unethical sourcing and lab-created stones might be worse for the environment than not. Ughhhh.

Back to the egg part … should vegans eat eggs? Eh, I don’t know the answer to that, but I do know that people need to stop being so all-or-nothing and do what works for them. If you follow a vegan diet for ethical reasons and health reasons but find your body needs eggs, well, then eat a f’ing egg. Be a flexitarian. Because whether you choose to follow a 100 percent vegan diet or follow a plant-based diet like myself and allow a little “flex” every now and then, pasture-raised eggs are a pretty damn good thing to flex your mouth muscles around (ohhh, that sounded bad).

Thoughts? Let’s start a discussion … I’d love to hear what you think.