Eggs and Raising Backyard Chickens, Part II

A few weeks ago an article came out on Simpleorganic.net (which I actually found out about from one of my favorite real food blogs Kitchenstewardship.com) and it got me thinking all about raising chickens again...

Five Foods Women of Childbearing Age Should Eat More Often

The whole womb thing really sets us apart from men. Ladies, if you’re having menstrual cycles, trying to conceive, pregnant, breastfeeding, or nearing or experiencing menopause, make sure you’re paying attention to your intake of:

1. Eggs
Whole eggs, especially the yolks, provide choline for healthy eyes and brain development (for you and any unborn babies in your life), vitamin D for general health, and all the essential nutrients a human being needs. If you have a meal of one item, it may as well be eggs, which are nearly the perfect food for humans. Pay no mind to disillusioned health professionals who tell you the cholesterol in eggs will clog up your arteries. Whole eggs are back in style.

They won’t raise blood sugar because they’re a well-balanced protein and fat, and they even improve the look of your hair and nails. Eggs provide iron, which is hindered by calcium, so skip the milk with your omelet. Did you know Chinese women eat ten per DAY when pregnant? I shot for two eggs a day when I was trying to grow smart babies.

Photo by Andreas Kollegger

Other Resources:

Find Perfect Nutrition in a Whole Egg (no egg white omelets, please!)

What do Labels on Egg Cartons Mean?

Strawberry Milkshake (with raw eggs*)
How to Eat More Eggs
Eggs = Fertility Superfood
Vitamin D Creates Lower Risk Pregnancies

2. Spinach/Greens
3. Salmon
4. Full fat dairy/butter
5. Liver

To learn more about items 2-5, read the rest of the article here.

Ok, so what eggs do I buy?  You know, the organic, farm fresh eggs at the farmer's market cost upwards of $7 a dozen!  Way out of my family's food budget.  So I compromise, which is how I manage to buy most of my foods and feel good about them.  I go back and forth between two types of eggs: 

When I make it to Costco, I buy 2 dozen organic brown eggs for $3/dozen.  They are cage-free, fed organic feed and not given hormones or antibiotics. 

Or I buy Barnstar Omega 3 eggs from Trader Joe's.  At $2.49 a dozen, these eggs are packed with omega-3 essential fatty acids.  The hens are antibiotic and hormone-free and fed a special diet rich in ground flaxseed, loaded with omega-3s.  Omega-3s are essential to the human body and play a roll in the development of childrens' brains.  Omega-3s are what everyone is buzzing about when talking about taking fish oil supplements(which is a whole blog post in itself that I'll get to soon!) 

Something tells me you'll be seeing more posts about backyard chickens!