Food - Drink
What Are Vegan Eggs And Are They Even Nutritious?
By CLAIRE REDDEN
As egg prices rise and plant-based foods catch on, vegan eggs are gaining traction, and while they may replicate the look and taste of eggs, their nutritional profiles fall short.
Real eggs have 80 calories, 5 grams of fat, 6 grams of protein, and vital nutrients like vitamins A, D, E, and B12, choline, iron, selenium, folate, carotenoids, and healthy fats.
While vegan eggs are able to deliver a comparable amount of calories, protein, carbs, and fat, they fail to provide the same diversity of vitamins and nutrients.
Depending on the brand, vegan eggs are made with ingredients like lupin beans, soybeans, chickpeas, and pepitas.
They range from 40 to 70 calories and up to 6 grams of fat and protein per serving. Some offer extra benefits, like lower cholesterol and nutrients like potassium, zinc, and iron.
Moreover, vegan eggs have a much lower carbon footprint, with some brands like Spero's claiming to emit 99% less carbon dioxide, use 87% less water, and require 86% less land.
However, vegan eggs fail to deliver on the nutrient-rich profile of hen eggs and can incorporate allergens like the nuts in Wunder Eggs or the soy in YoEgg and Zero Egg.
All said, vegan eggs lack the nutritional diversity of hen eggs, but that may be a worthwhile trade-off for those looking to avoid animal cruelty and lower their carbon footprints.