Eggs are one of the most versatile foods out there. In addition to being delicious, eggs can be cooked into several dishes and pair well with everything from meats to vegetables to carbohydrates like bread and pasta.
However, for such a ubiquitous food, it’s surprising how much debate exists around whether eggs are genuinely considered fruits, vegetables, or meats. To be honest, eggs are neither fruits nor vegetables, nor are they dairy products or meat.
Here’s what other things you need to know about this question (Is an Egg a Vegetable, Fruit, or Meat?), including some additional relevant information.
What Are Eggs? Vegetable, Fruit, Or Meat?
Despite what some people may think, eggs are not any of these three categories. When it comes down to it, an egg is an animal product from chicken ovaries. Though both shell and yolk come from animals, there’s no getting around that ingredient list.
If you’re vegan or vegetarian and thinking about substituting eggs in recipes for tofu or something else entirely, don’t be surprised if your food doesn’t bake up quite right. Eggs do more than bind ingredients together; they provide leavening power and help give structure to baked goods.
While many people can eat eggs without issue, others have allergies or intolerances that make them dangerous to consume.
For example, cakes rise because air bubbles get trapped within beaten egg whites; cookies turn golden brown when baking powder reacts with acids in beaten eggs. In short, substitute wisely!
Plus, cholesterol is prevalent in eggs—even though they’re high-quality protein—and those who need to limit their cholesterol intake should steer clear. Finally, it should go without saying that vegetarians and vegans should abstain from eating eggs altogether.
So, Is an Egg a Fruit, Vegetable, or Meat?
It’s probably time we stop asking Is an Egg a Vegetable, Fruit, or Meat? Instead, ask yourself what you mean by fruit? How are vegetables different from fruits? Where does meat fit into this picture? Well then! Let’s get started!
An egg is not a fruit, nor is it a vegetable. The word fruit refers to edible reproductive organs of plants that contain seeds and can be eaten as food. The word vegetable refers to edible parts of plants (including leaves, roots, tubers, stems, and bulbs) used as food. The term meat refers to animal tissue eaten as food.
So, let’s go over these definitions:
● Is an Egg a Fruit?
An egg contains no seeds; therefore, an egg cannot be considered a fruit.
● Is an Egg a Vegetable?
Edible plant parts are vegetables (including leaves, roots, tubers, stems, and bulbs). So an eggplant—which is a berry—is considered a vegetable, but an apple—which has seeds—is regarded as a fruit. Therefore, the egg is not a vegetable.
● Is an Egg Meat?
Now, let’s discuss whether an egg is a meat. When discussing whether something is considered a slice of meat, we generally think of animals like cows, sheep, and chickens that humans have bred for consumption.
It cannot be called meat since an egg was laid by a chicken and not explicitly bred for consumption. So there you have it!
An egg is neither a fruit nor vegetable or meat. Eggs are classified as poultry—which means they are also like fish! So…is an egg a fruit, vegetable, or meat? It’s none of these things! However, that does not mean you can’t indulge in them all in moderation from time to time!
What Are Eggs Considered By FDA & USDA Combined?
That’s a great question relevant to another question: Is an Egg a Vegetable, Fruit, or Meat? According to US government regulatory agencies (FDA & USDA), eggs are considered a portion of animal food. It’s easy to see why when you look at them: Eggs have many characteristics of other animal foods, including proteins and fats in their composition.
They also contain no carbohydrates or fiber, typical for animal products. While they do contain some vitamins and minerals (vitamins B12 & D and folate), they also have high levels of cholesterol (213 mg per egg). For these reasons, eggs are classified as animal byproducts by FDA & USDA.
Why Do People Care About Whether Eggs Are Considered Meat Or Not Anyway?
No one will call CPS on you if your kid eats fruit for breakfast. No one is going to give you grief for eating a vegetable. However, some people are so disgusted by egg yolks that they won’t even touch them.
So why do we all care so much about whether an egg is considered a fruit or a slice of meat? Is it essential if eggs are healthy food or not? And why does it matter anyway? If you think about it, there isn’t any reason anyone should care what category eggs fall into.
I think most of us would agree that no one should be forced to label their food in such a way; after all, labeling foods with these categories can create unnecessary barriers between us and our ability to eat healthily.
We don’t need to know whether something is fruit or meat to make good choices about what we put into our bodies. So let’s stop caring about how others categorize their food and instead focus on making good choices based on our criteria.
How Much Nutrition Is In One Egg?
An egg is one of nature’s most complete and balanced packages. It has all nine essential amino acids—the building blocks for protein—and is rich in vitamins D and B12. And it does more than fill you up—it also helps your body digest other nutrients like iron and calcium.
But egg size doesn’t necessarily translate into nutritional value: One large white has 72 calories, 6 grams of fat (including 5 grams saturated fat), 75 milligrams of cholesterol, and no carbs or fiber. The average yolk consists of 186 milligrams of cholesterol and 1 gram of saturated fat.
And don’t forget that eggs are high in sodium, with about 60 percent from salt added during processing.
So if you eat an average of two eggs per day, as many Americans do, you could be consuming nearly half a day’s worth of salt each week. That amounts to 2,400 milligrams of sodium per month—that’s almost double what most people should consume in an entire day!
What Are The Health Benefits Of Eggs?
Eating eggs is associated with less heart disease and stroke than other high-cholesterol foods. But despite what most people think, eggs aren’t just for breakfast. Egg consumption in the United States has increased significantly in recent decades.
According to statistics, the average consumption per person per year has doubled in 50 years from about 250 eggs in 1965 to more than 500 today.
And it turns out that we can eat even more eggs—as long as they come from chickens raised on pasture. A new study shows that organic, pastured eggs have higher healthy omega-3 fatty acid levels than conventional supermarket varieties.
Why? Pasture-raised hens spend their days outside, pecking at insects and greens. Their egg yolks contain 10 times more vitamin E (an antioxidant) than factory-farmed eggs.
Plus, because these yolks come from healthier hens, you won’t find traces of antibiotics or hormones either. So if you’re wondering whether eggs are good for you, look for labels like organic and pasture-raised. They make all the difference!
Can You Eat More Than One Egg Per Day?
Many health experts recommend limiting eggs to just one per day. And while some people swear that eating more than one egg per day is acceptable for most healthy adults, others argue that there’s no health benefit to breaking an egg open and eating it with every meal.
While there aren’t hard-and-fast rules about how many eggs you can eat every day, most nutritionists suggest keeping your daily intake below 1-2 eggs per day—or 100 grams if you like your portion sizes.
The reason? Eggs are high in cholesterol, which isn’t necessarily bad for everyone but could be problematic for those who have heart disease or high cholesterol levels.
For example, researchers found that eating just two eggs per day increased participants’ LDL (bad) cholesterol by 6 percent compared to when they ate a similar amount of calories from carbohydrates instead. However, other studies have shown that consuming up to seven eggs per week has little effect on heart disease risk factors.
Can You Eat Eggs If You Have High Cholesterol Levels?
High cholesterol isn’t good for anyone. It can lead to serious health issues, like heart attacks and strokes. High cholesterol can be difficult to control because many foods we eat are high in cholesterol—especially animal products like eggs and meat.
One reason so many people eat high-cholesterol foods is that they’re delicious! But not all hope is lost: You need to learn what kinds of eggs fit into your diet plan and when you should incorporate them into your lifestyle.
Can You Eat Eggs If You Have Diabetes Type 2?
The answer is yes. As with anything you eat, moderation is key. The protein and fats in eggs are suitable for your body. Check your blood sugar before eating eggs if you have diabetes type 2.
Your doctor will likely be able to guide you on how many grams of carbohydrates and protein you can safely have at one time. These numbers will vary depending on factors such as medications and insulin resistance levels in addition to glucose levels.