My Fearless Kitchen

Quick tips and easy recipes to chase the fear out of your kitchen.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

  • mfk_utensils
  • Recipes
      • Quick and Easy
      • Slow Cooker
      • Grill
      • Freezer Friendly
      • Dips & Snacks
      • Breakfast & Breads
      • Dessert Recipes
      • Main Dish Recipes
      • Side Dish Recipes
      • Soups & Salads
  • Kitchen Tips, Tricks, & More
  • About Farming & Food
    • About GMOs
    • Antibiotics
    • Meat
    • Pigs
    • Eggs
    • Poultry
  • Disclosure, Disclaimers, & Privacy Policy
Home » What’s the Difference Between Brown and White Eggs?

What’s the Difference Between Brown and White Eggs?

By Marybeth Feutz 9 Comments

There is a difference between brown and white eggs. But it’s probably not what you think, and you can’t tell after you throw away the eggshell!

brown eggs, white eggs, and green eggs in a green and black bowl

What’s the difference between brown and white eggs?

In a word, it’s the chicken. Different breeds of chickens lay different color eggs. The most common laying hen in the United States is the Single-Comb White Leghorn (or some cross of this breed). This type of chicken lays white eggs. Some other breeds of laying hens are the Rhode Island Red, the New Hampshire, and the Plymouth Rock (or some crosses of these breeds). These breeds of chickens lay brown eggs. There are even some breeds of chickens (like the Araucana) that lay blue eggs.

What about the yolk?

Some people think the yolks of brown eggs have a deeper yellow color than the yolks of white eggs. This might be the case, but it’s not because of the shell color or because of the chicken. It’s because of what the chicken eats!

Some plants contain high amounts of xanthophylls. This is a type of chlorophyll, and is a yellow-orange pigment that helps the plant create energy. While the plants might still have a green color (because the green of the chlorophyll overpowers the yellow of the xanthophyll), the xanthophyll pigment will be absorbed from the chicken’s diet. A diet high in xanthophyll-containing plants will result in an egg yolk with a deeper yellow color.

Most hens are fed a combination of yellow corn and alfalfa meal. These foods don’t have as much xanthophyll, so the egg yolks of chickens on this type of diet will not have as deep of a color. Chickens being fed wheat or barley will lay eggs with even lighter-colored yolks.

Because yolk color has become a big concern for grocery buyers, some farmers are adding natural yellow-orange substances (like marigold petals) to their chicken’s feed. These deep yellow pigments in the chicken’s diet help to make a yolk with a deeper yellow color. It is important to note that artificial color additives are not permitted in any chicken feed.

What about the cost?

Have you noticed that brown eggs tend to cost more than white eggs? There’s a simple reason for that. Hens that lay brown eggs (like the Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire, and Plymouth Rock breeds) tend to be bigger than hens that lay white eggs (like the Single-Comb White Leghorn). Bigger hens take up more space, and need to eat more food. This means that there is more cost to raising hens that lay brown eggs. And this means that the eggs are more expensive at the grocery store.

What about nutrition?

There’s a rumor going around that brown eggs are better for you than white eggs. That’s simply not true. One large egg has the same nutrition value as another large egg – no matter what the shell color. The egg yolk might be a bit of a different color, but that is primarily due to the pigments in the hen’s diet, and doesn’t affect the nutrition value of the egg. Here is the breakdown of the nutrition values of one large egg (brown or white):

nutrition label for eggs

What about the taste?

Some people prefer the taste of brown eggs over white eggs. Most people can’t tell the difference. Any difference in taste might be due to the chicken’s diet, and will be a personal preference.

So… in an eggshell, there really is no difference between brown and white eggs. Except the color of the shell, and the breed of chicken that laid them. Whether you choose to buy brown, white, or even blue eggs should be your own decision – based on your personal preferences for the look and taste of the eggs. And perhaps what your food budget will cover!

green and black pottery bowl holding white eggs, brown eggs, and green eggs

What other questions do you have about eggs? Leave your questions in the comments below, and I’ll address them in a future post!

Enjoy!

3 Ways to Take the Fear Out of Your Kitchen

  • How to Hard Boil Eggs
  • How Do I Store Eggs?
  • How to Test Eggs for Freshness – free printable!

3 Recipes to Try

  • Bacon & Egg Waffle Sandwich
  • Easy Egg Salad
  • Ham, Egg, & Cheese Muffins

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Eggs, Holiday Tool Box, Kitchen Tips, Tricks, & More, Where is My Food From? Tagged With: brown, brown eggs, comparison, eggs, food, nutrition, white, white eggs

« Choosing a Chair For Your Nursery
Slow Cooker Ham and Cheese Soup »

Comments

  1. Keith says

    04/13/2016 at 9:49 am

    So after reading all that about eggs , free range isn’t enough, Pasture raised seems best, but, is their diet supplemented with anything else? I had to read between the lines to discover that, and white or brown color doesn’t matter. So we need a better answer….

  2. Marybeth says

    04/13/2016 at 10:24 am

    Keith, my point here was simply that the nutrition from a brown egg and a white egg are the same. To get into the diet, nutrition needs, housing, and welfare of the chickens themselves deserves an entire series dedicated to the topic. It is definitely worth talking about. I’ll make some contacts with farmers who raise laying hens and broilers, and work on a series about chickens. Thanks for your comment!

Trackbacks

  1. Easy Weekly Meal Plan #36 - My Fearless Kitchen says:
    09/08/2017 at 2:09 pm

    […] What’s the Difference Between Brown & White Eggs? […]

  2. Homemade Pumpkin Pie - My Fearless Kitchen says:
    09/29/2017 at 12:20 pm

    […] What’s the Difference Between Brown & White Eggs […]

  3. Cake Mix Pumpkin Caramel Cookies - My Fearless Kitchen says:
    10/02/2017 at 11:14 am

    […] What’s the Difference Between Brown & White Eggs? […]

  4. How to Make Scrambled Eggs in the Oven - My Fearless Kitchen says:
    12/23/2017 at 11:09 pm

    […] What’s the Difference Between Brown & White Eggs? […]

  5. White Chocolate Lemon Cake Mix Cookies - My Fearless Kitchen says:
    02/16/2018 at 2:59 pm

    […] What’s the Difference Between Brown & White Eggs? […]

  6. Easy Egg Strata - My Fearless Kitchen says:
    05/16/2018 at 3:04 pm

    […] What’s the Difference Between Brown Eggs & White Eggs? […]

  7. Easy Weekly Meal Plan #70 - My Fearless Kitchen says:
    05/17/2018 at 2:50 pm

    […] week’s tip is What’s the Difference Between Brown Eggs & White Eggs? Since this week’s breakfast recipe uses 10 eggs, I thought we might want to talk about eggs […]

Comment Policy

I welcome comments and conversation. All comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately. As long as you are respectful and courteous, your comment will be approved.
(Read my comment policy for more details.)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hi! I'm Marybeth, the blogger behind My Fearless Kitchen! Jump in, and let me share what I'm learning about food, farming, quick kitchen tips, and easy recipes to chase the fear out of YOUR kitchen! Read more.
Follow Us On Pinterest

Popular Posts

Half-Sour Refrigerator Pickles

Honey-BBQ Oven-Baked Ribs

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
Comment Policy — Disclosures, Disclaimers, & Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · My Fearless Kitchen

 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.