How You Can Beat the Price of Eggs

Did you grow up eating eggs and using them for baking, thinking there was no choice? We’ll challenge the myth that eggs are the wholesome, indispensable staple we’ve been led to believe and give you fresh perspectives on why it’s time to consider ending the tradition of eating eggs—for your ethics, your heart and your wallet.

Picture this, you wake up on a Sunday morning, craving a classic breakfast of scrambled eggs. You open the refrigerator and—nothing. No eggs. Exasperated, you head to the store, only to find egg prices higher than ever and you wonder: Is it really worth it? Many of us have had that moment of sticker shock or inconvenience, which leads us to question whether eggs are all they’re cracked up to be.

The Golden Egg of Tax Dollars

Eggs at $12 a dozen still don’t reflect the true price of eggs, The chicken farms themselves are so hazardous to humanity that they have to be propped up by government subsidies or they could not afford to stay in business.

According to Sentient Media, the egg industry has been handed what seems like a never-ending golden egg—courtesy of American taxpayers. Over the past three years, the federal government has paid out $1.4 billion to kill virus infected chicken flocks and disinfect the cramped, often miserable sheds they once lived in. 20 million were killed in the last three months of 2024. The numbers are so large, they are hard to imagine.

Why Me? A Glimpse Inside the Sheds

“One of the preferred methods farms use to cull birds is by sealing off the air flow to the barn and then pumping in heat or carbon dioxide. Known as Ventilation Shutdown Plus (VSD+), this is a cheap way to kill an entire flock by heat stroke or suffocation, and is approved by the USDA for indemnity payments only under “constrained circumstances.” The top 10 recipients of indemnity payments all used VSD+ to often exterminate millions of birds at once, according to APHIS records obtained by Crystal Heath, a veterinarian and the executive director of Our Honor, through a FOIA (Freedom if Information Act) request.” Sentient Media

Photo from Linda Middlesworth lecture.

Then the chicken operators buy more chicks and fill the sheds all over again.

Citizen tax dollar subsidies are emboldening the chicken factories to make unsafe, unscientific decisions as they expand their operations. New sheds are going up—in the riskiest places, for example near migratory bird flyways in San Jacinto, California. The proximity of wild birds to tightly packed commercial flocks only makes it more likely that the avian flu will spread to the new batch of chickens. Essentially, tax dollars are propping up a system that’s both inhumane and adding fuel to the avian flu virus.

Linda Middlesworth has a heart as big as the sun and a personality to match. A longtime advocate for plant-based living, she is an indefatigable spokeswoman for human safety and animal protection. She recently completed a powerful and moving talk at the Climate Healers conference where she vividly describes the bleak reality of industrial chicken farms in her video.

“This really needs to be seen,” she tells everyone. Chickens raised for eggs are confined in tight, unsanitary spaces where they never see sunlight and barely have room to move.

According to Middlesworth, these conditions create a breeding ground for viruses which is a result of failures in human compassion and judgement. There are three outcomes of the egg industry:

Serious Ethical Malfeasance: Hens suffer physical and psychological stress. It’s common to see feather loss and injuries due to overcrowding, just as humans would experience.

Health Dangers for Birds, and Mammals including Humans: Overuse of antibiotics in these disgust-worthy facilities can lead to drug-resistant bacteria in humans. When the inevitable disease spreads within and from these hen camp facilities, it can pose unpredictable human health threats. Even backyard chicken coops are breeding grounds for a future pandemic of avian flu.

Land and Air Harm: Waste runoff in the tonnage contaminates local waterways, and the concentration of birds in one place contributes to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Middlesworth’s point is clear: 98% of eggs are produced on factory farms, not the cheery farms shown on the sides of egg boxes. ¹The egg industry has failed both the ethics and the product viability analysis.

Echoes of 1918

It might feel far-fetched to connect your morning omelet to a historic pandemic, but the 1918 flu virus had avian genes.² That pandemic tragically claimed up to 50 million lives worldwide. While our scientific and medical knowledge has advanced since then, the reality remains: When viruses jump from birds to humans, the consequences can be catastrophic. Overcrowded chicken facilities in close proximity to wild bird populations create ideal conditions for viral mutations. The parallels to 1918 may not be exact, but they’re enough to give anyone pause—especially as new strains of avian influenza keep emerging. Since 2003, 950 people worldwide have contracted avian flu and 50% have died. ³

Are Eggs Actually Good for Us?

We’ve been taught that eggs are our traditional food. But what about the cost to our health or the cost of drugs to control ensuing heart disease and doctors’ visits due to eating eggs? A single egg is a cholesterol bomb delivering 200mg of cholesterol which raises our blood cholesterol, slowing down blood flow and along with it, oxygen to the heart, eyes, brain and sexual organs. While about 3% of people tolerate eggs without issue, the remaining 97% of us may find that eliminating them leads to improved blood flow, more energy, clarity of mind and a stronger gut, not to mention savings on medical care.

Moreover, consider the mounting concerns about contamination (salmonella outbreaks, anyone?) The question becomes less about whether eggs are “good” and more about whether they’re truly necessary—especially given the abundance of alternatives.

Even backyard chicken raising is a source of avian flu.

An Incredible Egg and Oil Replacement That You May Be Throwing Away

Enter aquafaba—the starchy, protein-rich liquid you typically throw away from a can of chickpeas or any can of beans. In a recent video titled “This Incredible Ingredient Replaces Eggs and Oil Easily,” talented cook Jeremy Lalonde of PB and J, demonstrates how aquafaba can mimic the binding and emulsifying properties of eggs and oils in countless recipes. Chef Jeremy demonstrates how aquafaba can make fluffy meringues, whipped-cream, moist cakes, and creamy mayonnaise—all without a single egg.

Aquafaba is:

Vegan and free from animal products.

Budget-friendly since you might otherwise pour it down the drain.

Versatile—it whips up like egg whites and can replace eggs in baked goods, sauces, and oils in dressings.

How to use aquafaba to replace eggs and oil.

Pour out the aquafaba liquid from a can of chickpeas. To replace one egg use 3 tbsps of aquafaba. When you are replacing oil with aquafaba in salad dressing or baking use it 1:1. To make whipped cream chill the aquafaba before whipping it and add cream of tartar. Use it to thicken sauces. You can save the liquid by pouring it into an ice cube tray and freeze it. Each cavity should be about 3 tbsps or equal to one egg. It’s so easy and its free of calories and nearly free of costJ

Try this simple, luxurious dessert to see for yourself how aquafaba can help you beat the price of eggs and heavy cream—and have a delicious treat in the process.

Recipe: Aquafaba Chocolate Mousse

From Jeremy Lalonde, PB and J

Ingredients

½ cup aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas)
1 cup vegan chocolate chips (melted and slightly cooled)
1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional, for added sweetness)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Whip the Aquafaba: In a clean mixing bowl, whip the aquafaba on high speed until stiff peaks form (about 5–7 minutes).
Combine the Chocolate: Gently fold the melted chocolate into the whipped aquafaba. Use a spatula and add the chocolate slowly to maintain the airy texture.
Add Flavorings: Fold in the maple syrup, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.
Chill: Transfer the mixture into individual serving cups or a larger bowl. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set.

Enjoy a light, airy mousse that rivals the richness of any egg-based recipe—all at a fraction of the cost and environmental impact.

A Final Recommendation: Boon Broth

If you’re looking for more plant-based options to replace traditional chicken-based broths, consider trying Boon Broth. It’s a nourishing, savory, and completely plant-based restorative that will add depth to your soups, stews, and sauces—no chickens harmed.

Eggs might seem like a small part of our diets, but when you look at the broader picture—from taxpayer-funded bailouts to the spread of viruses to innocent wild birds and humans, from inhumane conditions to mounting land pollution—it becomes clear eggs come at a cost we should not be willing to pay. With alternatives like aquafaba and comforting plant-based products like Boon Broth, you can beat the price of eggs, give chickens a reprieve while improving your karma and supporting more compassionate, sustainable food systems.

So the next time you balk at high egg prices, remember: there’s a better way to whip up your favorite meals—no chickens required.