Have you ever wondered how eggs are classified when it comes to categorizing foods? Are they a fruit, a vegetable, or something else entirely? Learning how to group foods is an important aspect of building a healthy diet, but where do eggs belong? Let’s find out!
Is an egg a fruit or a vegetable? Eggs aren’t a fruit or a vegetable; they do not come from a plant, and fruits and vegetables must always be plant matter. Instead, eggs come from birds, most commonly chickens. They are animal products that are high in protein, and it is not easy to group them with any other foods, as they are not vegetables, meat, fish, or dairy.
Are Eggs Fruits or Vegetables?
Eggs are not fruits or vegetables. All fruits and vegetables come from plants, and eggs do not, so they cannot be placed in this food group. Many vegans do not eat eggs because they are produced by animals, but vegetarians do.
It can be challenging to categorize eggs, because they don’t fit neatly into any food group. However, they are an excellent source of nutrition, and they are used in a wide range of dishes, so it’s well worth finding out more about them and understanding what nutrients they offer.
Eggs do not make up one of your five fruit and vegetables per day, and you should only consume them as part of a balanced diet. Although they do offer lots of good nutrients, they aren’t rich in vitamins the way that fresh vegetables and fruits are, and you cannot live exclusively on eggs. You must mix them with other foods to stay healthy.
Where Do Eggs Come From?
Most people think of chicken eggs when considering where eggs come from, but there are many other kinds of eggs. All birds lay eggs, as do most reptiles and fish, but we predominantly consume bird eggs. You can buy eggs from several kinds of birds, including duck eggs and quail eggs.
Some people also eat turkey eggs and goose eggs, but these tend to be harder to buy commercially and there is limited demand from them. Mostly, these are only eaten by people who keep the birds.
This is because these birds do not lay many eggs overall, unlike chickens (which have been bred to lay an egg almost every day, and which are therefore the most profitable birds to keep). Geese often only lay around 30 eggs in a year, and turkeys are only marginally more productive.
Reptile eggs are not generally eaten, and most other kinds of bird eggs are not on the menu either. In the past, many people ate pigeon eggs, but this is no longer common practice, and almost all commercial eggs today come from chickens.
Are Eggs a Meat?
Eggs are not a meat, but they are sometimes grouped with meats because of their protein content. However, most official bodies recognize that eggs are not meats, and the vegetarian diet does not generally prohibit eggs.
Meat is usually defined as the flesh of an animal, and eggs are not yet animals. They contain a yolk and some albumen (the white), and they may contain an embryo if they have been fertilized, but this is not developed enough to count, and few commercial eggs are fertile.
This means that eggs are not meat, even if this is the food group that is closest in terms of nutritional value. They are not the flesh of an animal, and no animal was killed in order for the eggs to be consumed.
Categorizing them is therefore complicated, however you look at it, because they don’t fit neatly into any of the common food groups.
Are Eggs a Kind of Dairy?
In some cases, people will group eggs with dairy, again because they do not fit neatly into any other category. This isn’t a very satisfying solution, however. Eggs simply do not fit well into any of the major food groups.
In general, eggs tend to be placed in the same category as dairy but listed separately. They cannot be called dairy because this is defined by the USDA as containing milk, and eggs are not a product of milk the way that cheese, cream cheese, butter, and other dairy products are.
However, due to their high protein content and the fact that they come from animals, dairy is often the best category for them, and makes sense from the perspective of veganism and nutritional value.
Alternatively, you may wish to just categorize eggs as “protein,” and not attempt any further division. If you are attempting to divide foods up to ensure your diet is balanced and you are getting everything you need, protein is probably the most important one to account for with eggs.
What are Eggs Good For?
Eggs have lots of important nutrients in them, and they are among the most nutritious and balanced foods you can eat, since they have evolved to supply a baby with everything it needs while it develops. Eggs contain protein, but they also contain vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin B12, vitamin B2, iodine, and folate.
Many people enjoy eggs, and they are used in all kinds of different meals, both as the main course and as a binding ingredient for cakes, pasta dishes, baked goods, desserts, and more. Eggs even make it into soups and stews, and they are a key component of many foods that people enjoy.
Eggs have some unique properties that help to stick foods together, and they are considered a healthy option in almost all cases. They are also particularly filling, which makes them versatile.
They are one of the few foods that can be eaten at any time of the day; most people enjoy eggs at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Final Thoughts
An egg is not a fruit or a vegetable, and neither is it a dairy or a meat. Eggs don’t fit readily into any of the food categories, and overall, they are given their own grouping, with many people referring to “meat, eggs, and dairy” as one. These foods all come from animals and tend to be high in protein.