This is the first real post since starting our new blog in which I address a specific product within the animal agriculture industry. When I first started learning about veganism, one of the saddest facts that I came across was the treatment of baby chicks (males in general) within the egg and poultry industry. When researching for this post, I found numerous different references stating similar information regarding what happens to these baby chicks within minutes of them being born. Up to billions (seriously BILLIONS!) of newborn baby male chicks are disposed of as trash every single year. Male chicks cannot lay eggs and are not bred to become the poultry that humans eat so they are considered worthless in the industry. They are either thrown into trash bags alive in order to suffocate to death or ground up alive. Baby chicks that are potentially weak or have any kind of deformity are also disposed of this way. Watch the two short videos below to see what I’m talking about. This isn’t an isolated case. This is what people are supporting when they choose to eat poultry and eggs produced at factory farms.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_JEMuTLYPU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdcHtDZDsP0
What about eggs from “cage-free” chickens? Well, if you’re purchasing eggs from the grocery store labeled as cage free, there is really no difference. From what I understand, there is no real regulation regarding how much freedom chickens need to be considered “cage-free”. So if this is of importance, I recommend contacting the manufacturer of those eggs and asking them about the treatment of their birds. And even if these chickens are roaming more than their factory-farmed counterparts, the baby chicks in the hatcheries are still disposed of in the same way. I know there are farmers and people who raise chickens for eggs (backyard chickens) and treat them very well, just like they were pets. And of course that is much preferred to how the larger egg and poultry industry treats their birds. However, the chickens had to be hatched somewhere before they were sold and likely were in similar conditions. I’m not saying this is always the case, but it seems to be the majority.
The fact that many people (myself included!) put their blinders up and ignore what is happening to these animals, honestly breaks my heart. When first becoming vegan, I watched a lot of videos about the treatment of animals and got somewhat depressed afterwards. It was keeping me up at night just thinking about what I used to support and be a part of. If/when I started to crave things or think maybe I could eat non-vegan things again, I would watch something like the videos I posted above and it helped reiterate for me why I made this decision for myself and my family.
I hope you consider choosing to eat less eggs and poultry and finding delicious plant-based alternatives. Or at least consider researching for yourself and visiting farms or choosing to only buy true free-range eggs or poultry where you have seen the better treatment of these birds. Or if you’re so inclined raise your own chickens! Joe still eats eggs and so does Enzo on occasion, so right now we purchase either from the farmer’s market or Vital Farms (Austin-based) which I feel the most comfortable about. Though I’m still choosing to avoid eggs, if Joe wants to continue eating them, I am okay supporting him with those options.
Alternatives
I’m not going to lie and say that I don’t miss eating eggs or chicken. I still enjoy the flavors but want to do so without harming the chickens. I’ve discovered some yummy alternatives that have satisfied those cravings and are cruelty-free!
Tofu scrambles – I haven’t quite perfected a recipe for this yet and actually have to avoid soy until I’m done nursing (Emilia is sensitive to it). But this is definitely something I want to start making once I can.
Chickpea flour omelettes – It doesn’t taste exactly like regular omelettes, but it’s a good alternative. You mix chickpea flour (should be easily found in the baking aisle) with equal parts water, some spices and chopped veggies. You then cook it in a pan like an omelette and can add vegan cheese too if you’d like. Here’s a recipe to try.
Vegan egg – I haven’t tried this vegan egg from Follow Your Heart yet, but I’m interested to see what it tastes like for sure! I’ve seen it at HEB in Austin.
Flax or chia eggs for baking – To replace eggs in baking for most recipes, you can use ground flax seed or chia seed mixed with water. There are vegan versions of pretty much every baked good out there! Google and YouTube are your friends when it comes to finding vegan baked good recipes.
Other delicious breakfasts – Some other ideas for non-egg vegan breakfasts include oatmeal (cook with non-dairy milk, add nut butter, fruit, nuts, seeds, etc.), chia pudding, avocado toast (spread mashed avocado on top of toast and sprinkle on some salt and nutritional yeast), waffles (I like these gluten-free waffles from Kashi), granola w/almond milk or dairy-free yogurt (my favorites are the So Delicious Coconut Milk yogurt or Kite Hill Almond Milk yogurt).
Chicken alternatives – Chicken was one of the main sources of meat that I ate before becoming vegan and probably the hardest flavor to give up. Luckily there are some chicken meat alternatives that honestly taste like the real thing! My favorite brand so far is Gardein. It’s also pretty easy to find.
Questions? Is any of my information false? Please, reach out! I want to be as accurate as I can.