Egg Yolk Color Tells You A Lot About The Chicken That Laid the Egg

Many of us may think that chicken eggs are all the same. However, that really is not the case.

Generally, all egg yolks are yellow. However, if you take a closer look, you may have noticed that some egg yolks are more intensely yellow than others. As it turns out, the yolks’ colors tell us a lot about the chicken that laid the egg.

YouTube user bevyh1 shares that “the color of an egg’s yolk will often vary based on where it came from.”

As an article from The Kitchn pointed out, egg yolk color is “an indicator of the hen’s diet.” The article explained: “If they eat more yellow-orange carotenoids, or natural pigments, it affects and changes the yolk’s color.”

The yolk's color says a lot.

The article went on to say, “As for the nutritional value of the yolks, darker, more colorful yolks have the same amount of protein and fat than lighter yolks. Some studies have shown, however, that eggs from free-range or pasture-raised hens can have more omega-3s and vitamins but less cholesterol due to healthier, more natural feed.”

The Broad Ripple Farmers Market adds, “Most eggs, which have lighter colored yolks, that are found in supermarkets come from factory farms, which tend to only feed their hens grain, heavily limiting their diet – and ours in turn. While not exactly harmful per se, these lighter yellow yolks are much less effective at delivering the nutrients you’re expecting to ingest.”

Choose your yolk wisely.

Despite the varied egg yolk colors, some people think there’s not much difference between eggs. To them, if you’ve eaten one chicken egg then you’ve eaten them all.

Take a closer look at the egg yolks.

However, there are those who opt for the eggs from free-range or pasture-raised hens. They say, “What have we got to lose?” They don’t mind spending a little bit more for the added advantage in the nutrients they get from their chosen eggs.