Once upon a time, a favorite food was eggs. Scrambled with buttery bread. Fried. Hard boiled, especially when deviled. My poached and omelet concoctions were proving delicious when physical upsets were connected to eggs. Darn!

Health Grades reports that certain egg-proteins cause the “body to overproduce the antibody immunoglobulin E (IgE), which causes inflammation.” Symptoms of this “IgE-mediated egg allergy” include cramps, hives, wheezing, nausea, runny nose, shortness of breath and more.

Other reasons to avoid eggs can be a desire to reduce cholesterol and fat intake, concerns for animal welfare, salmonella contamination, and the ‘environmental burden’ associated with egg farming. HealthLine writes, “Egg-laying hens, even free-range ones, are a source of greenhouse gases, which contribute to climate change. Choosing plant proteins over animal proteins reduces this footprint.”

But what to do? Eggs are important parts of cooking. They bind or hold ingredients together. Eggs add flavor, moisture and keep liquids like water and oil from separating.

Commercial products are available, like:

• The EVERY Company produces ‘bioidentical’ egg whites through fermentation
•  JUST, Inc. makes egg-free products like cookie dough and a mayonnaise with yellow pea protein
• Egg Replacer^] combines potato starch, tapioca flour, leavening (calcium lactate, calcium carbonate, cream of tartar) and a modified cellulose
• The Vegg is a yolk replacer made of nutritional yeast flakes, sodium alginate, kala namak,and beta-carotene.
• This Source also notes that “Egg Beaters” is a substitute for whole/fresh eggs (from the shell) but contains egg whites.

 

Fortunately, real foods can also substitute for eggs. As shown in this post’s video, they include applesauce, bananas, ground chia and flax seeds, tofu and more. Here are some other foods that can replace eggs:

• Vinegar and baking soda that can keep baked goods light and airy
• Aquafaba, the liquid left over from cooking beans, functions like egg whites and works well in making meringues, marshmallows and nougat
• Carbonated water can add moisture because the air bubbles make baked good light and fluffy
• See All 13 Effective Food Substitutes 

Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called Children of God.
Matthew 5-9

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