A guide to buying eggs.

When you reach the egg section of the grocery store, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. There are so many options to choose from: different brands, different labels, etc. What do all of the different classifications mean? We're here to guide you to making the smartest choice for your family.

Conventional/store brand: These eggs will not have any special label or designation. They are from chickens kept in cages on large farms and never see the light of day. These eggs are usually the most afforable. They provide the lowest amount of nutrional value for an egg.

Cage free: "Cage free" is a useless delineation. Similar to conventional and store brand but the only difference is the chickens are not in cages. They still do not have guaranteed access to the outdoors or sunlight and their wings will still get clipped. These eggs will be slightly more costly than the conventional but there is no major difference.

Free range: This designation may excite you, thinking the hens are happily clucking in the sunglight, but be warned. They will have access to the outdoors but that is basically it. There is no guarantee that they have been outside or for how long. It just means they have access if they can/want to.

Certified organic: This means that the hens were fed organic feed without chemicals, antibiotics or pesticides. The hens would be given access to the outdoors as well, but no guarantee they've ever seen the light of day.

Pasture raised: The gold standard for egg designation. Pasture raised eggs were laid from hens who were, you guessed it, raised on a pasture, free to roam and eat bugs and worms like nature intended. These eggs will be the most expensive but are hands down, the healthiest choice in terms of egg quality and nutrition.

Ideally, you'd want to purchase organic pasture raised eggs. They are the most expensive option in the egg aisle but you are eating eggs from hens that are happily clucking in the sunglight. Chickens are omnivores and eggs from chickens who are fed an all grain diet do not have the same nutritional profile as an egg from a chicken laying in it's natural environment. Happy hens = happy eggs.

If you can find a local farm and trust the farmer, that would be an even better bet and where we live, sometimes those eggs are cheaper than at the grocery store. A dozen pasture raised eggs is about $10 here in CT and I've seen farm stands and farms that sell them for $5-7.