If you ask a vegan why they don’t eat eggs, the answer is often very simple: eggs come from animals, and vegans don’t eat animals. Food experts say that this one line of reasoning has a lot of real-world effects on animal welfare, supply chains, nutrition, and even the way we cook. In interviews with chefs and dietitians in kitchens and labs across the UK, a common theme emerged: once you decide to minimise animal exploitation, eggs become less of a healthy staple and more of a product of systems you don’t want to be a part of. We explain the reasoning below in simple terms, combining real-life experiences with evidence-based advice and simple kitchen swaps.
What Vegan Principles Say About Eggs
Veganism is an ethic at its core: a promise to not use animals whenever possible. This includes more than just meat; it also includes clothes, cosmetics, and yes, eggs. Because animals lay eggs, they are not vegan, no matter if they are caged, free-range, or “rescued” from a neighbor’s coop. This clarity helps explain why many vegans don’t care much about debates about cholesterol or protein. The most important thing to them is where the food comes from.
Experts in food systems add important details. Even when they are certified to higher-welfare standards, commercial egg supply chains often manage large flocks, choose breeds that lay a lot of eggs, and move birds at the end of their laying cycle. In-ovo sexing and other technologies are meant to cut down on the killing of male chicks, and welfare audits have gotten stricter, but these are still works in progress and not a way to stop relying on animals. For vegans, the answer is simple: if the product has anything to do with animals, it doesn’t fit. That simplicity is powerful because it changes the question from “Are eggs healthy?” to “Do eggs require animal use?” and gives a clear, easy-to-follow answer for shopping, eating, and cooking.
The Truth About Animal Welfare Behind an Egg
Farm welfare experts say that UK labels like “caged,” “barn,” “free-range,” or “organic” show important differences, but none of them take animal control out of the picture. Free-range hens can forage outside, but the density of the flock, routine practices (like trimming beaks to prevent pecking injuries), and the short working life of high-performance layers are still things to worry about. When productivity goes down, birds are usually killed and sent to be processed. Even the best systems have managed lifecycles that are based on economics, not what the animals want.
For vegans, the issue isn’t that every egg is cruel; it’s that the product comes from a system that serves anibmals. Some people see backyard eggs as an ethical way to get eggs, but vets say that uneven nutrition, parasites, and care that isn’t planned can all pose different welfare risks. Welfare scientists welcome industry innovations, such as better living conditions and better use of natural light, but these do not change the basic relationship: people control the animal’s reproduction and output. Vegans respond by completely stepping aside and choosing foods that don’t have welfare problems built in from the start.
Nutrition: What You Lose and What You Don’t
Eggs are a good source of complete protein, choline, vitamin B12, and selenium. Dietitians say that legumes, soy products, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and fortified foods can all provide the same nutrients as meat. The truth is that you don’t need eggs to get the nutrients you need. Fortification and supplements can help fill in gaps, especially B12.
Cholesterol used to be the main topic of egg debates, but now the focus is on overall eating habits and how much saturated fat you eat. For a lot of people, switching from eggs to foods high in fibre makes their heart and metabolic health better. People who eat for performance often ask about muscle protein synthesis. The answer is not magical; it’s practical: combine plant proteins like tofu, tempeh, soy milk, seitan, and lentils to meet your daily leucine and total protein goals.
Important NutrientEggs Give Plant Sources
ProteinSoy, quinoa, seitan, and a mix of legumes and grains are all high-quality and complete.
B12 vitaminSource from natureSupplements, fortified milks, and cereals
Choline: A lot of itPeanuts, soybeans, broccoli, and supplements
Flax, chia, walnuts, algae oil and omega-3-enriched eggs (if fed)
There are a few good things about not eating eggs: they have more fibre, less saturated fat, and they fit with your morals.
Plan for the following: B12 and choline need to be paid attention to; rely on fortified foods or foods that are high in these nutrients.
The Food Industry’s Shift and Useful Cooking Swaps
Chefs used to say that eggs couldn’t be replaced. That has changed. UK bakeries now use aquafaba (the liquid from chickpeas) to make meringues, and home cooks use flax “eggs” (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water) to hold burgers together. For most methods, there is a reliable plant-based way to keep the texture, lift, or richness. Savoury breakfasts switch to tofu scramble with a pinch of kala namak (black salt) for the classic sulphurous flavour. Emulsions like mayonnaise? Mix oil with soy milk or aquafaba and an acid.
A London patisserie that tests recipes found that adding a little baking powder and vinegar to aquafaba made cakes rise consistently. This shows that structure is a chemistry problem, not an egg monopoly. Data from stores show that more and more biscuits, brioche, and fresh pasta are being labelled as “egg-free.” This is because of the rise in allergies and plant-based foods. The environmental sidebar is also important: life-cycle assessments show that eggs have lower emissions per gram of protein than ruminant meats but higher emissions per gram of protein than legumes. This pushes cooks who care about sustainability toward pulses. The main idea is still ethical simplicity: pick methods that don’t use animals and let modern food science do the hard work.
Binding: “egg” made from flax or chia seeds, mashed banana, and applesauce.
To make leavening, mix aquafaba, acid, and baking powder.
Richness: nut butters, plant cream, and silken tofu.
Kala namak gives it an eggy taste, and nutritional yeast adds depth.
Take away the noise, and the vegan point of view is very clear: if a food needs an animal’s body or work, it’s not on the plate. Eggs are a good example of where ethics, nutrition, and technique all come together. For example, concerns about animal welfare make people want to avoid them, dietitians can easily map out the nutrients they need, and modern kitchens can make them taste and feel good without breaking the shells. No matter why you shop—ethics, health, or the environment—the result can be the same: tasty, repeatable plant-first cooking. In that light, what animal-based staple are you most interested in changing, and which one will you try first?
