Why we shouldn't be picking on egg

The egg is among nature's most healthful offerings, but the debate on whether it can be part of vegetarian diet rages on

In a scene from M Manikandan’s debut film, Kaaka Muttai (Tamil for crow’s egg), a marvel in storytelling, two slum children polish off plates of sambar and rice at home but head to a nearby playground to round off their meal. There, with practised ease, they lure a crow away from its nest using a lump of leftover rice and nick two eggs, carefully leaving a third one for the bird. As they drain the contents from the green-and-brown egg directly into their mouths, some locals chide the boys, while one adult notes approvingly: “That’s how you build muscle.” It is revealed later that the duo’s family cannot afford chicken eggs and the children have even been pulled out of school, where they would have been able to have them at least a few times a week.

But for some tots in Madhya Pradesh, even going to school will not assure access to eggs. Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan recently refused to include them in menus of anganwadis in certain tribal districts, reportedly to protect the sentiments of strict vegetarians like himself. This is the latest in a set of actions, like the beef ban in Maharashtra, which are seen as moves to impose vegetarianism in India. “Those who choose not to eat eggs are often from upper castes, who can usually afford to have other substitutes,” notes Dipa Sinha, a right to food campaigner. “But those substitutes do not come close to the egg in nutrition terms,” she adds. The egg is vital for dealing with malnutrition and boosting school attendance.  

The egg is one of nature’s most healthful offerings. Its protein has the highest biological value (BV) of 93.7 per cent — a measure of how easily it is absorbed. It also packs in vitamin B12 required for the development of the brain, nerves and blood cells. This is not available in vegetarian foods. Further, an egg includes vitamins A, D, E, and micronutrients such as zinc. These assist in the upkeep of bones, skin, teeth and eyes, notes Puja Dutta, nutritionist, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Delhi. The white contains over half of the protein, key vitamins and zinc, while the yolk holds all the fat and the remaining protein.

Despite this, eggs do not uniformly find place in mid-day meals or integrated child development scheme programmes across states. No more than 12 states, which include Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, provide eggs, while others such as Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat do not. While it is a religious issue for some, other states face budget shortage. “But it comes down to a state’s political priority. Kerala or Tamil Nadu did not wait to become rich to provide eggs,” says Sinha. Those states consequently fare better in tackling child mortality and malnutrition, she points out.

Instead of egg, the Madhya Pradesh government will serve milk and bananas. Milk, while rich in protein, would have to be provided in specific quantities to match the egg. It is also susceptible to adulteration, says Honey Tandon, chief nutritionist at Columbia Asia Hospital, Gurgaon. The acceptance of milk also is not high, warns Tandon, as children are typically fussy about consuming it. Bananas are not comparable, nutritionists say.

Easily among the more enduring taglines in Indian advertising is the National Egg Co-ordination Committee’s (NECC) “Sunday ho ya Monday, roz khao ande”, uttered by celebrities like Sachin Tendulkar and Saina Nehwal to drive egg eating. Per capita annual egg consumption currently stands at 65 in India, according to NECC CEO Ajit Singh, compared with 349 in China and 132 in Pakistan. The National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, recommended an increase to 180, says Singh, which will benefit the health of consumers and also boost employment.

Eggs are cheap and easy to make in a variety of ways — hard or soft boiled, scrambled, poached, fried. Do not consume them raw, however, advises Dutta. Contrary to myth, eggs do not stoke body heat in summer, she adds. But the elderly are advised to avoid the yolk because of cholesterol.

It was the egg’s versatility that prompted Yogesh Mokashi and his partners to open a restaurant themed around it in Bengaluru. The Egg Factory co-founder is an egg-eating vegetarian. “Although acceptance is growing, eggs are still considered a grey area between vegetarian and non-vegetarian,” he says. In his writings on vegetarianism, Mahatma Gandhi had tried to put the age-old debate to rest: “He who can take milk should have no objection to taking sterile eggs.”