Ins and outs of eggs

The color, size and grade of eggs have little to do with nutritional value, according to research from Consumer Reports.

Egg grades are determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and are based on the quality of yolk and white and the shell’s condition, according to SFGate.com. The term “large” means the eggs are the size used in most recipes.

The USDA organic label means hens were given feed not treated with synthetic pesticides and the chickens had access to outside. While they’re free of pesticides, those eggs aren’t any more nutritious. (Nonorganic eggs also can come from free-range chickens.)

Labels touting “enriched with omega-3s” means the hens were fed special diets to produce eggs with more healthy fats, but they still “rarely provide enough nutrients to be worth the higher cost,” the report noted.