are eggs meat?

Question

okay, this may be a silly question, but i'm just not sure...i am vegetarian. i do not eat eggs b/c i always thought of them as like an unborn animal...but can vegetarians eat eggs? b/c eggs are used to make a lot of stuff...see, someone told me that there are two different types of eggs:the unfertilized and the fertilized. she told me that the unfertilized egg is the kind people eat and that they are okay for a vegetarian to eat b/c they are not an animal, just an egg (i mean women have eggs too)...she said the fertilized egg is the kind that hatches and turns into a chick, and that is the kind that we don't eat...that is the kind that is raised on the farm and made into meat for people to eat or to lay more eggs....is this true? and is it okay for vegetarians (not vegan) to eat eggs? kinda dumb question, but THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 1

Nobody tends to knowingly eat eggs that have been fertilized.

All of the ones in the shop are unfertilized.

Eggs are generally regarded as being fine for vegetarians but NOT for vegans

They are not meat products and do not contain meat in any way shape or form unless the egg is both fertilized AND allowed to develope into an embryo / chick.

An unfertilized egg is no more "meat like" than a pint of milk.

Mark

Answer 2

Those store bought eggs have never been fertilized, so although they come out of the hen, there is no "baby chick" in the egg. All the yolk of the egg is, is the food that would be used to nourish the growing embryo chick. The white of the egg is the protective stabilizer to ensure the cushioning of the chick, if there was one, and be a kind of shock absorber against any jarring movements. So that is what you are eating, and therefore there is no chick involved, even one that is only a fertilized embryo. We call the hen's egg an "egg" but it actually isn't. It is merely the incubation chamber for the fertilized egg (embryo). But if there is no fertilized egg, a vegetarian has nothing to worry about.

Answer 3

Okay, technically, no. They are an "animal product," but they aren't the flesh of an animal. They are usually collected within a day or two of being laid, so if you're worried about killing a chicken fetus, don't be. Most (98%) of eggs produced in this country come from chickens who spend their entire adult lives stacked in tiny wire battery cages where they never get exposed to a male who might mate with them and fertilize their eggs in the first place.

Generally, fertilized eggs are considered to be more animal friendly than unfertilized, because it usually means that the chickens have had a chance to run around on the ground and mate with a rooster.

But unless you are going out of your way to buy "fertilized eggs" from a health food store or farmer, then that's not the case. Chickens in battery cages are probably the most badly abused animals in the country, and "cage-free" isn't much better. All "cage-free" means is that they live crammed in giant sheds instead of giant sheds filled with cages. "Free range" means that they get to spend some time outside. How much time they actually get is up to the farmer who raises them.

Please take the time to research the egg industry and decide if it's something you want your money to support.

Answer 4

To answer your initial question are eggs meat?
The USDA and FDA both categorice eggs as a meat in the food pyramid. Anything that is primarily a protein is classified this way, although there is no "meat" in the literal term in them. It is true regarding the fertilized and unfertilized eggs, and the ones in the supermarket are un-fertilized.

Answer 5

Fertilised or not,they were supposed to be a young chick.
Vegeterians donot eat meat,meat products and eggs but uses milk that was the definiton 400 years ago!
Unfertilised eggs are the menstruation of the chicken so if you wanna eat it go ahead!

sanam

Answer 6

While eggs are no meat they are considered a good source of protein. Vegetarians can eat eggs but vegans choose not to.

Answer 7

Everything that I wanted to say has been said. I suggest doing some research on either raising your own chickens or finding a local person that will sell you a few eggs a week from their humanely treated and well taken care of hens.

Answer 8

I don't have an answer for you, but I am SO happy you posted this question. I have struggled with eggs and I go back and forth if it's OK to eat them or not.
It's not a 'dumb' question!! I'm glad you asked it.Thank You!!

Answer 9

They are basically a chicken period and a placenta put into a shell. Unless they are fertilized they will not become a chicken, so they would not be meat unless that happens.

Answer 10

That's really up to you.

I consider myself a laco-vegetarian, which means I use dairy products but not eggs. That's my choice, and your choice may be different.