Green yolks, folks?

Baked, boiled, scrambled, or fried — you can have it any way. Marketed as the ‘tastiest multivitamin capsule in the world’, it’s been the bone of contention among people debating whether it qualifies as vegetarian or non-vegetarian. But now, the humble egg gets a new avatar as animal lovers and health enthusiasts have come out with the vegan egg.
Made of plant protein, it promises to deliver nutrition while cutting out cholesterol. When Mumbai-based Shraddha Bhansali and Kartik Dixit launched EVO Foods in 2019, the aim was to end animal agriculture by creating superior substitutes. After three years of research and development, the duo launched boiled eggs in the form of patties and cubes, last month in Mumbai. “It’s made of pea and rice protein and comes in two flavours — original and peri peri — and can be used in the way you use regular boiled eggs. You can eat it plain, add it to a salad, make a sandwich or curry, grate it or batter coat and deep fry,” says Shraddha. “This month, we will launch in Delhi and soon in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai. Their eggs are priced at `250 for six. Next in the pipeline is a liquid vegan egg.
Vegan eggs, made of plant protein, are now becoming popular across the world among anyone who is looking to eat healthy. They come in the form of powders, liquid, patties, and cubes. In Chennai, Dhaval Chandrana, who runs the vegan store, Earth Story, says vegan eggs are popular among non-vegetarians too. “Nonvegetarians who wanted to cut out cholesterol were also eager to try it,” he says. Customers are also open to trying vegan eggs. “I was initially sceptical but liked the fact that it is so versatile,” says Manjula Ganapati, a schoolteacher. “I tried the powdered version. It doesn’t taste the same as a regular egg, but I switched because I have high cholesterol,” she says.
City-based dietician Meenakshi Bajaj says sustainable plant-based egg substitutes are healthy as they are high-protein, gluten-free, allergen-free (egg white allergy) and guilt-free, and a good option for those who want to scale back on animal protein. “It can be a healthy part of a balanced diet if you consume them in moderation along with fruits, veggies and other nutrient-dense foods,” says Bajaj, who works with the Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Specialty Hospital.
Though you get the impression that consuming plant-based meat products would offer similar health benefits, evidence suggests that this is not always the case since they may be heavily processed, may have additives, and most importantly are not natural or fresh, says Bajaj. The nutrition and health aspects depend on the ingredients, additives, sodium, cholesterol, carbohydrate, fibre, fat content and type of fat used in the plant-based alternative, she says. “For instance, if the product provides zero-cholesterol against a medium-sized egg delivering around 185mg, but has 18g of fat as compared to the 4g-6.4g of fat provided by a whole egg, then the purpose of the plant-based alternative is lost,” says Bajaj.
“It’s important to understand the type of fat (healthy or unhealthy) it contains in terms of SFA and transfat. Some vegan eggs could be lower in calcium, magnesium, zinc, vitamin B12 and carotenoids, while being higher in sodium, potassium, and fat, which makes these foods not the right option for people who are hypertensive, have organ failure or are on potassium-sparing medications.”