Are Eggs Dairy? Here's What to Know | Nellie's Blog (2024)

FAQs

Are eggs considered dairy? ›

Eggs are often mistakenly categorized as dairy, but eggs are not dairy products. Eggs are laid by birds, which do not have mammary glands. Dairy products are items like yogurt, cheese and milk. You can eat eggs if you follow a dairy-free diet or if you have lactose intolerance.

Dairy products consist of food sources produced by animals with mammary glands like cows, goats, and sheep. And while eggs are, indeed, an animal product, the USDA's MyPlate groups them as a source of protein, similar to meat, poultry, fish, nuts, and beans.

Why do people confuse eggs for dairy? Put simply, you can blame grocery retailers for this one. “Egg placement in the retail store coolers with dairy products in retail spaces leads to an association of eggs and egg products with dairy products,” a USDA spokesperson says.

Others are lactose intolerant, which results from an enzyme deficiency that makes it impossible to break down the lactose (a sugar found in dairy) in one's system. People with one or both of these conditions don't necessarily need to avoid eggs as they are devoid of milk proteins and lactose. Eggs are also gluten free.

Eggs are still a part of a dairy-free diet. Even though they are found in the dairy section of the grocery store, eggs do not contain milk sugar and milk proteins. Eggs are safe to eat in a milk-free diet.

Yes, eggs are often found in the dairy case, but they belong to the protein foods group.

The confusion could also come from the use of similar terminology - dairy product and animal by-product. But, contrary to these common misconceptions, eggs are NOT a dairy product. While eggs are indeed produced by animals and therefore by definition an animal by-product, they are not a derivative of dairy products.

The lecithin in egg yolk is an effective emulsifier that keeps it together. Dairy refers to products that are made from the milk of other mammals, such as cows, sheep, and goats. Mayonnaise doesn't have any milk products in it, so that means it doesn't have dairy.

Contrary to what some believe, eggs are not dairy products. Foods are only considered dairy products when they are produced from the milk of mammals. Eggs are laid by birds, who are not mammals and do not produce milk. For some reason, eggs and dairy are often grouped together.

Additionally, eggs contain cholesterol, a type of fat that can promote inflammation in the body. However, this is typically only seen in individuals with insulin resistance or other metabolic conditions ( 12 ). Overall, specific research on eggs' effects on inflammation and arthritis symptoms is limited.

What do you call a person who eats eggs but not dairy products? ›

Ovo-vegetarian diets exclude meat, poultry, seafood and dairy products, but allow eggs. Lacto-ovo vegetarian diets exclude meat, fish and poultry, but allow dairy products and eggs.

Almond milk – especially fortified almond milk – has these health benefits: Almond milk is dairy-free. Almond milk has no lactose (a type of sugar found naturally in dairy milk) since it's not an animal product. As a result, it's a good milk substitute for people with lactose intolerance.

However, you can still eat eggs on a dairy-free diet, as they're simply not dairy. The only exception to this would be if you wanted to go vegan, as you'd then avoid all animal and animal by-products, including eggs.

Butter is very low in lactose

For example, 1 cup (227 grams) of butter contains only 0.1 grams of lactose ( 1 ). For this reason, butter is well tolerated in most lactose-free diets. Only those who are highly sensitive to lactose may experience symptoms.

All fresh, frozen, tinned or dried plain fruit, vegetables and pulses – cooked without butter or milk or egg. Potatoes with milk free margarine or milk substitute. Other foods Soups without milk or egg.

Eggs are classified as poultry products, not dairy products. Poultry products include chicken, duck, and turkey eggs, while dairy products are made from the milk of mammals. Eggs are considered to be a separate food group, distinct from dairy products.

Despite the name, peanut butter does not contain any dairy butter. Also, peanuts, being nondairy products, don't contain any lactose themselves. Most natural peanut butter is safe to eat if you're lactose-intolerant.

Grocery stores include eggs in the dairy section for a few reasons, primarily to keep them and us safe. In 1970, Congress passed the Egg Products Inspection Action, which requires all egg products to be pasteurized to destroy salmonella.

The Dairy Group includes milk, yogurt, cheese, lactose-free milk and fortified soy milk and yogurt. It does not include foods made from milk that have little calcium and a high fat content, such as cream cheese, sour cream, cream, and butter.