If you’re scrambling for good egg prices, look no further than your friendly neighborhood market: Trader Joe’s. As any good eggspert would, I went looking for the best egg prices in the Salt Lake City area.
Due to avian flu, supply chain shortages and inflation, egg prices have been on the rise, per the Deseret News. Price increases from 2022 are expected to last into 2023. The rise in egg prices has been dramatic: Some people are paying more than $5 for a carton of eggs.
As of Wednesday according to Instacart pricing in the Salt Lake City area, Sprouts was charging $3.29 for a dozen white eggs and Smith’s was charging $5.39 for a dozen white eggs. Brown eggs are more expensive.
Walmart had a dozen white eggs for $5.36. Fresh Market is selling eggs for $4.89. while Macey’s is selling them for $4.39. Five dozen white eggs from Costco will run you $19.89 (just under $4 per dozen).
The cheapest eggs that I found were at Trader Joe’s, at $2.99. While their brown eggs were more expensive, they still clocked in at $4.99 — cheaper than a dozen white eggs at some places.
While doing your whole grocery trip at Trader Joe’s might not be feasible (depending on your diet), it might be worth stopping by to buy some eggs and seeing what other deals you may get on staples.
Egg substitutes
If the expensive prices are dissuading you from buying eggs altogether, there are some alternatives that you could try.
According to Healthline, you could try silken tofu, applesauce, vinegar and baking soda, yogurt or buttermilk for some baking substitutes that clock in at a lower price than a carton of eggs would. The popular vegan egg substitute Just Egg is clocking at $3.99 in popular retailers like Target as of Wednesday, making it a slightly cheaper alternative if you’re looking to eat an omelette that won’t break the bank.
What’s the difference between brown and white eggs?
The Deseret News previously wrote about the difference between brown and white eggs.
At the grocery store, a package of brown eggs can have a different price than white eggs, so what makes these eggs different?
According to Get Cracking, a website devoted to eggs, the difference in the color of the shell depends on the color of the feathers of the hen.
Brown eggs are more expensive than white eggs because hens that lay brown eggs cost more money to feed than hens that lay white eggs, per Mashed. However, nutritionally, there is no significant difference between brown eggs and white eggs.