March 5, 2025 • 56 mins
Why You Never Have to Buy Another Chicken-Egg!
It’s making headlines coast to coast! Bird Flu is causing egg prices to skyrocket! The tragic mass killing of millions of egg-laying chickens is leaving shelves empty as eggs - at any price - have become scarce in many part of the U.S. Well, here’s fantastic news. You never need to buy another egg, ever again. Watch as top LA chef Karen La Cava makes Just Egg!
https://www.ju.st/ The plant-based “egg” can easily be made into a scramble or an omelet that looks and tastes just like chicken eggs. The maverick businessman who created Just Egg, Josh Tetrick, will tell us how Just Egg sales are surging and where to get the product! Also, watch as top San Diego chef Tracy Childs https://www.plantdiego.com/tracy-childs.html shows you the natural egg replacers you can use in baking and cooking. And, meet a registered dietitian who will explain why chicken eggs are not good for you. Stephanie McBurnett, RDN, is the nutrition educator for Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a nonprofit organization promoting preventive medicine through plant-based nutrition. https://www.pcrm.org/ Now, UnchainedTV’s Jane Velez-Mitchell https://unchainedtv.com/
kicks off The End of Eggs!
ABOUT THE HOST
Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, TV producer and NY Times bestselling author who founded and runs UnchainedTV, the world's premier streaming TV network to promote the plant-based, compassionate, sustainable lifestyle. UnchainedTV offers 2,000 free documentaries, vegan cooking, lifestyle and news shows as part of its nonprofit media network. You can download UnchainedTV for free on any cell phone. You can watch UnchainedTV for free on any TV via streaming devices like Amazon Fire Stick, Roku device and Apple TV device. And, it's on all Samsung TVs. Here's the online portal: https://watch.unchainedtv.com/browse
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Egg prices could rise by 41% this
year, the USDA estimates, and our agriculture department
is also looking to import eggs as prices
soar.
Guess what?
There is no need.
What egg shortage?
There's never been a better time to try
plant-based eggs.
That's a just egg omelette.
(00:21):
And here I am making a just egg
omelette just the other day.
I could testify in a court of law.
It looks like eggs, it tastes like eggs,
but it's got added advantages of zero cholesterol
with plenty of protein.
This is the opportunity of a lifetime to
(00:42):
drop kick that bad high habit and switch
to just egg.
It looks exactly like eggs, except it's from
plants.
So excited to be talking to the founder
CEO of Eat Just, maker of this incredible
product.
And Josh, we're in the middle of a
(01:04):
bird flu crisis and price of eggs is
skyrocketing and there's a lack of availability.
How does that help you with just egg?
Well, it helps us, Jane, because often we're
the only egg on the shelf now.
So you've got millions of Americans going to
buy chicken eggs and they go to the
egg set at Walmart or Whole Foods or
(01:26):
Kroger or their local grocery store.
And often because of what's happening with the
eggs, they see one egg on the shelf
and it happens to be that yellow carton.
And it happens not to be made from
chickens, but made from plants.
And as a result, we're growing five times
faster than we were at this time last
(01:47):
year.
We're growing five times faster than chicken eggs.
And it's a quite an extraordinary moment for
us and I think the plant based industry
to be where we are today.
We've got to make sure that we're delivering
on time to these retailers.
We're always in stock because there's no better
(02:07):
time to move people from the chicken egg
habit to the plant based habit than it
is today.
So just to be clear, you are seeing
a surge in sales as a result of
the bird flu crisis.
We're seeing a surge in sales across the
board.
So everywhere from where I was raised in
Birmingham, Alabama, to Oakland, California, to everywhere in
(02:32):
between, millions of Americans are discovering that an
egg from a plant exists for the first
time.
And we're seeing more Americans today try it
out.
More Americans use it in frittatas and quiches
and omelettes and scrambled eggs during the week
and during the weekend.
(02:53):
And it's a real breakthrough moment.
So we have an incredible panel for you
today.
We're going to start with Stephanie McBurnett of
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
This is a moment in history, Stephanie, where
our culture can really make the shift.
Tell us about it.
(03:17):
The pain in your wallet to switch over
to away from eggs right at the breakfast
table.
So I like to talk about the big
three.
Egg consumption is linked to higher heart disease
risk.
Number two, higher rates of type 2 diabetes.
And then even some certain cancers are linked
(03:37):
to egg consumption.
So I just think this is a great
moment in time where we can all kind
of sit back and take a breath and
think, why do we need to consume eggs?
There's such better options for our health.
And how is that going?
Are you seeing, because Physicians Committee for Responsible
Medicine reaches out to thousands of doctors and
(04:01):
registered dietitians and people looking to improve their
health, are you seeing a breakthrough or are
you seeing people still think, I've got to
get that egg?
Because that's what the mainstream media is pushing.
I mean, they're just pushing eggs, eggs, eggs.
And yet they don't really talk about the
obvious alternatives.
(04:23):
Yes, this is a great opportunity for kind
of those physicians that lean into the plant
based world that are plant strong or 100
percent, because patients are coming to the doctor
saying, I can't find eggs.
How am I supposed to eat a healthy
breakfast?
And they can slide right in and say,
(04:43):
you don't need eggs.
Not only do they hurt your wallet, but
they're hurting your heart.
They're increasing your risk of type two diabetes
and they could be increasing your risk of
cancer.
So I think this is a great moment
in time to really seize, seize the day.
Right.
And really discuss with our patients the benefits
(05:03):
of choosing something else at breakfast.
Now, I want to bring in Tracy Shiles,
and she has her own line of cookies
where she makes incredibly delicious cookies without any
eggs at all.
And she is an expert in egg replacers.
So take it away.
What do you have there?
So these are my cookies that I make.
(05:25):
These are Tracy's Real Foods cookies.
And, you know, they hold together fine without
eggs.
I have been egg free myself since 1990
when I became vegan and learned about the
industry and just decided, you know, I'm not
going to take part in any of that.
I don't want to support that industry and
(05:46):
the cruelty that was going on because I
knew about factory farming back then.
So, so, you know, what are you going
to do, though?
So I've always been a home chef and
then I became a professional chef and started
my company.
And so I just throughout the years investigated
and looked into all the different ways you
can replace eggs for everything across the board.
(06:09):
They are not needed.
They're archaic.
We don't need them at all.
So I could show you a lot of
great alternatives that you can use for all
the different things.
So just egg is a great alternative for
if you want to create a scramble, a
frittata, something like that.
But if you're baking, maybe you're going to
(06:29):
want to try something else.
And I'm old school.
I've been using these different things for years.
And so I just want to show you
a few of the great alternatives that are
out there for different.
Go ahead.
Okay.
So what we have are, you know, there's
some great alternatives out there and some great
graphics out there.
(06:50):
You can find even positions committee who I'm
associated with.
I'm a food for life instructor that Stephanie's
with.
They have great alternatives and great resources.
Oh, yeah.
So this is what I use for my
cookies.
And this is old school is using flax
seeds.
So when you want to create a flax
(07:11):
egg, it's super simple.
You just take some water.
Now these flax seeds I showed you, those
are the whole flax seeds.
Now you don't want to use those.
You want to grind them up.
Now you can buy it as flax meal
or you can grind them up yourself.
And then you just go ahead and take
three tablespoons of water and one tablespoon of
(07:32):
ground flax and stir it up.
You can see it's kind of watery.
I'm going to go through some other things
and we'll come back and we'll show you
how this is thickened up.
I love it.
And we will come back to you in
just a second.
Now we have a real treat for you.
We are going to go out to a
(07:52):
kitchen in Encino, California with famed vegan chef
Karen Lakava.
Karen, take it away.
What are you making in that pan?
It looks delicious.
So I'm making an omelette.
I just poured in some just egg.
Well, it's called eggs from plants.
And I love making omelettes with these.
(08:12):
I actually have one right here that I
made a little while ago.
And it has some salsa on top.
So this one is I just poured this
in a little while ago.
So what I'm going to do is I'm
going to add some cheese.
And that's vegan cheese?
Vegan cheese.
And this is a vegan monster cheese.
And then I'm going to add some caramelised
(08:33):
onions.
And I'm going to add some roasted bell
peppers and all kinds of yummy things, right?
And then there we go.
So I'm going to let that cook for
a second and then I'm going to turn
it over.
It's still cooking a little bit.
And let me ask you, how does this
(08:54):
compare to chicken eggs?
Those people who think, oh, it's never going
to be the same.
To me, it looks exactly the same.
I've tasted just egg.
It tastes to me identical.
Tell me about it.
So it tastes identical to me too.
I have to admit, I haven't had chicken
eggs since before 1990.
(09:15):
Just like Tracy, I became vegan in 1990.
But what I remember, it definitely tastes the
same.
And I have served these to my non
-vegan friends and they thought it was delicious
also.
So you can't go wrong.
And you're not harming any animals, the planet,
yourself.
So why not do it?
(09:36):
And right now, especially with what's going on,
it's just crazy.
So it's the perfect time to move over
and start some vegan egg inviting.
Pick that pan up and show it to
us a little bit.
So this is what it looks like right
now.
And I'm going to flip it over so
that it's more like an omelette.
See?
(09:57):
Okay.
And then, see, now it looks like an
omelette.
Okay.
Wow.
Hold it up a little bit.
Higher, higher, higher, higher.
You know what's going to help?
Let me do this.
There we go.
There we go.
Look at that.
You can watch this.
Ready?
We can flip it.
(10:18):
Oh, wow.
Now, that's amazing.
Carol Acaba, you are quite the chef.
Thank you.
And I just think that it's so egg
-like.
Yes, I will say myself as well, I
have not had eggs in many, many, many,
many years.
But my friends who have tried this, who
(10:39):
are not yet vegan, they're like, Jane, I
thought you were vegan.
Why are you serving us eggs?
And it's because you can't tell the difference.
Now, if you can't tell the difference, okay,
and if there's a bird flu, which there
is, and I'm getting breaking news into my
phone right now as I speak about some
latest developments in the bird flu.
(11:01):
And if there's a health benefit to eating
the plant-based eggs, why not make the
switch?
It looks the same, it tastes the same,
and there's added benefits, and there's a bird
flu.
I want to go back to Stephanie McBurnett
with Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
As a registered dietitian, what are the problems
(11:23):
with eggs?
Because eggs are still being sold as a
health food, and that's just not true.
Yeah, so there's a few components in eggs
that are really kind of bringing those negative
health effects.
One is they have over 200 milligrammes of
cholesterol.
And cholesterol right now is the leading, you
(11:43):
know, it's really linked to heart disease.
So the highest source of cholesterol in the
American diet, leaps and bounds over any other
food is going to be eggs.
So if you have heart disease, if you
have type 2 diabetes, you need to be
avoiding eggs.
Another factor is there's no fibre in eggs.
So if you're even replacing that with a
(12:05):
whole grain cereal or toast at breakfast, you're,
you know, you're not getting any fibre from
eggs.
Also, there's choline in eggs, which some people
tout is like a positive, and maybe this
is where that kind of, where people are
talking about the health benefits of eggs.
But choline has actually been linked to prostate
(12:25):
cancer, and it has been linked to why
eggs have increased cancer risk.
So it's kind of that triple threat of
they're high in cholesterol, they have saturated fat,
they have choline, and then they have no
fibre.
You're making a lot of good points.
People are commenting left and right about this.
(12:47):
Coconut tastes eggy.
Yum.
And where do we get the vegan muenster
cheese?
Well, before we get to where do we
get the vegan muenster cheese, I would like
to talk a little bit about where we
get Just Egg.
And in fact, I was able to interview
the CEO of Eat Just, the maker of
(13:10):
Just Egg about that exactly.
Where are people buying Just Egg mostly from?
You can get Just Egg, I'll start with
retail.
So if you live next to a Walmart
anywhere in the country, you go to where
the eggs are sold, and you'll see it.
We also have a frozen egg patty called
Just Egg Folded that's in the, where the
frozen breakfast items are sold.
(13:32):
So Walmart, and Whole Foods, and ShopRite, and
Kroger, and Publix in the south, that's where
my mom shops at West Palm Beach, Florida,
Kroger.
You can get Just Egg at Berkeley Bowl,
about seven miles from here.
You can get Just Egg in Kauai, in
Maui, all across Montana.
So every state in the country, almost every
(13:55):
major retailer in the country has it right
next to where the eggs are sold.
And then on the restaurant side, we're available
at Pete's Coffee, and Caribou, and hundreds of
colleges and universities from Yale to the University
of California system.
Lots of diners from Texas, back to Hawaii
and Montana again.
(14:15):
It's a broad retail, broad food service distribution.
And we've only just started.
This thing only launched about four years ago.
So we got, we got a lot more
to go.
Are you thinking of going public?
Eventually we will.
Yeah, we want to continue to build, build
our sales volume.
Thankfully, primarily because of our, our largest shareholder,
(14:40):
who continues to emphasise to me, the import
of selling our product at a higher and
higher margin, having more of an impact.
Every case that we sell today, every unit
that we sell today is at a positive
margin, which enables us to continue to be
self-reliant, to be a healthy company.
So we're going to keep getting our margins
(15:01):
up, our growth higher, our consumer awareness higher,
which certainly this bird flu situation is helpful
with.
And then eventually the plan is to, to,
to go public and, and let everyday people
participate in the, in the mission.
And we've got breaking news just in as
we speak.
This is a report that I am reading
(15:23):
that somebody sent me from the New York
Post and it literally came out moments ago,
hundreds of birds in New York City infected
by bird flu after poultry markets allowed to
reopen.
Hundreds of birds at a Queens live poultry
market have succumbed to a new bird flu
outbreak less than two weeks after the shops
(15:45):
were allowed to reopen as the virus runs
rampant across the nation.
At least 150 birds were found to be
infected with the extremely contagious and devastating virus
according to data from the animal and plant
inspection service.
So that is very shocking.
(16:05):
What is your response Stephanie McBurnett as a
representative of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine?
I mean, that's pretty scary to hear.
It is not getting better.
It's getting worse.
It's, it started a few years ago and
it's just snowballing.
But the silver lining is this is a
great opportunity to switch to something healthier at
(16:27):
breakfast time.
This is, you know, intervention saying, you know,
it's, it's, there's, we have a health crisis
and eggs are not helping that.
And so we can just switch right to
something healthier that has just as much protein.
I know we talk about eggs and it
having some protein and that's why it's touted
(16:47):
as healthy, but there are plenty of other
options, just like just egg that have just
as much protein, if not more for your
breakfast.
And we want to go back now to
Tracy Childs.
Tracy, you've been showing us the alternatives that
you might call the natural alternatives that are
(17:08):
literally just things like flaxseed.
Okay.
I've got flaxseed right here.
Look, flaxseed.
It's so simple, but it's a binder.
Take it away.
You were, you were showing us some really
mom and pop.
Anybody at home can use these ingredients to
mimic eggs and use them in baking and
(17:30):
cooking.
Yeah, absolutely.
Yes, absolutely.
So, so this is the flax egg that
I, I created.
If you missed it, all this is, is
one tablespoon of flax ground flaxseed, like Jane
showed us and three tablespoons of water.
And you can see how it's thickened up
(17:51):
and become kind of viscous like eggs and
sticky.
So this can be put into a, anywhere
where you're baking that were called for an
egg.
So the other, the other thing that's similar,
if you don't want to use flax is
chia.
Okay, let's go into chia seeds.
(18:12):
So chia seeds, you can these actually, you
don't need to grind, but it may take
a little more time, but same thing.
You can put chia seeds with water and
put them, you know, chia seeds are amazing.
And these, both of these are high in
omega three fatty acids.
So, you know, not only are they healthy
and have no cholesterol, they are also have
(18:34):
protein, they're a seed, and they have really
good fats that are good for your heart,
not bad for your heart.
So I like that.
And, and I love showing people in my
classes, I teach food for life, nutrition and
cooking, and this is black salt.
So this is, it's an Indian black salt,
and you can sprinkle this.
(18:55):
And I know this is what makes just
egg taste like egg too, but you can
also mix it with, this is what I've
been doing for years, put it with your
tofu, mash up your tofu, or add some
turmeric, add a bunch of spices, and you
can create something that tastes like egg.
Now it's not going to be as close
as just egg, but we love it and
(19:17):
we've loved it for years.
So, so another good idea for replacing eggs
is not the garbanzo beans themselves, but the
liquid.
This is called aquafaba.
So aquafaba can actually be whipped up to
become a meringue.
And aquafaba is just the cooking liquid from
(19:38):
garbanzo beans.
So you can open up a can and
save that aquafaba in the fridge.
You can put it on some bread, bread
loaves instead of eggs.
You can whip it up.
Like I said, you can use it as
an, an oil replacement too.
It's amazing stuff.
Don't throw it away.
Let me ask you, so what would you
use the aquafaba with to make the egg
(19:59):
alternative?
So you put a little cream of tartar
and, and then you put sugar with it
if you want to make a meringue.
So it's just, you whip it up with
your beaters and it becomes, and you can
also whip it up with your beaters and
put it, fold it into things and it
really will thicken things up.
And I just love, I love, love, love
(20:21):
all of these alternatives and the ideas behind
them.
And I, I would make my kids muffins
back in the nineties and the recipe called
for apple cider vinegar and baking soda.
Now that's the thing is that these two
things, if you add them to your, to
your soy milk, that coagulates it and becomes
like alive and it replaces eggs that way.
(20:45):
It actually kind of becomes like a buttermilk,
the, the, the butter, the apple cider vinegar
mixed with the soy milk becomes thick and
then reacts with the baking soda in your
recipe.
So that's a good alternative for muffins and
silken tofu is wonderful to be added to
(21:05):
all kinds of things.
You can make your mayo out of it.
You don't need to have mayo made out
of eggs.
Bananas are wonderful in pancakes and they're a
great binder.
I want to ask you about bananas.
Yeah.
To me, bananas would be the easiest thing
for me to say, Hey, I've got a
bunch of bananas here.
(21:26):
How would you use the banana in cooking?
So, uh, what you do is you mash
it up, you just mash it up and
put it with your flour.
And it's a great, great, I use it
in pancakes.
This is, I, uh, my recipe is banana
pancakes.
It's a bananas mashed up oat flour, soy,
(21:47):
you know, some soy milk and some, and
some leavening.
That's all you need.
It's a natural sweetener too.
So, you know, you use it in your
sweet recipes and I, uh, this is one
of the, as often skipped, but oats, oats
are, um, better than wheat as far as
being more sticky when you grind them up
into the flour, um, put them with something
moist.
You know how oats do, they're just very
(22:08):
sticky.
They're amazing as a binder.
So you can actually add oats instead of
eggs, especially to burgers.
Um, so that's what I use in my
Tracy's Real Foods burgers is, um, is, is
flour and, um, and oat flour at that.
So, and I use oat flour in my,
in my cookies as well.
(22:29):
So, uh, you don't need to use eggs.
That's the bottom line is they're, they're really
archaic.
They're not needed anymore and we can all
do much better without them.
For sure.
It seems though with the media that they're
constantly hammering on this need for eggs.
I mean, literally every time I turn on
(22:49):
the TV and a lot of, a lot
of politicians too, like eggs, eggs, eggs, they're
using it as a political football on both
sides of the aisle.
This is not a political statement, but, um,
never, never recognising that it's the problem, not
the solution.
Okay.
That's what we're trying to let people know
(23:10):
is that eggs are the problem, not the
solution.
Eggs brought us the bird flu crisis, uh,
and the egg industry.
If we didn't have an egg industry, we
wouldn't be producing all these chickens and the
bird flu wouldn't be a growing threat that's
infecting cows and infecting people and becoming a
(23:30):
real crisis.
So the idea that the media, which is
advertiser based and which basically works for their
advertisers, which is definitely not, you don't see
many commercials for bananas, right?
And applesauce.
It's usually, um, meat and dairy laden, fast
food and junk food.
(23:50):
And then the pharmaceuticals that you need because
you've gotten sick from all that horrible food.
So they're not going to talk about these
alternatives with some exceptions.
Uh, Josh Tetrick told me that, um, some
major networks have in the wake of this
crisis, finally started to do a couple of
episodes about, uh, alternatives specifically just egg.
(24:14):
I want to get back to the breaking
news that there's been this new outbreak of
bird flu in the New York city live
poultry markets, which of course, animal activists have
been trying to shut down for years.
They were shut down for a very short
period of time.
And all the activists said, that's ridiculous.
You got to shut them down permanently.
When they reopen the bird flu is just
(24:36):
going to come back.
And that's exactly what's happened.
So let's hear Josh Tetrick, the CEO of
eat just the maker of just egg, the
leading plant-based egg alternative talk about the
difference between the chicken egg process and his
process.
Uh, just egg is made primarily the primary
(25:01):
ingredient is mung beans.
The industry is really built on a premise
that is, um, a problem, which is you
can take lots of animals, put them in
tiny spaces and hope that they don't get
sick, but eventually those animals will get sick.
Um, and the good thing about mung beans
is you can pack them body to body,
to body, to body by the tens of
(25:24):
millions.
Uh, and they won't get sick.
They don't get the flu.
Uh, they're not susceptible to all the inflationary
pressures that chicken eggs are.
Um, I don't know whether the industry is,
um, you know, attempting to stop our, our
soaring sales today, but, uh, given what happened
in the past, I wouldn't be surprised.
(25:46):
So tell us a little bit about the
benefits of just egg, aside from the fact
that it's available, it's on the shelves and,
uh, obviously it's zero cholesterol, high in protein.
Can you elaborate on the benefits price aside?
Yeah.
So most people are probably surprised to learn
that 91% of the people who consume
(26:07):
just egg, they're not vegan or vegetarian.
These are just regular folks trying to eat
a little bit better for breakfast.
And what they end up liking is that
it's entirely free of cholesterol.
It has three times less saturated fat than
a chicken egg does.
It's full of plant protein, has about the
same amount of protein as a, as a
chicken egg, uh, would didn't have any allergens.
We're actually the very first, um, uh, egg,
(26:30):
um, that has been, uh, awarded the clean
label certification.
So this is a pretty rigorous certification that
looks at pesticide residues, that looks at a
variety of toxins, food dyes, colourings.
We pass that with flying colours and just
a word that not a single chicken egg
has gone through that rigorous process.
(26:51):
So people choose us because the taste, because
of the health, because the protein, and now
hopefully more folks will recognise us because of
our, our commitment to being clean label.
And we're going to go back to our
premier chef in Los Angeles, Karen LaCava, who
is making just egg.
What have you been making, Karen?
(27:12):
Well, this is the finished omelette, first of
all, that I'm making.
I can't wait to dig in.
And I started making some, um, some fried
rice and you can see the just egg
that's in there and I'm stirring it up.
I, I, uh, what I did was I
scrambled the just egg.
I made the fried rice and then I
added them together.
(27:33):
And I also want to show you here,
my ingredients that I've been using.
And yeah, so I have all kinds of
ingredients.
It's, it's always fun to just have everything
ready to go so that.
Can you tell us what those ingredients are?
I sure can.
So I have, I have some caramelised onions.
(27:55):
I have salsa for the top.
I have, instead of using spinach, I used,
um, Swiss chard, but this is rainbow chard,
broccolini stems, which are really sweet and delicious.
And then some roasted bell pepper and then
the cheese.
And that vegan cheese is what?
So I had two types.
The one that I was cooking with is,
(28:18):
uh, that was the monster that I got
from the farmer's market.
And then this one here is a Mexican
blend that I used in the first, the
omelette that you didn't see me making.
So you can mix up the cheeses, all
kinds of vegan feta would be delicious with
some spinach.
Uh, it's just really fun to mix it
up and have fun.
And you can have a little omelette bar
here for your friends and family and have
(28:40):
them pick what they want and you can
make it fresh for them.
I love doing that.
Um, you know, that way everybody gets what
they want and who doesn't love fried rice
as a chef.
And I know you cater many events.
You're a vegan caterer, as well as somebody
who donates your time to many causes.
Uh, you've made many dishes for unchained TVs,
(29:02):
fundraisers.
How does it feel?
How does it work?
The just day compared to chicken eggs?
It's the same.
It's the same.
It, it scrambles the same.
It tastes the same.
Um, I'd say it needs to set up
a little bit longer, but that's fine because
you tend to burn your eggs if you're
not careful.
(29:22):
So from what I remember, um, yeah, it's
exactly the same.
You just shake it up.
It's so much easier to, you don't have
to break a shell and worry about, you
know, if you just pour it right in
there and, and, and you just let it
set though, let it set.
If you're doing an omelette, don't mess with
it.
And it's perfect.
It's, it's, it's so easy to work with.
(29:44):
I love it.
I love it.
So thank you so much.
Karen LaCava.
We'll come back to you in a minute.
I do want to talk to Stephanie McBurnett,
uh, who is with physicians committee for responsible
medicine about the difficult side of this.
And that is that it's not just about
taste.
It's not just about food, but it is
(30:05):
about the suffering of animals.
Many tens of millions of chickens have been,
they say cold that's killed.
Okay.
And guess how they're killed.
They're baked alive in a process called VSD
plus, which stands for ventilation shutdown.
More than 2000 veterinarians have signed a petition
(30:27):
saying, um, ventilation shutdown plus is horribly cruel.
Now this is how far we've fallen as
a society.
There is a chicken inside a box that
is being baked alive as part of a
test of this process.
And every time I see this photo, I
am embarrassed to be a member of the
(30:47):
human race.
Uh, what happens is, uh, they seal off
the, uh, it's not really a barn.
It's really, you know, these are factories.
They seal off the factory walls.
They pump in heat and they wait for
all these animals to die.
We have a video here of one chicken
(31:07):
dying of ventilation shutdown plus.
So when people say to me, oh, well,
there's nothing wrong with chickens.
Chickens aren't cruel.
You know, uh, chickens have to lay eggs.
No, this is a massive industry.
The majority of animals killed for food are
chickens.
And first of all, they grind up all
the male chicks alive.
They don't need male chicks in the industry.
(31:28):
And now with bird flu, they are baking
by the tens of millions of these animals
that don't even have majority of them don't
even have bird flu.
They've just been exposed.
So because our tax dollars automatically reimburse these
companies for any animals that they kill, they
(31:50):
just kill with abandon as opposed to enacting,
you know, biosecurity measures that they would, if
they thought they would have to pay for
an outbreak.
Uh, can you elaborate a little bit on
this, Stephanie?
Yes, this is extremely disturbing.
Um, you know, the fact that we have
(32:11):
created this problem, as you've stated, and now
we're remedying it with having to mass kill
off these wonderful creatures.
And really there's just no need for this
industry, right?
Uh, chicken meat is not healthy.
Chicken eggs are not healthy.
They're essentially, you know, and not to be
(32:32):
graphic, they are the menstruation.
They're the baby, uh, chicken, right?
The, when, when humans menstruate every month, this
is their menstruation, um, where, you know, so
that's what people are eating.
And that's why it's so high in cholesterol,
because everything a baby chick needs to become
a regular chicken is inside that egg.
(32:55):
So everything is jam packed.
It's very high in fat, high in cholesterol.
Everything is in there.
And the fact that individuals feel that this
is a health food and they need to
eat that is also extremely disturbing.
So what is PCRM doing to spread the
word that we are in the 21st century?
We do not need to eat this way.
(33:16):
This idea that is promulgated that you absolutely
have to have eggs.
You have be living under a rock that
some of the top pastry restaurants in Los
Angeles are completely vegan.
Their pastries are like off the charts, incredible,
decadent, gorgeous eclairs and, uh, croissant all made
(33:38):
without eggs.
What, what can we do to undo the
damage of this constant pounding of this myth?
That is completely a lie.
Exactly.
So PCRM, uh, is that kind of steadfast
evidence-based, uh, science, uh, fact information.
(34:00):
So when we have either individuals reaching out
to us or checking out our website, or
if maybe it's healthcare providers, we have that
evidence that you will be fine without consuming
eggs.
Actually, you'll be better off.
So we have tonnes of resources on our
website and we are really using this opportunity
to spread the word.
(34:21):
Um, and, and kind of expand what we
already have and what we already know at
PCRM kind of expand that education around the
detriments of eggs and the egg industry.
And, you know, as Kim Delgado was saying
here, us humans can be so cruel as
Nilo Asgarian says, it can take up to
(34:44):
eight hours to die in this vicious way.
I mean, the idea that that is not
taken into consideration when they talk about bird
flu in the media and they use the
word cull.
Okay.
When you hear that word think kill and
now think kill in a very horrible, horrible,
(35:05):
torturous way.
And that's why 2000 veterinarians and it's more
now have signed this petition saying ventilation shutdown
plus is a horribly cruel, um, manner of
death.
It's torture and it should not be considered.
But when you think about the totality of
that and you see that, uh, our media
(35:26):
and our government do not care a whit
about that issue.
Um, where does that leave us on a
moral perspective, Tracy, as a species and a
society?
Yeah, I'm not sure, but you know, I
have, like I said, I've been living this
lifestyle for so long and, um, I've just
(35:50):
found that unless you're actually working to get
these products out, it's very difficult of your
body.
Uh, it's very difficult for people to, um,
fathom the, the, what we feel as vegans
to fathom, um, how we feel about animals
and how we don't want to harm them.
And once we learn about the industries, we
(36:11):
want to get away from them.
So, so really it's just about getting, um,
getting the word out to people and reaching
them on whatever, whatever level it is that
works for them because, um, you know, animal
products in general are just terrible for the
environment.
They're terrible for us.
They're terrible for our, uh, as a species
(36:33):
there, you know, they're just terrible in general.
So let's just, um, reach people on the
level that works for them, whether it's their
health or whether it's a concern for animals.
So if they say they love animals, you
can, you can ask, um, so why do
you eat eggs if you love animals?
Because they're, it's a cruel industry and thank
(36:54):
goodness for, um, for the innovation that we've
been experiencing lately.
Um, not only the innovation that went into
all those alternatives I showed that, um, of
the chefs and different people that started experimenting
and wanting to get away from using eggs,
but that the product just egg is out
is, um, is a tremendous advantage now that,
(37:17):
um, that people have an alternative and they
can switch over.
And so that, thank goodness that that's that,
that we have now, we always cover whoever
we accept people wherever they are on the
journey.
And I want to go to this comment
from this lady, Kate, become a boring vegan
who hates food.
(37:38):
Now this is one of the biggest stereotypes
and just absolutely in my opinion.
And Kate, again, I, we accept you wherever
you are on the journey.
We hope that we can convince you.
And I'm going to go back to Karen
Lakavi, the foodie of Los Angeles.
I hope we can convince, uh, Kate that
(38:01):
we're not boring people who hate food.
You know, it kind of reminds me of
when, uh, I used to drink alcohol and
I thought that I'm about to be 30
years sober, April 1st.
And I used to think that that was
what made me fun at parties, little come
to find out that's what made me not
fun at parties.
Uh, I thought that was my solution.
If I had a bad day at work,
(38:22):
guess what?
It was usually the cause of my bad
day at work.
Um, it's the same thing.
We think something is the solution when it's
actually the problem.
And it's having that aha moment of no,
this isn't helping me.
This isn't, you know, I thought, Oh, he
gets over.
You're never going to have fun again, never
go to a party, never make a fool
of yourself.
Well, I make a fool of myself all
the time now, except I remember it very
well.
(38:42):
Uh, how would you respond to Kate's comment?
First of all, I won't eat something.
If it doesn't taste good, I'd rather just
not eat.
And I grew up in New York city,
uh, where every amazing restaurant was there.
And my mother was a foodie.
She would take me to everything.
You can do so many things.
(39:02):
I mean, this just egg, you can make,
um, you know, eggplant Parmesan, you know, my,
my uncle just made some the other night
and it was delicious.
And he used just egg instead of egg,
you know, with the breading, uh, there's in
baking, like, uh, there's so many things that
you can do.
And even without the just egg, just in
general, there's so many great restaurants, so many
(39:27):
great cooking classes, so many great recipes go
on, on chain TV.
I have a couple of segments as a
matter of fact, uh, can make, sorry.
Uh, you can make all kinds of delicious
things.
You just need to learn quite frankly, I
think it tastes better than, than animals.
I really do.
Um, it's cleaner, it tastes cleaner.
(39:48):
The flavours are better.
Your body feels better.
Everything.
It's just, I just cannot imagine being, uh,
going back to eating animals and Tina there.
I totally agree with you.
It is fun to be vegan.
It is so fun.
And there's so many new foods that are
coming out.
Jackfruit, which has been around for a number
(40:09):
of years now that used to just be
in the Indian, uh, restaurants.
You'd see it, which I used to love
to go just there for that.
Now it's everywhere.
There's so many things.
Uh, I love cooking for my friends, Jane,
I love cooking for you, uh, and making
an experimenting with you guys and just making
all kinds of new things.
And you are one of the top vegan
(40:31):
chefs in Los Angeles and always so generous
with your time.
And you know, I had taken this out
because I was just in my fridge.
I wasn't in my fridge.
I was looking in my fridge and you
know, what can I use?
I had this, of course I use it
all the time.
It's so fantastic.
There's nothing.
Oh, I want scrambled eggs.
Boom.
And, uh, I had scrambled eggs with some
(40:52):
German bread.
You know, the really intense German bread the
other day was fantastic.
And then I found this, I have this
as well.
Um, tell us about this.
What do you know about this?
Tracy Childs.
Yeah, that's, that's a good old school egg
replacer.
And, um, I've used that for years too.
(41:13):
That is actually made with starch.
And I had that in my, in my
little, um, demo thing here with starch.
Yes.
You can, uh, use any kind of starch,
but you can also buy these products.
It also has a little bit of leavening
in it, like a baking, um, powder, but
it's, um, that's, but starch is a good
(41:33):
binder.
So think about it.
If you add water to starch, you know,
corn starch, tapioca starch, arrowroot starch, any of
that, if you add some water to it
and start, start us mixing up with your
fork, you're going to notice that it's becoming
very egg-like and it's, it's, it will
help things stick together.
(41:53):
It's that's my go-to for my loaves.
I make a, um, a vegan loaf that
normally would, a vegetarian loaf normally would have
had eggs in it or a, or a
vegan burger would have normally, the recipe would
normally have had eggs in it.
Well, you know what?
You don't need the eggs.
Eggs are just, like I said, they're just
so old school, so archaic, so not needed.
(42:16):
You know, it was what people had a
lot of back then, you know, in the
days when these recipes were created.
And so people think, Oh, the rest, it's
a time old recipe.
This is the way I make a cake.
Well, you know what?
That's just an old fashion cake.
You don't, you can veganize your cakes and
make them delicious.
And just like Karen said, it's going to
taste better.
That's the thing.
That's the key is that when you get
(42:38):
the cruelty out, your food actually tastes better
and it's not going to be boring.
Believe me, you know, all the spices, all
the things that they put into animal foods
to make them taste good.
Guess what?
Those are plants.
Yeah.
And ethical herbs.
Wow.
So many wonderful vegan egg options than when
(42:59):
I first went vegan 12 years ago.
And that's really true.
Like there's so many of these products.
I'm about to head to Natural Products Expo
West, which is the largest natural products expo
in the world at the Anaheim Convention Centre.
Thousands and thousands and thousands of different products.
And Just Egg is going to be there
(43:19):
and a whole bunch of other egg replacement
companies are going to be there celebrating all
of this stuff.
And so, you know, what I would say
to Kate is we don't ride horses to
get from coast to coast anymore.
There's cars and there's planes.
You know, we have modern technology that we
(43:40):
rely on all the time.
And we have to realise that that modern
technology also applies to food in the sense
that, yes, since the dawn of time, you
could have used flax seeds back in probably
the mediaeval era in place of eggs.
But people have their demands.
(44:00):
They want something that looks like a scrambled
egg.
We made it.
I didn't make it, but Eat Just, Josh
Tetrick made it.
OK.
And so you can still have your eggs
and eat them too.
You can have your cake and eat it
too.
I mean, the resistance.
Here's what I say.
(44:22):
The first step to realising you're brainwashed and
getting out of being brainwashed is to say,
oh, maybe I'm brainwashed.
Maybe I'm repeating somebody else's talking points.
Maybe this isn't my own original idea.
Maybe I'm just conditioned to behave this way.
And that's why I'm saying what I am
(44:43):
saying, whether it's bacon or all vegans are
boring.
Maybe I'm the person who's being cheated.
As one very wise person said, we're all
being factory farmed, not just the animals who
are being tortured.
The humans are being tortured.
So you have 43 percent of the population
(45:04):
right now, which is obese.
OK.
Seventy three percent overweight or obese.
And now they're selling us the drugs to
lose the weight.
So they make money on both sides.
Do you want to comment on that, Stephanie
McBurnett of Physician Committee for Responsible Medicine?
I have worked.
(45:24):
I've been very lucky to work in the
research department at PCRM, where we work with
individuals with type two diabetes, transition them to
a plant based diet, and then we track
their insulin resistance and insulin sensitivity.
And every single person who has transitioned has
said their mind has been blown by the
(45:45):
amount of options of food, that they were
stuck eating the same four things, right?
Eggs, chicken, beef, pork.
And now that that is out of their
diet, it's almost as if the whole world
has opened up and they're eating things they've
never even thought about or known about.
And so it's anything but boring is what
(46:07):
I'll have to say about that.
But it is I find every single person
is just can't can't talk enough about all
the different quinoa, different foods, bulgur that they're
eating that they didn't even know about, different
beans.
And so that's kind of the one comment
I have on that and about the obesity
rates.
(46:27):
Yes, it is just kind of getting worse
and worse.
And I think it's tied in with this
food industry, just kind of being tied to
that they're trying to make a greater profit.
And they're they don't care about our health,
they care about profit.
And there's the egg industry that has gone
so far as to get into the research
and try to manipulate the research that is
(46:52):
out about eggs.
But it's all getting pushed away by actual
real research that doesn't have any influence.
Things are coming to the surface just in
2023, a meta-analysis came out that showed
every hundred milligrammes of cholesterol of dietary cholesterol
per day, increase the risk of type two
(47:13):
diabetes by 5%.
So 100 milligrammes is half of an egg.
So if you're eating an egg a few
times a week, you're increasing your risk of
type two diabetes.
And this is, this is just, there's two
different studies that came out in 2021, 2019,
there was a study published in JAMA showing
that just three to four eggs per week,
(47:33):
increase your risk of cardiovascular disease and all
cause mortality.
So the research is there.
We just have to, we just have to
follow it.
I think, and this is, this is nature's
way of telling us we don't need to
be eating eggs anymore.
And let me just ask you about a
fact that a lot of people are not
aware of, and that is that there's no
(47:54):
cholesterol in vegan products.
If you look at Just Egg, it says
right here, zero cholesterol, no, no cholesterol.
And I always tell people, take a look
at this one too.
I didn't even have to check.
Zero cholesterol.
Every single vegan product has zero cholesterol.
Can you explain that fact that is so
(48:17):
crucial when heart disease is the leading killer?
Okay.
Yes.
So cholesterol, dietary cholesterol is linked to heart
disease and type two diabetes.
It's mostly found in eggs and enamel products
because it isn't found in plants.
So anything that's vegan is already off the
(48:38):
bat, not going to have cholesterol, which is
going to bring down your total cholesterol.
Also what's linked to our cholesterol levels in
humans is saturated fat intake.
And the highest amounts, the highest foods with
the highest amounts of saturated fat are actually
dairy and cheese and eggs and animal products.
(49:00):
Right?
So you see this link of not only
is the cholesterol that's hurting your heart in
animal products, but it's also the increased saturated
fat as well.
Wow.
So, you know, for all of these reasons,
it's a no brainer.
What kills me is that despite the fact
(49:21):
that this is a no brainer, despite the
fact that we have all of these alternatives
that we've been showing you, bananas, applesauce, chia
seeds, flax seeds, silken tofu, aquafaba, vegan yoghurt,
apple cider vinegar, and more.
And then for those who want the egg
experience, whether it be an omelette like this
(49:43):
one or scrambled eggs, you have just egg.
And that's why their campaign says, what egg
shortage?
There's never been a better time to try
plant-based eggs.
By the way, if you want to try,
you can just go to www.ju.st,
put in your email and you will get
(50:05):
a discount.
And as you've heard on the show today,
there are so many places you can buy
it online.
You know, whatever your preference is for shopping,
it's widely available and you could get it
like that.
Whether it's, you want to go on Amazon,
Whole Foods, Kroger, all of these places that
(50:27):
were mentioned by the CEO of Eat Just,
it's there, take advantage of it, give it
a try.
And I hope Kate will also give it
a try.
Final thoughts, starting with our chef, Karen Lacava.
Final thoughts.
You don't need eggs.
You don't need animal products to have delicious
(50:47):
food.
So why do it?
Why harm the environment?
Why harm the animals?
Why harm yourself?
And have fun experimenting.
Who doesn't like to have fun?
You can have some friends over and try
new recipes.
Just do it, do it.
Pasta, you can do pasta with all kinds
of vegetables.
There's so much.
Have fun with it.
(51:08):
Well said.
All right.
We're going to go straight out to our
San Diego premiere chef.
Hey, I have a few things.
Yeah.
So the thing I remember when I used
to use eggs was that I was kind
of scared, right?
I knew besides the bird flu, which wasn't
happening back then in the nineties, you know,
(51:31):
there was salmonella in eggs, right?
And people were getting the, you know, a
lot of people who get the flu are
actually getting salmonella poisoning, actually.
So just getting the eggs, getting the animal
products out of your kitchen is going to
make your kitchen safer.
It's going to make restaurants safer.
Using just eggs as a safer product, for
sure.
(51:51):
Animal products are just plain dirty.
The whole raising of them is dirty.
The raising of plants is much cleaner.
Having plants in your kitchen is a much
cleaner way to live.
So just do it.
It's not a problem.
Once you get used to the idea and
start looking around, you can replace them and
just be that much happier and that much
(52:12):
safer and that much healthier.
Well said.
And we're going to go to Stephanie McBurnett
with Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
Your final thoughts.
Yeah.
So I think we've cracked the code on
the egg crisis, right?
And use this as a golden opportunity as
our friends and family.
(52:34):
And even at the supermarket, you hear these
conversations about egg prices.
You can also come in and say, well,
we really don't need them.
They're not good for our health.
And here's some replacements.
And I will just add that my favourite
thing to make with just egg is a
quiche.
Put some hash browns and then just egg
(52:54):
and veggies on top.
Well, I hope you come back and make
that for us.
We're going to stay on top of this
story because I do believe this is a
turning point.
You heard Josh Tetrick, the CEO and founder
of Eat Just, the maker of Just Egg,
say that his sales are skyrocketing.
So people, and I've seen it myself.
I was shopping the other day at a
(53:15):
supermarket and I saw somebody staring at an
empty counter with a couple of egg cartons
and then this big space.
And you know what I said?
Try Just Egg.
I do it because I'm doing that person
a favour.
They may not be aware of this alternative.
And so I urge everybody to get it,
(53:38):
whether you get it online, Amazon, or you
get it at Whole Foods, or you get
it at Kroger, or you get it at
any of the other places where it's available.
Try it and share out this video to
spread the word as well.
Unchained TV, which is our nonprofit free streaming
television network, was created by me because I
(53:58):
was in mainstream media for 30 years and
I saw that they're not talking about this.
You don't need somebody to knock on your
door and say, don't talk about the egg
replacers when you're seeing the TV commercials that
keep the lights on filled with meat, dairy,
and eggs and pharmaceuticals.
So we're really trying to get out the
truth.
So you can help us by sharing out
(54:20):
this video.
You can also help us by becoming part
of the team by downloading Unchained TV, which
again, we are a 501c3 nonprofit run by
volunteers like Tracy Childs and Karen LaCava and
myself.
None of us take a salary.
We're just here to try to wake people
(54:42):
up and save the planet.
We didn't even get to the environmental benefits
of a plant-based diet.
You can reduce your greenhouse gas emissions footprint
by 75% by going plant-based.
So it's a vegan Netflix.
Okay.
That's the craziest thing I've ever heard.
I love Unchained TV.
Your life will change.
It's just that easy.
Unchained TV has all sorts of content for
(55:04):
everybody.
Unchained TV changed my life.
Unchained TV is crushing it.
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Unchained TV is my go-to.
Unchained TV.
Who knew?
Unchained baby, yay!
This episode was brought to you by Unchained
(55:25):
TV.
Unchained TV is a nonprofit organisation producing plant
-based content filled with tips and tricks to
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For more information on Unchained TV Productions, just
visit UnchainedTV.com.
That's UnchainedTV.com.
Egg prices could rise by 41% this
year, the USDA estimates, and our agriculture department
is also looking to import eggs as prices
soar.
Guess what?
There is no need.
What egg shortage?
There's never been a better time to try
plant-based eggs.
That's a just egg omelette.
(00:21):
And here I am making a just egg
omelette just the other day.
I could testify in a court of law.
It looks like eggs, it tastes like eggs,
but it's got added advantages of zero cholesterol
with plenty of protein.
This is the opportunity of a lifetime to
(00:42):
drop kick that bad high habit and switch
to just egg.
It looks exactly like eggs, except it's from
plants.
So excited to be talking to the founder
CEO of Eat Just, maker of this incredible
product.
And Josh, we're in the middle of a
(01:04):
bird flu crisis and price of eggs is
skyrocketing and there's a lack of availability.
How does that help you with just egg?
Well, it helps us, Jane, because often we're
the only egg on the shelf now.
So you've got millions of Americans going to
buy chicken eggs and they go to the
egg set at Walmart or Whole Foods or
(01:26):
Kroger or their local grocery store.
And often because of what's happening with the
eggs, they see one egg on the shelf
and it happens to be that yellow carton.
And it happens not to be made from
chickens, but made from plants.
And as a result, we're growing five times
faster than we were at this time last
(01:47):
year.
We're growing five times faster than chicken eggs.
And it's a quite an extraordinary moment for
us and I think the plant based industry
to be where we are today.
We've got to make sure that we're delivering
on time to these retailers.
We're always in stock because there's no better
(02:07):
time to move people from the chicken egg
habit to the plant based habit than it
is today.
So just to be clear, you are seeing
a surge in sales as a result of
the bird flu crisis.
We're seeing a surge in sales across the
board.
So everywhere from where I was raised in
Birmingham, Alabama, to Oakland, California, to everywhere in
(02:32):
between, millions of Americans are discovering that an
egg from a plant exists for the first
time.
And we're seeing more Americans today try it
out.
More Americans use it in frittatas and quiches
and omelettes and scrambled eggs during the week
and during the weekend.
(02:53):
And it's a real breakthrough moment.
So we have an incredible panel for you
today.
We're going to start with Stephanie McBurnett of
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
This is a moment in history, Stephanie, where
our culture can really make the shift.
Tell us about it.
(03:17):
The pain in your wallet to switch over
to away from eggs right at the breakfast
table.
So I like to talk about the big
three.
Egg consumption is linked to higher heart disease
risk.
Number two, higher rates of type 2 diabetes.
And then even some certain cancers are linked
(03:37):
to egg consumption.
So I just think this is a great
moment in time where we can all kind
of sit back and take a breath and
think, why do we need to consume eggs?
There's such better options for our health.
And how is that going?
Are you seeing, because Physicians Committee for Responsible
Medicine reaches out to thousands of doctors and
(04:01):
registered dietitians and people looking to improve their
health, are you seeing a breakthrough or are
you seeing people still think, I've got to
get that egg?
Because that's what the mainstream media is pushing.
I mean, they're just pushing eggs, eggs, eggs.
And yet they don't really talk about the
obvious alternatives.
(04:23):
Yes, this is a great opportunity for kind
of those physicians that lean into the plant
based world that are plant strong or 100
percent, because patients are coming to the doctor
saying, I can't find eggs.
How am I supposed to eat a healthy
breakfast?
And they can slide right in and say,
(04:43):
you don't need eggs.
Not only do they hurt your wallet, but
they're hurting your heart.
They're increasing your risk of type two diabetes
and they could be increasing your risk of
cancer.
So I think this is a great moment
in time to really seize, seize the day.
Right.
And really discuss with our patients the benefits
(05:03):
of choosing something else at breakfast.
Now, I want to bring in Tracy Shiles,
and she has her own line of cookies
where she makes incredibly delicious cookies without any
eggs at all.
And she is an expert in egg replacers.
So take it away.
What do you have there?
So these are my cookies that I make.
(05:25):
These are Tracy's Real Foods cookies.
And, you know, they hold together fine without
eggs.
I have been egg free myself since 1990
when I became vegan and learned about the
industry and just decided, you know, I'm not
going to take part in any of that.
I don't want to support that industry and
(05:46):
the cruelty that was going on because I
knew about factory farming back then.
So, so, you know, what are you going
to do, though?
So I've always been a home chef and
then I became a professional chef and started
my company.
And so I just throughout the years investigated
and looked into all the different ways you
can replace eggs for everything across the board.
(06:09):
They are not needed.
They're archaic.
We don't need them at all.
So I could show you a lot of
great alternatives that you can use for all
the different things.
So just egg is a great alternative for
if you want to create a scramble, a
frittata, something like that.
But if you're baking, maybe you're going to
(06:29):
want to try something else.
And I'm old school.
I've been using these different things for years.
And so I just want to show you
a few of the great alternatives that are
out there for different.
Go ahead.
Okay.
So what we have are, you know, there's
some great alternatives out there and some great
graphics out there.
(06:50):
You can find even positions committee who I'm
associated with.
I'm a food for life instructor that Stephanie's
with.
They have great alternatives and great resources.
Oh, yeah.
So this is what I use for my
cookies.
And this is old school is using flax
seeds.
So when you want to create a flax
(07:11):
egg, it's super simple.
You just take some water.
Now these flax seeds I showed you, those
are the whole flax seeds.
Now you don't want to use those.
You want to grind them up.
Now you can buy it as flax meal
or you can grind them up yourself.
And then you just go ahead and take
three tablespoons of water and one tablespoon of
(07:32):
ground flax and stir it up.
You can see it's kind of watery.
I'm going to go through some other things
and we'll come back and we'll show you
how this is thickened up.
I love it.
And we will come back to you in
just a second.
Now we have a real treat for you.
We are going to go out to a
(07:52):
kitchen in Encino, California with famed vegan chef
Karen Lakava.
Karen, take it away.
What are you making in that pan?
It looks delicious.
So I'm making an omelette.
I just poured in some just egg.
Well, it's called eggs from plants.
And I love making omelettes with these.
(08:12):
I actually have one right here that I
made a little while ago.
And it has some salsa on top.
So this one is I just poured this
in a little while ago.
So what I'm going to do is I'm
going to add some cheese.
And that's vegan cheese?
Vegan cheese.
And this is a vegan monster cheese.
And then I'm going to add some caramelised
(08:33):
onions.
And I'm going to add some roasted bell
peppers and all kinds of yummy things, right?
And then there we go.
So I'm going to let that cook for
a second and then I'm going to turn
it over.
It's still cooking a little bit.
And let me ask you, how does this
(08:54):
compare to chicken eggs?
Those people who think, oh, it's never going
to be the same.
To me, it looks exactly the same.
I've tasted just egg.
It tastes to me identical.
Tell me about it.
So it tastes identical to me too.
I have to admit, I haven't had chicken
eggs since before 1990.
(09:15):
Just like Tracy, I became vegan in 1990.
But what I remember, it definitely tastes the
same.
And I have served these to my non
-vegan friends and they thought it was delicious
also.
So you can't go wrong.
And you're not harming any animals, the planet,
yourself.
So why not do it?
(09:36):
And right now, especially with what's going on,
it's just crazy.
So it's the perfect time to move over
and start some vegan egg inviting.
Pick that pan up and show it to
us a little bit.
So this is what it looks like right
now.
And I'm going to flip it over so
that it's more like an omelette.
See?
(09:57):
Okay.
And then, see, now it looks like an
omelette.
Okay.
Wow.
Hold it up a little bit.
Higher, higher, higher, higher.
You know what's going to help?
Let me do this.
There we go.
There we go.
Look at that.
You can watch this.
Ready?
We can flip it.
(10:18):
Oh, wow.
Now, that's amazing.
Carol Acaba, you are quite the chef.
Thank you.
And I just think that it's so egg
-like.
Yes, I will say myself as well, I
have not had eggs in many, many, many,
many years.
But my friends who have tried this, who
(10:39):
are not yet vegan, they're like, Jane, I
thought you were vegan.
Why are you serving us eggs?
And it's because you can't tell the difference.
Now, if you can't tell the difference, okay,
and if there's a bird flu, which there
is, and I'm getting breaking news into my
phone right now as I speak about some
latest developments in the bird flu.
(11:01):
And if there's a health benefit to eating
the plant-based eggs, why not make the
switch?
It looks the same, it tastes the same,
and there's added benefits, and there's a bird
flu.
I want to go back to Stephanie McBurnett
with Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
As a registered dietitian, what are the problems
(11:23):
with eggs?
Because eggs are still being sold as a
health food, and that's just not true.
Yeah, so there's a few components in eggs
that are really kind of bringing those negative
health effects.
One is they have over 200 milligrammes of
cholesterol.
And cholesterol right now is the leading, you
(11:43):
know, it's really linked to heart disease.
So the highest source of cholesterol in the
American diet, leaps and bounds over any other
food is going to be eggs.
So if you have heart disease, if you
have type 2 diabetes, you need to be
avoiding eggs.
Another factor is there's no fibre in eggs.
So if you're even replacing that with a
(12:05):
whole grain cereal or toast at breakfast, you're,
you know, you're not getting any fibre from
eggs.
Also, there's choline in eggs, which some people
tout is like a positive, and maybe this
is where that kind of, where people are
talking about the health benefits of eggs.
But choline has actually been linked to prostate
(12:25):
cancer, and it has been linked to why
eggs have increased cancer risk.
So it's kind of that triple threat of
they're high in cholesterol, they have saturated fat,
they have choline, and then they have no
fibre.
You're making a lot of good points.
People are commenting left and right about this.
(12:47):
Coconut tastes eggy.
Yum.
And where do we get the vegan muenster
cheese?
Well, before we get to where do we
get the vegan muenster cheese, I would like
to talk a little bit about where we
get Just Egg.
And in fact, I was able to interview
the CEO of Eat Just, the maker of
(13:10):
Just Egg about that exactly.
Where are people buying Just Egg mostly from?
You can get Just Egg, I'll start with
retail.
So if you live next to a Walmart
anywhere in the country, you go to where
the eggs are sold, and you'll see it.
We also have a frozen egg patty called
Just Egg Folded that's in the, where the
frozen breakfast items are sold.
(13:32):
So Walmart, and Whole Foods, and ShopRite, and
Kroger, and Publix in the south, that's where
my mom shops at West Palm Beach, Florida,
Kroger.
You can get Just Egg at Berkeley Bowl,
about seven miles from here.
You can get Just Egg in Kauai, in
Maui, all across Montana.
So every state in the country, almost every
(13:55):
major retailer in the country has it right
next to where the eggs are sold.
And then on the restaurant side, we're available
at Pete's Coffee, and Caribou, and hundreds of
colleges and universities from Yale to the University
of California system.
Lots of diners from Texas, back to Hawaii
and Montana again.
(14:15):
It's a broad retail, broad food service distribution.
And we've only just started.
This thing only launched about four years ago.
So we got, we got a lot more
to go.
Are you thinking of going public?
Eventually we will.
Yeah, we want to continue to build, build
our sales volume.
Thankfully, primarily because of our, our largest shareholder,
(14:40):
who continues to emphasise to me, the import
of selling our product at a higher and
higher margin, having more of an impact.
Every case that we sell today, every unit
that we sell today is at a positive
margin, which enables us to continue to be
self-reliant, to be a healthy company.
So we're going to keep getting our margins
(15:01):
up, our growth higher, our consumer awareness higher,
which certainly this bird flu situation is helpful
with.
And then eventually the plan is to, to,
to go public and, and let everyday people
participate in the, in the mission.
And we've got breaking news just in as
we speak.
This is a report that I am reading
(15:23):
that somebody sent me from the New York
Post and it literally came out moments ago,
hundreds of birds in New York City infected
by bird flu after poultry markets allowed to
reopen.
Hundreds of birds at a Queens live poultry
market have succumbed to a new bird flu
outbreak less than two weeks after the shops
(15:45):
were allowed to reopen as the virus runs
rampant across the nation.
At least 150 birds were found to be
infected with the extremely contagious and devastating virus
according to data from the animal and plant
inspection service.
So that is very shocking.
(16:05):
What is your response Stephanie McBurnett as a
representative of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine?
I mean, that's pretty scary to hear.
It is not getting better.
It's getting worse.
It's, it started a few years ago and
it's just snowballing.
But the silver lining is this is a
great opportunity to switch to something healthier at
(16:27):
breakfast time.
This is, you know, intervention saying, you know,
it's, it's, there's, we have a health crisis
and eggs are not helping that.
And so we can just switch right to
something healthier that has just as much protein.
I know we talk about eggs and it
having some protein and that's why it's touted
(16:47):
as healthy, but there are plenty of other
options, just like just egg that have just
as much protein, if not more for your
breakfast.
And we want to go back now to
Tracy Childs.
Tracy, you've been showing us the alternatives that
you might call the natural alternatives that are
(17:08):
literally just things like flaxseed.
Okay.
I've got flaxseed right here.
Look, flaxseed.
It's so simple, but it's a binder.
Take it away.
You were, you were showing us some really
mom and pop.
Anybody at home can use these ingredients to
mimic eggs and use them in baking and
(17:30):
cooking.
Yeah, absolutely.
Yes, absolutely.
So, so this is the flax egg that
I, I created.
If you missed it, all this is, is
one tablespoon of flax ground flaxseed, like Jane
showed us and three tablespoons of water.
And you can see how it's thickened up
(17:51):
and become kind of viscous like eggs and
sticky.
So this can be put into a, anywhere
where you're baking that were called for an
egg.
So the other, the other thing that's similar,
if you don't want to use flax is
chia.
Okay, let's go into chia seeds.
(18:12):
So chia seeds, you can these actually, you
don't need to grind, but it may take
a little more time, but same thing.
You can put chia seeds with water and
put them, you know, chia seeds are amazing.
And these, both of these are high in
omega three fatty acids.
So, you know, not only are they healthy
and have no cholesterol, they are also have
(18:34):
protein, they're a seed, and they have really
good fats that are good for your heart,
not bad for your heart.
So I like that.
And, and I love showing people in my
classes, I teach food for life, nutrition and
cooking, and this is black salt.
So this is, it's an Indian black salt,
and you can sprinkle this.
(18:55):
And I know this is what makes just
egg taste like egg too, but you can
also mix it with, this is what I've
been doing for years, put it with your
tofu, mash up your tofu, or add some
turmeric, add a bunch of spices, and you
can create something that tastes like egg.
Now it's not going to be as close
as just egg, but we love it and
(19:17):
we've loved it for years.
So, so another good idea for replacing eggs
is not the garbanzo beans themselves, but the
liquid.
This is called aquafaba.
So aquafaba can actually be whipped up to
become a meringue.
And aquafaba is just the cooking liquid from
(19:38):
garbanzo beans.
So you can open up a can and
save that aquafaba in the fridge.
You can put it on some bread, bread
loaves instead of eggs.
You can whip it up.
Like I said, you can use it as
an, an oil replacement too.
It's amazing stuff.
Don't throw it away.
Let me ask you, so what would you
use the aquafaba with to make the egg
(19:59):
alternative?
So you put a little cream of tartar
and, and then you put sugar with it
if you want to make a meringue.
So it's just, you whip it up with
your beaters and it becomes, and you can
also whip it up with your beaters and
put it, fold it into things and it
really will thicken things up.
And I just love, I love, love, love
(20:21):
all of these alternatives and the ideas behind
them.
And I, I would make my kids muffins
back in the nineties and the recipe called
for apple cider vinegar and baking soda.
Now that's the thing is that these two
things, if you add them to your, to
your soy milk, that coagulates it and becomes
like alive and it replaces eggs that way.
(20:45):
It actually kind of becomes like a buttermilk,
the, the, the butter, the apple cider vinegar
mixed with the soy milk becomes thick and
then reacts with the baking soda in your
recipe.
So that's a good alternative for muffins and
silken tofu is wonderful to be added to
(21:05):
all kinds of things.
You can make your mayo out of it.
You don't need to have mayo made out
of eggs.
Bananas are wonderful in pancakes and they're a
great binder.
I want to ask you about bananas.
Yeah.
To me, bananas would be the easiest thing
for me to say, Hey, I've got a
bunch of bananas here.
(21:26):
How would you use the banana in cooking?
So, uh, what you do is you mash
it up, you just mash it up and
put it with your flour.
And it's a great, great, I use it
in pancakes.
This is, I, uh, my recipe is banana
pancakes.
It's a bananas mashed up oat flour, soy,
(21:47):
you know, some soy milk and some, and
some leavening.
That's all you need.
It's a natural sweetener too.
So, you know, you use it in your
sweet recipes and I, uh, this is one
of the, as often skipped, but oats, oats
are, um, better than wheat as far as
being more sticky when you grind them up
into the flour, um, put them with something
moist.
You know how oats do, they're just very
(22:08):
sticky.
They're amazing as a binder.
So you can actually add oats instead of
eggs, especially to burgers.
Um, so that's what I use in my
Tracy's Real Foods burgers is, um, is, is
flour and, um, and oat flour at that.
So, and I use oat flour in my,
in my cookies as well.
(22:29):
So, uh, you don't need to use eggs.
That's the bottom line is they're, they're really
archaic.
They're not needed anymore and we can all
do much better without them.
For sure.
It seems though with the media that they're
constantly hammering on this need for eggs.
I mean, literally every time I turn on
(22:49):
the TV and a lot of, a lot
of politicians too, like eggs, eggs, eggs, they're
using it as a political football on both
sides of the aisle.
This is not a political statement, but, um,
never, never recognising that it's the problem, not
the solution.
Okay.
That's what we're trying to let people know
(23:10):
is that eggs are the problem, not the
solution.
Eggs brought us the bird flu crisis, uh,
and the egg industry.
If we didn't have an egg industry, we
wouldn't be producing all these chickens and the
bird flu wouldn't be a growing threat that's
infecting cows and infecting people and becoming a
(23:30):
real crisis.
So the idea that the media, which is
advertiser based and which basically works for their
advertisers, which is definitely not, you don't see
many commercials for bananas, right?
And applesauce.
It's usually, um, meat and dairy laden, fast
food and junk food.
(23:50):
And then the pharmaceuticals that you need because
you've gotten sick from all that horrible food.
So they're not going to talk about these
alternatives with some exceptions.
Uh, Josh Tetrick told me that, um, some
major networks have in the wake of this
crisis, finally started to do a couple of
episodes about, uh, alternatives specifically just egg.
(24:14):
I want to get back to the breaking
news that there's been this new outbreak of
bird flu in the New York city live
poultry markets, which of course, animal activists have
been trying to shut down for years.
They were shut down for a very short
period of time.
And all the activists said, that's ridiculous.
You got to shut them down permanently.
When they reopen the bird flu is just
(24:36):
going to come back.
And that's exactly what's happened.
So let's hear Josh Tetrick, the CEO of
eat just the maker of just egg, the
leading plant-based egg alternative talk about the
difference between the chicken egg process and his
process.
Uh, just egg is made primarily the primary
(25:01):
ingredient is mung beans.
The industry is really built on a premise
that is, um, a problem, which is you
can take lots of animals, put them in
tiny spaces and hope that they don't get
sick, but eventually those animals will get sick.
Um, and the good thing about mung beans
is you can pack them body to body,
to body, to body by the tens of
(25:24):
millions.
Uh, and they won't get sick.
They don't get the flu.
Uh, they're not susceptible to all the inflationary
pressures that chicken eggs are.
Um, I don't know whether the industry is,
um, you know, attempting to stop our, our
soaring sales today, but, uh, given what happened
in the past, I wouldn't be surprised.
(25:46):
So tell us a little bit about the
benefits of just egg, aside from the fact
that it's available, it's on the shelves and,
uh, obviously it's zero cholesterol, high in protein.
Can you elaborate on the benefits price aside?
Yeah.
So most people are probably surprised to learn
that 91% of the people who consume
(26:07):
just egg, they're not vegan or vegetarian.
These are just regular folks trying to eat
a little bit better for breakfast.
And what they end up liking is that
it's entirely free of cholesterol.
It has three times less saturated fat than
a chicken egg does.
It's full of plant protein, has about the
same amount of protein as a, as a
chicken egg, uh, would didn't have any allergens.
We're actually the very first, um, uh, egg,
(26:30):
um, that has been, uh, awarded the clean
label certification.
So this is a pretty rigorous certification that
looks at pesticide residues, that looks at a
variety of toxins, food dyes, colourings.
We pass that with flying colours and just
a word that not a single chicken egg
has gone through that rigorous process.
(26:51):
So people choose us because the taste, because
of the health, because the protein, and now
hopefully more folks will recognise us because of
our, our commitment to being clean label.
And we're going to go back to our
premier chef in Los Angeles, Karen LaCava, who
is making just egg.
What have you been making, Karen?
(27:12):
Well, this is the finished omelette, first of
all, that I'm making.
I can't wait to dig in.
And I started making some, um, some fried
rice and you can see the just egg
that's in there and I'm stirring it up.
I, I, uh, what I did was I
scrambled the just egg.
I made the fried rice and then I
added them together.
(27:33):
And I also want to show you here,
my ingredients that I've been using.
And yeah, so I have all kinds of
ingredients.
It's, it's always fun to just have everything
ready to go so that.
Can you tell us what those ingredients are?
I sure can.
So I have, I have some caramelised onions.
(27:55):
I have salsa for the top.
I have, instead of using spinach, I used,
um, Swiss chard, but this is rainbow chard,
broccolini stems, which are really sweet and delicious.
And then some roasted bell pepper and then
the cheese.
And that vegan cheese is what?
So I had two types.
The one that I was cooking with is,
(28:18):
uh, that was the monster that I got
from the farmer's market.
And then this one here is a Mexican
blend that I used in the first, the
omelette that you didn't see me making.
So you can mix up the cheeses, all
kinds of vegan feta would be delicious with
some spinach.
Uh, it's just really fun to mix it
up and have fun.
And you can have a little omelette bar
here for your friends and family and have
(28:40):
them pick what they want and you can
make it fresh for them.
I love doing that.
Um, you know, that way everybody gets what
they want and who doesn't love fried rice
as a chef.
And I know you cater many events.
You're a vegan caterer, as well as somebody
who donates your time to many causes.
Uh, you've made many dishes for unchained TVs,
(29:02):
fundraisers.
How does it feel?
How does it work?
The just day compared to chicken eggs?
It's the same.
It's the same.
It, it scrambles the same.
It tastes the same.
Um, I'd say it needs to set up
a little bit longer, but that's fine because
you tend to burn your eggs if you're
not careful.
(29:22):
So from what I remember, um, yeah, it's
exactly the same.
You just shake it up.
It's so much easier to, you don't have
to break a shell and worry about, you
know, if you just pour it right in
there and, and, and you just let it
set though, let it set.
If you're doing an omelette, don't mess with
it.
And it's perfect.
It's, it's, it's so easy to work with.
(29:44):
I love it.
I love it.
So thank you so much.
Karen LaCava.
We'll come back to you in a minute.
I do want to talk to Stephanie McBurnett,
uh, who is with physicians committee for responsible
medicine about the difficult side of this.
And that is that it's not just about
taste.
It's not just about food, but it is
(30:05):
about the suffering of animals.
Many tens of millions of chickens have been,
they say cold that's killed.
Okay.
And guess how they're killed.
They're baked alive in a process called VSD
plus, which stands for ventilation shutdown.
More than 2000 veterinarians have signed a petition
(30:27):
saying, um, ventilation shutdown plus is horribly cruel.
Now this is how far we've fallen as
a society.
There is a chicken inside a box that
is being baked alive as part of a
test of this process.
And every time I see this photo, I
am embarrassed to be a member of the
(30:47):
human race.
Uh, what happens is, uh, they seal off
the, uh, it's not really a barn.
It's really, you know, these are factories.
They seal off the factory walls.
They pump in heat and they wait for
all these animals to die.
We have a video here of one chicken
(31:07):
dying of ventilation shutdown plus.
So when people say to me, oh, well,
there's nothing wrong with chickens.
Chickens aren't cruel.
You know, uh, chickens have to lay eggs.
No, this is a massive industry.
The majority of animals killed for food are
chickens.
And first of all, they grind up all
the male chicks alive.
They don't need male chicks in the industry.
(31:28):
And now with bird flu, they are baking
by the tens of millions of these animals
that don't even have majority of them don't
even have bird flu.
They've just been exposed.
So because our tax dollars automatically reimburse these
companies for any animals that they kill, they
(31:50):
just kill with abandon as opposed to enacting,
you know, biosecurity measures that they would, if
they thought they would have to pay for
an outbreak.
Uh, can you elaborate a little bit on
this, Stephanie?
Yes, this is extremely disturbing.
Um, you know, the fact that we have
(32:11):
created this problem, as you've stated, and now
we're remedying it with having to mass kill
off these wonderful creatures.
And really there's just no need for this
industry, right?
Uh, chicken meat is not healthy.
Chicken eggs are not healthy.
They're essentially, you know, and not to be
(32:32):
graphic, they are the menstruation.
They're the baby, uh, chicken, right?
The, when, when humans menstruate every month, this
is their menstruation, um, where, you know, so
that's what people are eating.
And that's why it's so high in cholesterol,
because everything a baby chick needs to become
a regular chicken is inside that egg.
(32:55):
So everything is jam packed.
It's very high in fat, high in cholesterol.
Everything is in there.
And the fact that individuals feel that this
is a health food and they need to
eat that is also extremely disturbing.
So what is PCRM doing to spread the
word that we are in the 21st century?
We do not need to eat this way.
(33:16):
This idea that is promulgated that you absolutely
have to have eggs.
You have be living under a rock that
some of the top pastry restaurants in Los
Angeles are completely vegan.
Their pastries are like off the charts, incredible,
decadent, gorgeous eclairs and, uh, croissant all made
(33:38):
without eggs.
What, what can we do to undo the
damage of this constant pounding of this myth?
That is completely a lie.
Exactly.
So PCRM, uh, is that kind of steadfast
evidence-based, uh, science, uh, fact information.
(34:00):
So when we have either individuals reaching out
to us or checking out our website, or
if maybe it's healthcare providers, we have that
evidence that you will be fine without consuming
eggs.
Actually, you'll be better off.
So we have tonnes of resources on our
website and we are really using this opportunity
to spread the word.
(34:21):
Um, and, and kind of expand what we
already have and what we already know at
PCRM kind of expand that education around the
detriments of eggs and the egg industry.
And, you know, as Kim Delgado was saying
here, us humans can be so cruel as
Nilo Asgarian says, it can take up to
(34:44):
eight hours to die in this vicious way.
I mean, the idea that that is not
taken into consideration when they talk about bird
flu in the media and they use the
word cull.
Okay.
When you hear that word think kill and
now think kill in a very horrible, horrible,
(35:05):
torturous way.
And that's why 2000 veterinarians and it's more
now have signed this petition saying ventilation shutdown
plus is a horribly cruel, um, manner of
death.
It's torture and it should not be considered.
But when you think about the totality of
that and you see that, uh, our media
(35:26):
and our government do not care a whit
about that issue.
Um, where does that leave us on a
moral perspective, Tracy, as a species and a
society?
Yeah, I'm not sure, but you know, I
have, like I said, I've been living this
lifestyle for so long and, um, I've just
(35:50):
found that unless you're actually working to get
these products out, it's very difficult of your
body.
Uh, it's very difficult for people to, um,
fathom the, the, what we feel as vegans
to fathom, um, how we feel about animals
and how we don't want to harm them.
And once we learn about the industries, we
(36:11):
want to get away from them.
So, so really it's just about getting, um,
getting the word out to people and reaching
them on whatever, whatever level it is that
works for them because, um, you know, animal
products in general are just terrible for the
environment.
They're terrible for us.
They're terrible for our, uh, as a species
(36:33):
there, you know, they're just terrible in general.
So let's just, um, reach people on the
level that works for them, whether it's their
health or whether it's a concern for animals.
So if they say they love animals, you
can, you can ask, um, so why do
you eat eggs if you love animals?
Because they're, it's a cruel industry and thank
(36:54):
goodness for, um, for the innovation that we've
been experiencing lately.
Um, not only the innovation that went into
all those alternatives I showed that, um, of
the chefs and different people that started experimenting
and wanting to get away from using eggs,
but that the product just egg is out
is, um, is a tremendous advantage now that,
(37:17):
um, that people have an alternative and they
can switch over.
And so that, thank goodness that that's that,
that we have now, we always cover whoever
we accept people wherever they are on the
journey.
And I want to go to this comment
from this lady, Kate, become a boring vegan
who hates food.
(37:38):
Now this is one of the biggest stereotypes
and just absolutely in my opinion.
And Kate, again, I, we accept you wherever
you are on the journey.
We hope that we can convince you.
And I'm going to go back to Karen
Lakavi, the foodie of Los Angeles.
I hope we can convince, uh, Kate that
(38:01):
we're not boring people who hate food.
You know, it kind of reminds me of
when, uh, I used to drink alcohol and
I thought that I'm about to be 30
years sober, April 1st.
And I used to think that that was
what made me fun at parties, little come
to find out that's what made me not
fun at parties.
Uh, I thought that was my solution.
If I had a bad day at work,
(38:22):
guess what?
It was usually the cause of my bad
day at work.
Um, it's the same thing.
We think something is the solution when it's
actually the problem.
And it's having that aha moment of no,
this isn't helping me.
This isn't, you know, I thought, Oh, he
gets over.
You're never going to have fun again, never
go to a party, never make a fool
of yourself.
Well, I make a fool of myself all
the time now, except I remember it very
well.
(38:42):
Uh, how would you respond to Kate's comment?
First of all, I won't eat something.
If it doesn't taste good, I'd rather just
not eat.
And I grew up in New York city,
uh, where every amazing restaurant was there.
And my mother was a foodie.
She would take me to everything.
You can do so many things.
(39:02):
I mean, this just egg, you can make,
um, you know, eggplant Parmesan, you know, my,
my uncle just made some the other night
and it was delicious.
And he used just egg instead of egg,
you know, with the breading, uh, there's in
baking, like, uh, there's so many things that
you can do.
And even without the just egg, just in
general, there's so many great restaurants, so many
(39:27):
great cooking classes, so many great recipes go
on, on chain TV.
I have a couple of segments as a
matter of fact, uh, can make, sorry.
Uh, you can make all kinds of delicious
things.
You just need to learn quite frankly, I
think it tastes better than, than animals.
I really do.
Um, it's cleaner, it tastes cleaner.
(39:48):
The flavours are better.
Your body feels better.
Everything.
It's just, I just cannot imagine being, uh,
going back to eating animals and Tina there.
I totally agree with you.
It is fun to be vegan.
It is so fun.
And there's so many new foods that are
coming out.
Jackfruit, which has been around for a number
(40:09):
of years now that used to just be
in the Indian, uh, restaurants.
You'd see it, which I used to love
to go just there for that.
Now it's everywhere.
There's so many things.
Uh, I love cooking for my friends, Jane,
I love cooking for you, uh, and making
an experimenting with you guys and just making
all kinds of new things.
And you are one of the top vegan
(40:31):
chefs in Los Angeles and always so generous
with your time.
And you know, I had taken this out
because I was just in my fridge.
I wasn't in my fridge.
I was looking in my fridge and you
know, what can I use?
I had this, of course I use it
all the time.
It's so fantastic.
There's nothing.
Oh, I want scrambled eggs.
Boom.
And, uh, I had scrambled eggs with some
(40:52):
German bread.
You know, the really intense German bread the
other day was fantastic.
And then I found this, I have this
as well.
Um, tell us about this.
What do you know about this?
Tracy Childs.
Yeah, that's, that's a good old school egg
replacer.
And, um, I've used that for years too.
(41:13):
That is actually made with starch.
And I had that in my, in my
little, um, demo thing here with starch.
Yes.
You can, uh, use any kind of starch,
but you can also buy these products.
It also has a little bit of leavening
in it, like a baking, um, powder, but
it's, um, that's, but starch is a good
(41:33):
binder.
So think about it.
If you add water to starch, you know,
corn starch, tapioca starch, arrowroot starch, any of
that, if you add some water to it
and start, start us mixing up with your
fork, you're going to notice that it's becoming
very egg-like and it's, it's, it will
help things stick together.
(41:53):
It's that's my go-to for my loaves.
I make a, um, a vegan loaf that
normally would, a vegetarian loaf normally would have
had eggs in it or a, or a
vegan burger would have normally, the recipe would
normally have had eggs in it.
Well, you know what?
You don't need the eggs.
Eggs are just, like I said, they're just
so old school, so archaic, so not needed.
(42:16):
You know, it was what people had a
lot of back then, you know, in the
days when these recipes were created.
And so people think, Oh, the rest, it's
a time old recipe.
This is the way I make a cake.
Well, you know what?
That's just an old fashion cake.
You don't, you can veganize your cakes and
make them delicious.
And just like Karen said, it's going to
taste better.
That's the thing.
That's the key is that when you get
(42:38):
the cruelty out, your food actually tastes better
and it's not going to be boring.
Believe me, you know, all the spices, all
the things that they put into animal foods
to make them taste good.
Guess what?
Those are plants.
Yeah.
And ethical herbs.
Wow.
So many wonderful vegan egg options than when
(42:59):
I first went vegan 12 years ago.
And that's really true.
Like there's so many of these products.
I'm about to head to Natural Products Expo
West, which is the largest natural products expo
in the world at the Anaheim Convention Centre.
Thousands and thousands and thousands of different products.
And Just Egg is going to be there
(43:19):
and a whole bunch of other egg replacement
companies are going to be there celebrating all
of this stuff.
And so, you know, what I would say
to Kate is we don't ride horses to
get from coast to coast anymore.
There's cars and there's planes.
You know, we have modern technology that we
(43:40):
rely on all the time.
And we have to realise that that modern
technology also applies to food in the sense
that, yes, since the dawn of time, you
could have used flax seeds back in probably
the mediaeval era in place of eggs.
But people have their demands.
(44:00):
They want something that looks like a scrambled
egg.
We made it.
I didn't make it, but Eat Just, Josh
Tetrick made it.
OK.
And so you can still have your eggs
and eat them too.
You can have your cake and eat it
too.
I mean, the resistance.
Here's what I say.
(44:22):
The first step to realising you're brainwashed and
getting out of being brainwashed is to say,
oh, maybe I'm brainwashed.
Maybe I'm repeating somebody else's talking points.
Maybe this isn't my own original idea.
Maybe I'm just conditioned to behave this way.
And that's why I'm saying what I am
(44:43):
saying, whether it's bacon or all vegans are
boring.
Maybe I'm the person who's being cheated.
As one very wise person said, we're all
being factory farmed, not just the animals who
are being tortured.
The humans are being tortured.
So you have 43 percent of the population
(45:04):
right now, which is obese.
OK.
Seventy three percent overweight or obese.
And now they're selling us the drugs to
lose the weight.
So they make money on both sides.
Do you want to comment on that, Stephanie
McBurnett of Physician Committee for Responsible Medicine?
I have worked.
(45:24):
I've been very lucky to work in the
research department at PCRM, where we work with
individuals with type two diabetes, transition them to
a plant based diet, and then we track
their insulin resistance and insulin sensitivity.
And every single person who has transitioned has
said their mind has been blown by the
(45:45):
amount of options of food, that they were
stuck eating the same four things, right?
Eggs, chicken, beef, pork.
And now that that is out of their
diet, it's almost as if the whole world
has opened up and they're eating things they've
never even thought about or known about.
And so it's anything but boring is what
(46:07):
I'll have to say about that.
But it is I find every single person
is just can't can't talk enough about all
the different quinoa, different foods, bulgur that they're
eating that they didn't even know about, different
beans.
And so that's kind of the one comment
I have on that and about the obesity
rates.
(46:27):
Yes, it is just kind of getting worse
and worse.
And I think it's tied in with this
food industry, just kind of being tied to
that they're trying to make a greater profit.
And they're they don't care about our health,
they care about profit.
And there's the egg industry that has gone
so far as to get into the research
and try to manipulate the research that is
(46:52):
out about eggs.
But it's all getting pushed away by actual
real research that doesn't have any influence.
Things are coming to the surface just in
2023, a meta-analysis came out that showed
every hundred milligrammes of cholesterol of dietary cholesterol
per day, increase the risk of type two
(47:13):
diabetes by 5%.
So 100 milligrammes is half of an egg.
So if you're eating an egg a few
times a week, you're increasing your risk of
type two diabetes.
And this is, this is just, there's two
different studies that came out in 2021, 2019,
there was a study published in JAMA showing
that just three to four eggs per week,
(47:33):
increase your risk of cardiovascular disease and all
cause mortality.
So the research is there.
We just have to, we just have to
follow it.
I think, and this is, this is nature's
way of telling us we don't need to
be eating eggs anymore.
And let me just ask you about a
fact that a lot of people are not
aware of, and that is that there's no
(47:54):
cholesterol in vegan products.
If you look at Just Egg, it says
right here, zero cholesterol, no, no cholesterol.
And I always tell people, take a look
at this one too.
I didn't even have to check.
Zero cholesterol.
Every single vegan product has zero cholesterol.
Can you explain that fact that is so
(48:17):
crucial when heart disease is the leading killer?
Okay.
Yes.
So cholesterol, dietary cholesterol is linked to heart
disease and type two diabetes.
It's mostly found in eggs and enamel products
because it isn't found in plants.
So anything that's vegan is already off the
(48:38):
bat, not going to have cholesterol, which is
going to bring down your total cholesterol.
Also what's linked to our cholesterol levels in
humans is saturated fat intake.
And the highest amounts, the highest foods with
the highest amounts of saturated fat are actually
dairy and cheese and eggs and animal products.
(49:00):
Right?
So you see this link of not only
is the cholesterol that's hurting your heart in
animal products, but it's also the increased saturated
fat as well.
Wow.
So, you know, for all of these reasons,
it's a no brainer.
What kills me is that despite the fact
(49:21):
that this is a no brainer, despite the
fact that we have all of these alternatives
that we've been showing you, bananas, applesauce, chia
seeds, flax seeds, silken tofu, aquafaba, vegan yoghurt,
apple cider vinegar, and more.
And then for those who want the egg
experience, whether it be an omelette like this
(49:43):
one or scrambled eggs, you have just egg.
And that's why their campaign says, what egg
shortage?
There's never been a better time to try
plant-based eggs.
By the way, if you want to try,
you can just go to www.ju.st,
put in your email and you will get
(50:05):
a discount.
And as you've heard on the show today,
there are so many places you can buy
it online.
You know, whatever your preference is for shopping,
it's widely available and you could get it
like that.
Whether it's, you want to go on Amazon,
Whole Foods, Kroger, all of these places that
(50:27):
were mentioned by the CEO of Eat Just,
it's there, take advantage of it, give it
a try.
And I hope Kate will also give it
a try.
Final thoughts, starting with our chef, Karen Lacava.
Final thoughts.
You don't need eggs.
You don't need animal products to have delicious
(50:47):
food.
So why do it?
Why harm the environment?
Why harm the animals?
Why harm yourself?
And have fun experimenting.
Who doesn't like to have fun?
You can have some friends over and try
new recipes.
Just do it, do it.
Pasta, you can do pasta with all kinds
of vegetables.
There's so much.
Have fun with it.
(51:08):
Well said.
All right.
We're going to go straight out to our
San Diego premiere chef.
Hey, I have a few things.
Yeah.
So the thing I remember when I used
to use eggs was that I was kind
of scared, right?
I knew besides the bird flu, which wasn't
happening back then in the nineties, you know,
(51:31):
there was salmonella in eggs, right?
And people were getting the, you know, a
lot of people who get the flu are
actually getting salmonella poisoning, actually.
So just getting the eggs, getting the animal
products out of your kitchen is going to
make your kitchen safer.
It's going to make restaurants safer.
Using just eggs as a safer product, for
sure.
(51:51):
Animal products are just plain dirty.
The whole raising of them is dirty.
The raising of plants is much cleaner.
Having plants in your kitchen is a much
cleaner way to live.
So just do it.
It's not a problem.
Once you get used to the idea and
start looking around, you can replace them and
just be that much happier and that much
(52:12):
safer and that much healthier.
Well said.
And we're going to go to Stephanie McBurnett
with Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
Your final thoughts.
Yeah.
So I think we've cracked the code on
the egg crisis, right?
And use this as a golden opportunity as
our friends and family.
(52:34):
And even at the supermarket, you hear these
conversations about egg prices.
You can also come in and say, well,
we really don't need them.
They're not good for our health.
And here's some replacements.
And I will just add that my favourite
thing to make with just egg is a
quiche.
Put some hash browns and then just egg
(52:54):
and veggies on top.
Well, I hope you come back and make
that for us.
We're going to stay on top of this
story because I do believe this is a
turning point.
You heard Josh Tetrick, the CEO and founder
of Eat Just, the maker of Just Egg,
say that his sales are skyrocketing.
So people, and I've seen it myself.
I was shopping the other day at a
(53:15):
supermarket and I saw somebody staring at an
empty counter with a couple of egg cartons
and then this big space.
And you know what I said?
Try Just Egg.
I do it because I'm doing that person
a favour.
They may not be aware of this alternative.
And so I urge everybody to get it,
(53:38):
whether you get it online, Amazon, or you
get it at Whole Foods, or you get
it at Kroger, or you get it at
any of the other places where it's available.
Try it and share out this video to
spread the word as well.
Unchained TV, which is our nonprofit free streaming
television network, was created by me because I
(53:58):
was in mainstream media for 30 years and
I saw that they're not talking about this.
You don't need somebody to knock on your
door and say, don't talk about the egg
replacers when you're seeing the TV commercials that
keep the lights on filled with meat, dairy,
and eggs and pharmaceuticals.
So we're really trying to get out the
truth.
So you can help us by sharing out
(54:20):
this video.
You can also help us by becoming part
of the team by downloading Unchained TV, which
again, we are a 501c3 nonprofit run by
volunteers like Tracy Childs and Karen LaCava and
myself.
None of us take a salary.
We're just here to try to wake people
(54:42):
up and save the planet.
We didn't even get to the environmental benefits
of a plant-based diet.
You can reduce your greenhouse gas emissions footprint
by 75% by going plant-based.
So it's a vegan Netflix.
Okay.
That's the craziest thing I've ever heard.
I love Unchained TV.
Your life will change.
It's just that easy.
Unchained TV has all sorts of content for
(55:04):
everybody.
Unchained TV changed my life.
Unchained TV is crushing it.
I love Unchained TV.
Unchained TV is my go-to.
Unchained TV.
Who knew?
Unchained baby, yay!
This episode was brought to you by Unchained
(55:25):
TV.
Unchained TV is a nonprofit organisation producing plant
-based content filled with tips and tricks to
spice up those healthy veggies, grains, and legumes.
For more information on Unchained TV Productions, just
visit UnchainedTV.com.
That's UnchainedTV.com.
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