GILBERT, AZ — The ABC15 Smart Shopper team is tracking prices across Valley grocery stores for you, and in the last few weeks, the cost of eggs has been going up.
Right now, a dozen large, store-brand eggs will cost you between $5 and $6 at stores around the Phoenix area. In some spots, a dozen costs nearly $10.
If you want to avoid that pain at the cash register altogether, there are other options: turning to egg substitutions.
“So into that, it's going to go!” Chef Sasha Raj said, pouring tofu into a frying pan.
With sizzle and flavor, ABC15 Smart Shopper Marzia Munari and Chef Raj are getting to the heart of a veggie scramble. However, something you will not find on the ingredient list: eggs.
“Familiarizing yourself with some of these substitutes can just give you that much more wiggle room,” Raj, University of Arizona Culinary Medicine educator and coordinator, said.
Egg prices are high right now thanks to the avian flu and a shortage of hens. ABC15 has reported the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts egg prices will increase more than 20% this year.
“I know it's just a couple of dollars, but when you don't have it, a couple of dollars is a lot,” Munari said.
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It makes a big difference to Munari. While she loves to cook up omelets for her mom and daughter, Munari also relies on a food bank. She says it is tough when she has to supplement her grocery list with items like eggs.
“I'm budgeting everything, and so now I have to take away from something else,” Munari said.
However, Raj says there are plenty of substitutions.
“Using say banana or yogurt into a dessert,” Raj said. “Flax meal mixed with a little bit of water gets that same kind of gummy consistency that an egg can.”
There are also options for savory plates.
“There’s also nuts. If you wanted to do a savory application, like, say, a Hollandaise, you could use cashews and white beans to create that smooth, silky mouth feel,” she said.
An educator and the coordinator for the University of Arizona’s Culinary Medicine program, Raj says substitutions can offer health benefits, like cutting cholesterol.
“Getting a variety of protein sources in your diet, getting a variety of different nutrients and ingredients is always beneficial to your body, and this is one way to supplement,” Raj said.
For Smart Shoppers hoping to save, the pack of tofu ABC15 bought for the scramble recipe costs $1.59, or 35 cents per serving. At the same grocery store, a dozen large eggs are selling for $5.99, a dollar per serving.
When it came to the taste test, Munari tried tofu for the first time.
“What do you think?” Raj asked.
“Delicious! Really, very, very good!” Munari answered. “I’m going to make that tomorrow!”
Munari is sold.
“I think that people should try and open their minds and look at options because eggs are so expensive now,” she said.
Thanks to Chef Raj’s tips, she may even look for substitutes for homemade Italian dishes.
“Instead of using ricotta in lasagna, I would crumble down some firm tofu,” Raj suggested.
“I picture it in my mind. It would work!” Munari said.
A creative take, on a family tradition.
Chef Sasha Raj says you can find more resources on the University of Arizona’s Culinary Medicine website.
Here are some egg substitutions she recommends:
Hollandaise made with cashew and white beans
Tofu “egg” salad
Flax egg baked goods in cupcakes and cakes
Brownies made with beans
