Vegan Eggs Are Finally Here—Watch the New “Just Egg” Scramble

We’ve got plant-based meat that looks, feels, and tastes just like animal meat. We’ve got milk of every kind that’s healthier and more delicious than a mother cow’s mammary gland secretions. We’ve got vegan cheese that melts, stretches, and gives that comforting flavor we all crave on our pizza, sandwiches, and beyond.

The final frontier of vegan food innovation? The Egg. 

What could possibly be wrong with eggs, you ask? A lot. They are high in cholesterol and saturated fat, for one, and can contribute to heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer. And they cause more animal suffering per calorie than almost any other food. 

“Eggs have zero dietary fiber, and about 70 percent of their calories are from fat—a big portion of which is saturated. They are also loaded with cholesterol—about 213 milligrams for an average-sized egg. For reference, people with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or high cholesterol should consume fewer than 200 milligrams of cholesterol each day. And, humans have no biological need to consume any cholesterol at all; we make more than enough in our own bodies.” – Susan Levin, MS, RD

Yet thanks to decades of deceptive yet persuasive marketing (remember all those “Incredible Edible Eggs” ads from back in the ’80s and ’90s?), some 75 billion eggs are produced every year in the United States. Despite all the health concerns and ethical issues, chicken eggs are present in most American households, and they find their way onto most standard American breakfast plates. 

It’s the one common household ingredients that we don’t quite have a perfect vegan substitute for yet. So what’s a conscious consumer to do when they wake up jonesing for their beloved scrambled eggs? Well, friends. I’m excited to share that Just (formerly Hampton Creek Foods) is finally releasing their much-anticipated Just Egg. 

This company was founded four years ago with one primary mission: to recreate eggs from the ground up using plants. And finally they’ve done it—they’ve made a plant-based egg utilizing the magic of the mung bean. And yours truly is here (joined by Toni Okamoto from Plant Based on a Budget) to show you what they’re all about. 

Don’t get me wrong, we’ve had many phenomenal egg replacer options for use in baking for centuries. You can swap in things like mashed banana, applesauce, ground flaxseeds mixed with water, peanut butter, and beyond, and you’d never notice the missing eggs. 

But omelets and egg scramble were tough to replicate. For years vegans got their fix from chickpea flour omelets and tofu scramble (my personal fave!), but anything like the real thing was out of the picture—until now.  

So…what do you think? Will you be trying the new Just Egg? Whether you decide to or not, you will likely come across it in major retailers very soon, as well as on restaurant menus and perhaps even in cafeterias and beyond. Our food system is broken, and innovations like this make it possible to start to heal.