Lent is the 40-day period between Carnival and Holy Week, kept by Catholics for reflection and penance.
At this time, Catholics are advised to stop eating red meat or, at least, eat less of it.
To make up for the lack of protein in the diet, eggs end up being one of the main options, mainly because they are cheap and easy to find.
Eggs are part of the daily menu of many Brazilians and their sales increase considerably during this period.
Egg consumption and production during Lent
Egg consumption and production in Brazil are high and have been increasing, particularly over the past ten years. Eggs are no longer consumed simply because they're cheap, but have become a staple in the diets of Brazilians seeking a healthier lifestyle and better physical condition.
According to data from the Santa Catarina State Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, from January to September of last year, Santa Catarina produced 122,895 dozen eggs. In the same period, Brazil produced 2,848,165 dozen eggs.
According to engineer Ricardo Faria, who works at one of the largest companies in the country, headquartered in Lauro Muller, in the South of Santa Catarina.
Although the sector, in general, is preparing to meet the demand during Lent so that the price of the product does not increase too much.
However, according to him, this year, the mission of maintaining egg prices became a little more difficult, due to the rise in the dollar. Thus, the two main inputs for egg production, corn and soybeans, increased by 50% and 30%, respectively.
— We forecast a production increase of 10% during this period, aiming to stabilize the market and try to mitigate any sudden price increases — Ricardo points out.
Can I replace meat with eggs in my diet?
Replacing red meat with eggs doesn't harm your diet from a nutritional standpoint. Unless you have some kind of egg allergy, there's no harm in eliminating meat from your diet.
Therefore, the ideal is to consume free-range or organic eggs, which have a more orange yolk and, therefore, more nutrients.