CLEVELAND — The bird flu has caused egg prices to increase, but there are ways to cook with alternatives instead.

What You Need To Know

  • The bird flu has caused egg prices to rise, so people are finding other ways to cook and bake without eggs

  • There are other protein options to eating eggs as well as things such as a "flax egg" to use while baking without eggs 

  • Vegetables, tofu and beans are all good alternative protein sources other than eggs

Cleveland Vegan is a restaurant in Lakewood, and their kitchen is always free of eggs.

“Eggs, you know, they are sources of protein but I mean there are plenty others and they’re very accessible,” Co-Owner Justin Gorski said.

Whether it’s their bakery items, chicken sandwich or chorizo Benedict, Cleveland Vegan makes their food without meat and dairy. Gorski said there are other ways to find good sources of protein like beans, vegetables and tofu.

“It’s just people aren’t used to it, that’s all. You know, you just have to spend a little bit of time and find what you like,” he said.

Eggs are a big component of baking, and at Cleveland Vegan, Gorski said they use a “flax egg”.

“So you just ground flax seed from the grocery store," he said. "Its relatively inexpensive. For one egg, you use one tablespoon of flax and three tablespoons of hot water and that’s it."

Julia Zumpano, a registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic, said there are other ways to supplement eggs while baking without breaking the bank account.

“You could do canned beans, bananas, apple sauce, flax seeds, chia seeds, so there’s so many options when it comes to baked goods,” she said.

Zumpano said if you rely on eggs to get your protein in, there are other alternatives you can eat to meet your protein goals.

“Trying to stretch the eggs that you do have and utilizing other means where you can replace the egg so you have enough to utilize for maybe just scrambling a couple in the morning,” she said.