Five Reasons Insects Belong In Your Diet

Posted on December 16, 2014 by insectrecipes No comments

Lately, foodies, environmentalists, and even the United Nations have been talking about Entomophagy. In the west, we tend to see insects as pests to be squashed, not tasty snacks. However, it might be time to change your views and your diet. In the next 10 years, insects in the American kitchen may change from a sign you need an exterminator to a sign that you need a fork.

Here are five reasons why you should consider adding insects to your protein rotation.

1. You’re already eating insects. Think you’d never eat a bug? Unless you avoid broccoli, wheat products, beer, and chocolate, you’re probably eating bugs every day. Scientists calculated American bug consumption based on levels set by the FDA. The typical American consumer eats 2 pounds of bugs a year. Unless you live in Maine, you’re probably getting more protein from insects than you do from lobster, their posh arthropod cousin.

2. Insects are a cherished comfort food for about 1/3 of the human race. In parts of Africa, caterpillars are a delicacy. In parts of Mexico, people crave grasshopper tacos. Asian cultures prepare dishes using crickets, mealworms, and bees. In Australia, people eat ants. Insect-eating isn’t rare, and people in modern, urban environments around the world make insect protein a part of their diets. Heck, if John the Baptist ate locusts, shouldn’t you give them a second look?

3. Insects provide an eco-friendly and humane alternative to chicken, pork, and beef. Earth’s population is increasing. As the developing world grows wealthier, more people want to eat meat. However, cows, chicken, and pigs are hard on the environment. Feeding them and transporting them uses a lot of energy and creates greenhouse gases. Pound for pound, you can get more protein from insects than from traditional livestock, and with less waste and pollution. Plus, ‘factory farms’ are cruel to animals, but bugs don’t mind being raised in cramped spaces.

4. You can raise insects yourself, at home. As homesteading becomes more popular, people are trying to raise chickens, goats, rabbits and even fish on urban and suburban lots. Raising animals in your back yard can run afoul of neighborhood associations and local ordinances. You can raise insects for protein right on your kitchen counter. Engineers have developed counter-top insect cultivation systems that give you easy access to fresh bugs right where you’re going to cook them. You can raise insects without investing much money, and you can even feed them your kitchen scraps. They’re the ultimate home-based food source.

5. Insects are not just nutritious, but also delicious. There’s a joke that any exotic meat – shark, rattlesnake, crocodile, kangaroo, ‘tastes like chicken.’ That’s not the case with insects. While some varieties are bland, other insects have intense flavors like apple, honey, or even shrimp. Purveyors of haute cuisine around the world have begun to incorporate insects in their foods. For example, the Specktakel Restaurant in the Netherlands regularly features insects on its menu.

So what’s keeping entomophagy from becoming more popular in the U.S.? Lingering cultural taboos and the idea that bugs are disgusting. However, tastes can change quickly. In the 1800s, most Americans considered tomatoes inedible garbage. Someday, our grandchildren may be laughing at our irrational fear of eating insects.

Photo Credits.