There’s probably a long list of eating insects, but I’m going to give you the top five reasons. I have done quite a bit of research on the subject of entomophagy (insect eating) and my study continues to lead me back to a number of core values that have become the foundation of my understanding of the subject.
The criteria I used to come up with this list involve logic, common sense, and practicality. I mean really, if you don’t normally eat bugs, you’re going to need some practical, logical reason for doing so to justify munching on a fried cricket over fried chicken. So, in no particular order, here are my top five reasons to eat bugs.
Reason #1 – Protein value
In an effort to avoid getting too scientific here, let me say that we all need protein in our bodies. It is that which makes all sorts of things happen within us and without it we just fade away. Typical sources of this magical body-enhancing material are pork, beef, chicken, and fish. If you don’t eat meat, you can still get protein from eggs, cheese, yogurt, milk, and soy milk. If you don’t eat meat and dairy, you can still get them from tofu, beans, nuts, and seeds. Insects, although not vegetarian food, are a high source of protein when compared to traditional sources such as meats. Crickets and mealworms, in particular, score highly on the protein chart.
Reason #2 – Nutritional Value
Nutrients are substances that provide us with energy or support metabolism. Both purposes are essential for human health. Protein is part of the requirement, but our bodies also need a variety of other nutrients on a daily basis to function, even if all you do during the day is relax on the couch. Crickets provide high levels of many nutrients, including calcium (75.8 grams per 100 grams of crickets), iron 9.5 grams/100 grams, fiber 3.0 grams/100 grams, plus vitamins. Beef has only 1.0 grams of iron in 100 grams of meat.
Reason #3 – Low environmental impact
Beef requires 10 kilograms of feed to produce 1 kilogram of edible meat and 25 kilograms of feed per kilogram of live weight. Also, you can only eat 40 percent of the cow. By comparison, crickets consume 2 kilograms of food per kilogram of edible weight and just over a kilogram of food per kilogram of live weight. Also, you can eat 80 percent of the cricket. Then there is the space needed for each crop. Cattle need much more space than crickets. You can operate an efficient cricket farm in a closet where you would need at least a barn to raise a few head of cattle. This brings us to the midpoint of my top five reasons to eat bugs.
Reason #4 – Variety and Flavor
Although there are less than a hundred different breeds of cattle, there are more than three hundred species of insects. Cattle can only be raised in certain parts of the world and usually not in urban areas (I know, that’s obvious, but I’m going to get somewhere with this). Insects exist almost everywhere and although they disappear during the colder months of the year, you can breed insects in your house all year long. Then there is the taste. The veal is fine, the meat. It’s fine by itself, but the meat is often prepared with many other ingredients to enhance the flavor. However, soaking it in barbecue sauce only makes the meat taste like meat soaked in barbecue sauce. Crickets and mealworms have a naturally nutty flavor and taste similar to chicken or shrimp. Feeding them certain foods in a ‘flavoring phase’ will make the crickets and mealworms taste like what you seasoned them with. For example, feeding them apples and cinnamon produces an apples and cinnamon flavor. Now for the last of my top five reasons to eat bugs.
Reason #5 – Variety of preparation
Meats and insects can be eaten in different types of dishes. This includes fried, broiled, boiled, baked, and sautéed. Where insects are superior to meats and other traditional forms of protein are the additional ways they can be prepared for food. Insects can be ground into flour and baked into cookies and breads. The flour can be used in crackers and other flour-based items such as wraps, shells, and pasta. The flour can also be used in protein bars, mixed into protein powder drinks, and sprinkled on top of other foods as protein powder. Good luck getting a piece of meat to do that.
There you have it, my top five reasons to eat bugs. As I said before, depending on which source you reference, you’ll most likely find longer lists or possibly add a couple of your own picks to my top five reasons list. The bottom line here is that you no longer have to rely on meats, fish, or poultry as your primary source of protein or nutrients. Eating insects is an activity that dates back thousands of years, but is only just beginning to become more common in North America. They are a healthy and sustainable option and you don’t need my list of the top five reasons to enjoy them.
