You may have seen cricket protein in various forms, flour, chips, bars, or even offered whole as a delicacy. This trend has been slowly infiltrating our culture, although the history of entomophagy—the practice of eating insects—dates back to the 8th century BCE. Globally the most commonly consumed insects are beetles (31 percent of total insects consumed); caterpillars (18 percent consumed); bees, wasps, and ants (14 percent consumed); and grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets (13 percent consumed). With the world’s population set to increase to nine billion people by 2050, edible insects can help meet increasing food demands. Here are five reasons why eating insects may be something you want to consider.
Toby Amidor is the owner of Toby Amidor Nutrition and best-selling author of Smart Meal Prep for Beginners, The Easy 5-Ingredient Healthy Cookbook, The Healthy Meal Prep Cookbook, and The Greek Yogurt Kitchen.
<p class='slide-count'>1 of 6</p><img width="1109" height="614" src="/uploadfile/2024/1217/20241217083910760.jpg"><p class="photo-credit">Katherine Thompson / Getty</p>Insects Are a High-Quality Protein
According to a 2013 article published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, researchers concluded that insects specifically from the order Orthoptera—which include grasshoppers, crickets, and locusts—are particularly rich in protein and are a valuable alternative protein source. The protein in most edible insects is high quality, providing the essential amino acids.
Plus, a 2017 article published in Nutrition Review found that on a fresh weight basis, the protein content of edible insects range from 7 to 48 percent, which is comparable with the free-weight protein content in shrimp (13-27 percent), tilapia (16-19 percent) and beef (19-26 percent).
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Insects Are a Source of Healthy Fats
Although the fat quality is variable between insect species and is also affected by what insects have been fed—they are what they eat—insects can be a source of both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat. However, they are unlikely to be a significant source of the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are still the most abundant in fatty fish like salmon and tuna.
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Insects Are a Source of Fiber
Insects have an exoskeleton which is made up of chitlin. This complex polysaccharide is recognized by the human body as a dietary fiber, which means that it is passed through the gastrointestinal track without being digested.
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Insects Provide Micronutrients
A 2013 article in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research looked at 236 nutrients from insects and found that insects are rich in several micronutrients like copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, and zinc, as well as several B-vitamins including riboflavin, pantothenic acid, and biotin. Plus, in some cases, they contain folic acid as well.
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Insects Are Sustainable
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation, eating edible forest insects has been linked to sustainable forest management and conservation. Scientists have proposed eating insects as a way to curb greenhouse emissions as well as a way to address global food shortages.
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Give Bugs a Try
If you’re brave enough to try insects, here are a few brands you may want to pick up.
- EXO Cricket Protein Bars with 10 grams of protein, high in protein, and gluten and dairy free.
- Cricket Bites are roasted crickets available in several flavors including roasted original and spicy cayenne pepper.
- Mixed Bugs is a combination of grasshoppers, crickets, silk worms, and sago worms.
- ecoEat Chocolate Covered Superworms
- ecoEat Cricket Flour to use for pancakes, waffles, or your favorite baked goods.