It’s not a joke, nor are we being facetious; around the world, millions of people eat bugs and insects. Now – and not a moment too soon in our opinion – the Western world may finally be catching on. Fortunately, crunching down on a cricket or inhaling ants is getting less and less controversial and more and more mainstream. Far from being the preserve of toddlers foraging in the garden, and easily incorporated into your diet, eating bugs has an abundance of benefits, both for your health and the environment. So, here are 5 IDEAL reasons to include bugs in your diet.
THERE’S LESS FOOD WASTE
According to the United Nations, there are plenty of reasons why we should consider making the switch. For one, it is sustainable in terms of agriculture. Communities can farm insects without enduring high costs and overheads. This leads to more efficient production, and food waste is reduced as insects don’t need to be fed other animals; a very different story to the farming of livestock used for meat.
REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT
Farming and the processing of meat cause high levels of pollution and huge damage to the environment. That’s before we get started on a cow’s methane expulsion. In short, greenhouse gases could be significantly reduced if we move away from meat consumption and include more insects in our diet.
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MORE PROTEIN PER POUND
Assuming you’re a meat eater, eating insects isn’t actually much different to eating meat in terms of nourishment. Stay with us on this one. Bugs provide plenty of nutrition, and in fact, contain more protein per gram than meat, and far less fat. Calories reduced, benefits still present – what’s not to love? For those conscious of improving their health, this should be welcome news. If you can’t face whole bugs, then products like cricket powder (cricket flour) is a fantastic way to add a protein punch to loads of dishes.
DISMISSING THE UNFAMILIAR IS SIMPLY NARROW-MINDED
Let’s face it, as a culture, we’re squeamish. If this attitude was all encompassing, it’d be meat and two veg for the rest of our lives, and no exceptions. Thankfully, people are becoming more tuned in to the impact that one can exact on our planet, as well as an ever increasing awareness of what constitutes a healthy diet (and what doesn’t). Thanks to pop-up restaurants such as Eat Grub in Shoreditch, an increased level of conversation around the topic now purveys. Entomophagy, it turns out, is nothing new. Cultures worldwide have practiced this for as long as records have existed.
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THEY’RE DOWNRIGHT DELICIOUS
Across Asia, it’s commonplace. In China, insects form parts of dishes as a special delicacy. Even high-end restaurants happily include them in their menus; it’s not just the “street food” you might have seen across on Khao Sarn Road or in Siem Reap’s Pub Street that utilises these delicious critters. In Brazil, queen ants are a hugely popular snack. The list goes on.
Closer to home, last year (to mark the return of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here), Australian-made Doughnut Time sold the UK’s first doughnut loaded with creepy crawlies. Coined ‘The Bushtucker’, those who were brave enough to endure the trial ate a milk chocolate glazed ring doughnut, laden with salt and vinegar-flavoured crickets. The doughnut also included a generous helping of Oreo crumb, Shredded Wheat and raspberry jam to sweeten the deal. Anything to normalise this much needed change in the global diet, we think, is a good thing.
So much of the aversion to eating bugs comes from a fear of the unknown, but there’s no need. If you never try, you’ll never know, so why not be brave and expand your culinary horizons today?
