Many people find the very thought of insects disgusting, especially when they're in your food. The sense of eating insects has nothing to do with the actually eating quality; it’s simply a cultural norm that insects are “icky”. But have you ever considered that insects could be nutritious, environmentally friendly, and more abundant than other foods. Insects are rich in protein, fats, and other vitamins and minerals. They are also low in fat and contain large amounts of fiber. We already eat exotic foods like alligator, animal intestines, snails, octopus, and lamb. There’s no reason we shouldn’t include insects into our diet. EVERYONE ONE ELSE IS ONE BOARDMany people around the world have incorporated insects into their diets. In Mexico, grasshoppers are sold by the pound in markets and fried before being eaten. Colombians grind and spread ants on their bread. In Papua New Guinea, moths, dragonflies and beetles are boiled or roasted over an open fire (Kouřimská & Adámková, 2016). In Cambodia, they sell fried crickets, silkworm, tarantula, and scorpions by the buckets as street food. Insects are the most valuable, underused, and understated food and yet we in the West are not using it to our advantage. THEY ARE NUTRITIOUS
THEY TAKE UP LESS SPACE
IT'S ALREADY IN OUR FOODS
The idea of eating insects may literally be hard to swallow, as processing technology evolves and our mindsets adapt, maybe insects will become the super-food of the future. Look out Greek yogurt and kale! There are some new kids in town. References
De Prins, J. (2014). Book review on Edible insects: Future prospects for food and feed security. Advances In Entomology, 02(01). doi: 10.4236/ae.2014.21008 Jaynie Tao, Yao Olive Li; Edible insects as a means to address global malnutrition and food insecurity issues, Food Quality and Safety, Volume 2, Issue 1, 6 March 2018, Pages 17–26, https://doi.org/10.1093/fqsafe/fyy001 Kouřimská, L., & Adámková, A. (2016). Nutritional and sensory quality of edible insects. NFS Journal, 4, 22-26. doi: 10.1016/j.nfs.2016.07.001 Moffit, M., & Brown M. (2014, June 24. Should We All Be Eating Insects. [Photograph] Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM8s1ch5TRw&t=104s Oonincx, D. G. A. B., de Boer, I. J. M. (2012). Environmental impact of the production of mealworms as a protein source for humans—a life cycle assessment. PLOS ONE , 7: 1–5 Oonincx, D., van Itterbeeck, J., Heetkamp, M., van den Brand, H., van Loon, J., & van Huis, A. (2010). An Exploration on Greenhouse Gas and Ammonia Production by Insect Species Suitable for Animal or Human Consumption. Plos ONE, 5(12), e14445. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0014445 The Lion King. [Photograph] Dir. Rob Minkoff, Roger Allers. Perf. James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Jonathan Taylor Thomas. Walt Disney Pictures, 1994. DVD.
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