In Dunedin we went to the Otago Museum where they had an exhibit that was very interesting to me; it was called Bugs: The Mega World of Minibeasts. Part of the exhibit discussed the benefits of eating bugs. I would like to share some of the graphs and information.
Modern humans have been eating bugs for thousands of years. Tests run on 9,500 year old human waste found in Oregon showed that about 78% of the person's meal was digested termite proteins.
Gram per gram, termites have almost twice as many calories as beef and are packed with more protein.
Economists predict that the demand for meat will increase by 75% in the next 50 years, but the majority of agricultural land around the world is already used to farm livestock. The UN is looking at bugs and other "mini-livestock" (mice, frogs, snails, etc) as cleaner, cheaper, and more sustainable options.
Bugs are packed full of protein and are a good source of fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals such as magnesium and iron. They are also one of the only high fiber animals.
We should overcome the "ew" factor and recognize the health and environmental benefits of eating bugs.
Bugs are about 80% edible; in comparison only 40% of a cow is edible.
People around the world already eat a lot of bugs - mostly beetles and caterpillars.
Bugs eat way less for the same amount of protein.
Food made with bug meal doesn't really look that bad!
Maybe even tasty?
Cricket bars already available.
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