For centuries, insects have been a typical food source for certain regions of the globe, but they have never quite managed to make their mark in the gastronomy of common western cuisines. Some food experts have claimed this to be an unfortunate rigid mental block against the idea of eating our well known creepy crawly critters, as they prove to be a sustainable protein punch with promising gustatory possibility as well. 

Sustainability: 

The UN predicts that with reaching a global population of over 9 million people by 2050, we will need to increase our food production by over 70%. Insects not only multiply more quickly than conventional livestock, but more easily as well. For example, adult crickets take 5-10 times less feed than cows in order to produce an equal weight. Additionally, one must dually account that while only 45% of cattle and 55% of chicken is consumed on average, about 80% of the cricket body can be eaten. Moreover, as cold-blooded creatures, insects do not employ their metabolism to regulate their body temperature, thus reducing necessary energy and food for their production. 

“Insects require less resources to maintain and provide more output per insect,” said Aiden Szeto (’24). “However, they can’t be grown in particularly large amounts due to their greater susceptibility to diseases, making conventional farming methods ineffective.” Szeto makes a fair argument. In order for new diets to depend on insect production, new farming methods will have to continue to be tested to ensure safe production. 

“Increased insect consumption can definitely be used to loosen the demand on conventional livestock,” Szeto said, “but they can’t be farmed extremely efficiently, thus limiting their sustainability” as of now. With growing technology and push for insect production in sustainability sectors, there is hope to improve farming methods to produce insects as a steady and reliable food source. 

Apart from input resources for insect farming, carbon dioxide emission is greatly reduced in insect production in comparison to that of cattle. For example, to produce a kilogram of protein from mealworm larvae, production emits 14 kg of CO2, shaming the whopping 500kg of CO2 emission produced in the production of the same protein yield by cattle. 

Nutrition and Health: 

Furthermore, insects have proven to be an extremely healthy food source, some types packing in more protein than conventional meats and protein sources used in western cooking today. For example, adult crickets contain roughly 65% protein by weight, comparing to a 23% protein content in beef and an 8% protein content in tofu. Additionally, insects often hold higher content of vitamins and minerals than do beef and chicken, as well as containing all nine essential amino acids. Scientists have thus far discovered over 2,000 species of edible insects. 

Not only are insects a sustainable, healthy food source for mankind, but food experts are even working to make insects more appealing food sources to those that remain uneasy. One of the most popular options in America proves to be insect protein powders that can easily be added to various foods without adding an intense and unusual taste, while dually presenting as a product many Americans are already familiar with, rather than a crunchy creature infesting their plate. Cricket and mealworm protein powders have protein and fiber that can easily be added to yogurt, granola, pancake recipes, smoothies, and more to add an earthy, nutty dimension to the meal. As for those feeling a little more adventurous, whole or chopped crickets or silkworms can be added to various dishes such as eggs, salads, and toast for an extra crunchy texture. 

“I haven’t eaten insects before but I’d be open to trying certain types,” said Aiden Szeto (’24). “I know some people eat scorpion so I’d be open to that. I’d definitely say not to eating grasshoppers or crickets though because those things freak me out.”  

“There’s an initial fear in trying something new,” said Robyn Shapiro, founder of New York City-based SEEK Foods (quoted from MyRecipes). But ultimately, while the idea of eating insects might still seem odd of offsetting for some people, what Shapiro coins a “future food” is already being eaten regularly by 2 billion people around the globe. If we are able to work past the mental block many people have towards eating bugs, we can move towards adopting widespread insect consumption as a global population, aiding both in sustainability and nutrition. Now while it is true to insect consumption will not solve all sustainability and nutrition related issues, it is one step in the right direction.