Why eat edible insects?

This is a subject that may make some readers wince. Contrary to what one might think at first sight, edible insects are true allies health, which abound of benefits and benefits. If these little beasts will lift your heart, read on: it is very likely that you will change your mind.

Who are the insect eaters?

As surprising as it may seem, good food insects are not an emerging food trend. Certainly in France, these foods are not (more) prevalent on our stalls. Nevertheless, they have long occupied a special place in the diet of our ancestors. At the beginning of the 21st century, many countries continue to focus on caterpillars, locusts and other maggots such as Thailand and South Africa, for example. The Departments and Regions of Overseas (DROM) are not outdone, since in Reunion in particular, children devour endetes (small woodworms) as sweets. In total, nearly 2 billion people regularly consume insects across the globe. In Metropolitan France, the French already eat dishes as original as frogs and snails, so why not consider eating insects.

What are edible insects?

Of the world’s 900,000 known insect species, only 2,000 of them can be safely ingested by humans, about 0.2%. The most popular edible insects are beetles (beetles, weevil larvae), lepidopterans (caterpillars), hymenoptera (bees, wasps and ants), orthopterans (crickets, grasshoppers, locusts) and hemiptera (cicadas). Of course, these insects do not all share the same organoleptic properties. Some say that some insects have a similar taste to grilled bacon. That’s worth tasting!

Unsuspected nutritional benefits of edible insects

Edible insects provide significant amounts of protein. It’s amazing, but they contain just as much as meat or eggs, and sometimes even more depending on the species of edible insects. They also contain omega 3, iron, zinc, potassium and magnesium, necessary for our body. If we compare different edible insects with a piece of beef with 10% fat (at equal protein level), we see that insects provide a lipid content on average twice as low as beef.
Like meat, edible insects are best eaten. For seasoning, you are spoiled for choice. Some eat them as an appetizer, others are grilled on the barbecue or roasted in a delicately spiced juice.
If you want to enjoy the benefits of insects, without having the tooth: it is possible. Insects are now available as flour. This is in the same form as a standard white flour, with the difference that it contains a high protein content … of insects. For sure, this alternative will convince the most athletic of you.

Where to buy edible insects?

Many French companies are now specialized in the breeding and / or sale of edible insects via the internet. In addition, some supermarkets already offer this type of product. All conditions are there to test these small food curiosities. And then, even if your taste buds are surprised, your friends, they, can only be admirable in the face of such an initiative.

Finally, know that if the world population continues to grow at the current rate, it will be necessary to double the volumes of food production. According to forecasts, we will be a little more than nine billion in 2050: the trouble is that the land is not extensible to infinity. In the future, edible insects could therefore be of great help in feeding part of the population. So much to prepare now, integrating them into our plates!