No, this topic is not a joke and if the idea grosses you out then consider the fact that tons of asian countries eat beetle grubs/katydids as a delicacy. But there's got to be more to this, let's see.. source:Log In Yeah, also consider the fact that if you're not keen on going into your backyard to get crickets you can always order eggs online, breed and cook them. I plan on doing this with crickets relatively soon actually, insects multiply so fast and crickets seem like the simplest starting point. I've talked to my family about the health -and- cost benefits, though they were VERY hesitant and right now they are only interested in potentially chocolate covered crickets as a gateway "bug". I can't be the only person that see's "going bug" as a great money saver AND great source of nutrition though? I mean, yeah, chocolate covered crickets aren't going to be super healthy but its a better alternative to chocolate chip cookies. There are many other insects too and I've heard that tarantulas (not an insect, I know) are very delicious when roasted over a fire pit and have meat that tastes like shrimp or lobster. Fire roasted seems to be the way to go as it singes off their hairs. You hear so much about people stressing "going green", embracing a more natural lifestyle, like farming, veggie gardens etc..but you never seem to hear about those people raising and eating insects too much. Yeah, we see it on those survival tv shows but I'm shocked more people aren't raising their own bugs and preparing them. There seem to be a ton of health benefits and raising your own grubs for protein sounds a lot easier than having a backyard full of cows or pigs. Thoughts?
It is true there are those countries that have cultures that you can actually eat the insects. I must say the Asian countries are the ones that have such cultures. I have not had the opportunity to taste some of the insects that people who have eaten. I think this is a great option to eat something that is new.
This is really logical, but I just don't think I could get over the gross factor that my western upbringing has instilled in me. I tried grasshoppers in China and they were fine, but I definitely wouldn't just roast a few up from my backyard. It's a shame that our society is so squeamish about these things because it's true that bugs are indeed a great source of protein, and raising grasshoppers would certainly take a smaller toll on the environment than raising livestock (our main source of protein).
I think this is the biggest thing, though people would never fully embrace it and I am being way too naive if I think they ever would. Livestick farms pay such a horrible toll on the environment, gas emissions from cows pay a big role in eating away the Ozone layer and the constant run off from pig farms into our water supplies or the ocean wrecks havoc on the ecosystem. Most people are raised to think of things like cars, coal and large amounts of industry as the big environmental detraments but livestock farms take a huge toll as well. I love my steak and bacon just as much as the next guy and I would never try to suggest taking that way from people, but if we had some kind of horrible ecological disaster I think our survival, in terms of sustenance, would lay in insects. Bugs have survived the huge Paleozoic extinction event, the one at the KT boundary and so much more. They are very resilient and reproduce fast, a factor that has been a problem for many farmers. Locusts were even eaten in the bible. Just food for thought, hahaha.
