Entomophagy is beginning to blossom in Canada, and it’s not going away anytime soon.
Table of Contents
- What is Entomophagy?
- Are Insects Nutritious?
- Entomophagy is Good for the Environment!
- What’s on the Menu?
- Ready to Start Your Entomophagy Adventure?
What is Entomophagy?
Plainly put it’s the consumption of insects as food and it comes from two Greek words: entomon, which means insect and phagein, which means to eat.
So… Entomon + Phagein = Entomophagy
Insects are eaten by more than 2 billion people around the world today. It’s estimated that over 1900 species have been consumed throughout history. Insects were a popular food source for the Aztec, Maya, and Incas. You might even have tried insects during school or on your travels abroad. Some insects are sold as snacks in convenience stores in many countries – An entomophagy smorgasbord of delights! Something we are looking forward to enjoying in Canada.
However, there are already restaurants serving up those healthy protein bugs. Xola Restaurant in Toronto uses roasted, seasoned grasshoppers in a smashingly good dish. In fact they also serve a scrumptious grasshopper taco, which can add a nice crunch. Check out restaurant in your area, and you’ll likely find more hidden entomophagy gems.
Are Insects Nutritious?
Insects contain many nutrients such as protein, minerals, and vitamins. Insects contain high quality protein and insects are a good source of calcium and iron. Some insects also contain fatty acids and amino acids such as omega-3 and 6.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations insects also contain good amounts of B12. Vitamin B12 deficiency is common in older people because they are unable to absorb this nutrient, which insects can help with.
Insects are High in Oil but Low in Fat… Are you aware that insects are far greener than other protein sources?
Entomophagy is Good for the Environment!
There are insects that can be raised on organic waste. They can play a huge role in turning food into energy, while also increasing fertility and eliminating environmental pollution. Entomophagy is one key to solving the global food crisis; insects require less water than other sources of protein like beef, lamb or pork. Insects are also very high in protein, insects are also used in pet food.
According to overseas research, switching to eating insects could reduce beef farming’s environmental impact substantially.
The production of beef is highly unsustainable for the environment; it produces huge amounts of greenhouse gases and its demand is driving deforestation. But what if there was a way to produce similar or greater amounts of food while simultaneously improving environmental conditions?
Research has shown that crickets need 12 times less feed than cows to produce the same amount of protein, which means they require less land and water resources. To repeat, this results in a much lower release of greenhouse gases and ammonia into the environment. They also don’t have any significant negative impacts on local biodiversity.
Because insects require far less food and water to produce than livestock, insects can be raised at a density of 2lbs/square feet whereas cattle require a minimum of 1 square foot per pound. This means insects create less waste and use their food much more efficiently. Because insects provide a greater nutrition yield, they further benefit our environment – they can be used to feed other insects, pets, or livestock.
Overseas researchers at the University of Edinburgh have found that if Westerners replaced half their red meat intake with crickets, greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by nearly a whopping 50%!
At the moment people in developing countries are already eating insects because they’re much more sustainable to farm and easier to rear. But there are also many benefits for Western countries, such as here in Canada, to start farming insects, and ultimately foster a healthy entomophagy diet.
Therefore insects are very crunchy, high in nutritional value and good for the planet!
What’s on the Menu?
Here is a short list of insects that can be eaten:
- Locusts / grasshoppers are best during their early nymph stage when they are smaller and have less of an exoskeleton. These insects contain about 147 calories per 100 grams
- Crickets contain about 100 calories per hundred grams
- Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) contain about 285 calories per hundred grams
- Butterflies and Moths (Family: Noctuidae) such as the Black Witch moth, Agrotis ipsilon, contain about 111 calories per 100 grams
- Beetles (Order: Coleoptera) such as the Darkling beetle, Tenebrio obscurus contain about 168 calories per hundred grams
- Ants (Family: Formicidae) such as the Acrobat ant, Camponotus vagus, contain about 64 calories per hundred grams
- Water Boatmen (Family: Corixidae) such as the Giant water boatman, Abedus herberti, contain about 53 calories per hundred grams
- Dragonflies/Damselflies (Order: Odonata) such as Broad-bodied chaser, Libellula depressa contain about 106 calories per hundred grams
- Grasshoppers (Order: Orthoptera) such as the Giant grasshopper, Omocestus viridulus, contain about 100 calories per hundred grams
- Cicadas (Suborder: Auchenorrhyncha) such as the Tibicen canicularis, contain about 146 calories per hundred grams
- Termites (Isoptera) such as Mastotermes darwiniensis contain about 205 calories per hundred grams
- Flies / Mosquitoes (Order: Diptera) such as the Black fly, Prosimulium mixtum contain about 94 calories per hundred grams
- Whip scorpions (Order: Thelyphonida) such as the Desert whipscorpion, Astropyga pulvinata contain about 82 calories per hundred grams
Edible insects contain many more insects that are not listed above! But… I have to confess – I was okay until I got to the flies and moths. Maybe it’s just me, but flies, moths? Umm, they don’t seem to fit on my personal entomophagy radar.
Nevertheless, insects, being an excellent addition to any diet, should be encouraged for health and environmental reasons at the very least.
Ready to Start Your Entomophagy Adventure?
Try Ento Farms – They provide the finest quality bugs available, which are in high demand from health conscious Canadians, leveling up to a higher quality diet.
In fact Ento Farms is North America’s largest insect farm. If a Keto diet is your thing, you really need to dip your toes in the water so-to-speak, and give this more sustainable and delicious protein alternative a try.
Hopefully, this introductory post on improving your diet will provide some excellent information for you to do further research and follow up. If you have any questions, suggestions, etc., please feel free to include them in the comments below (or you can even choose to be a guest writer).