Five Reasons to Eat Insects

By Anna Rothschild
Posted 06.13.12
NOVA scienceNOW

Looking for a culinary adventure? Try some bugs for dinner. They are a nutritious and eco-friendly alternative to common livestock. But, whether they're delicious or not is a matter of personal taste.

Running Time: 02:09

Transcript

FIVE REASONS TO EAT BUGS

Posted: June 14, 2012

NARRATOR: Hungry? How 'bout trying something new for dinner? Like... bugs! Sound gross? Here are five great reasons to eat insects.

Reason one: The amount of protein in many insects is comparable to common livestock. In fact, one ounce of certain grasshoppers contains three times as much protein as one ounce of beef.

Reason two: Rearing bugs takes up less space, and may be more humane, as many insects prefer to live in close conditions rather than to roam free.

Reason three: Insects require less food than common livestock to produce the same amount of meat. In addition, they can live on waste products, like cardboard. In contrast, animals like cows and chickens rely on pastures and staple crops, like corn.

Reason four: Insects are less closely related to us than common livestock, so there's less likelihood that a disease will "jump" from them to us. In other words, we probably won't get "cricket flu."

Reason five: Insects produce considerably fewer greenhouse gases, like methane, nitrous oxide, and ammonia.

Bon appétit!