5 Protein-Rich Bugs We Should All Be Eating More Of
We know it sounds gross — eating bugs. Those creepy crawly things that squirm around in the soil, eat your potted plants, or get stuck in the house buzzing frantically to escape. But look a little deeper and you'll find that insects can actually be more than nuisances. They can be a highly nutritious, safe-to-eat, and surprisingly tasty food source. There are over 2,000 species of edible insects in the world, with some cultures having a pretty well-established relationship with eating bugs as either a staple or a delicacy.
In Bangkok, Thailand, alone, there are over 164 different types of insects being sold as fast food or snacks. Africa, Mexico, and much of the rest of Asia and Latin America are quite well known for their entomophagy – that is, the practice of eating insects. From taco toppings and skewers to crunchy bite-sized snacks, insects have long been incorporated into global cuisine in many different ways. However, in the Western world, eating insects is still more of a novelty than a culinary choice.
But researchers are starting to edge edible bugs onto the food map, having discovered that they produce fewer carbon emissions than livestock, need less food and less land to cultivate, and often, are more nutritious than your standard beef and chicken. In fact, the United Nations declared insects a sustainable protein source in 2013, which is how entomophagy has become a more accepted practice worldwide. With that in mind, there are five protein-rich bugs that we should all be eating more of because they're actually so good for us: grasshoppers (or locusts), crickets, mealworms, bee larvae, and caterpillars.
Grasshoppers
If you're curious about eating insects, start with grasshoppers. They are very high in protein (their meat contains about 40%), which is the building block of muscle, helps to keep your bones strong, lowers blood pressure, boosts metabolism, and helps with weight maintenance. Grasshoppers are also higher in good unsaturated fats than fish and other meat, which helps to control cholesterol, reduce inflammation, and increase cell strength.
So, how do you eat grasshoppers? First, pop them in a Ziplock bag and freeze them for 10 minutes. This makes it easier to remove their wings and legs – the legs have sharp spines on them which can stick in your throat. Then, take off the heads, which will also help get the entrails out. Rinse them well, and then your imagination is the limit when it comes to dishes that you can make with grasshoppers. Fried grasshoppers are one of the more common dishes. Just add some butter or oil and garlic, then fry them until they're crispy; or sauté them as a different option.
Because they have a savory flavor, you can enjoy grasshopper meat as is, as an alternative to bacon bits, or use them as a topping for guacamole. You can also incorporate grasshoppers into fritters by mixing flour, baking powder, cream, eggs, and milk with your 'hoppers. Other diners have described them as not just having a savory taste, but rather an umami flavor, with a bit of nutty, mushroomy earthiness. They can also taste shrimp-like. You can order dehydrated grasshoppers from ecoEat on Amazon.
Crickets
Next to grasshoppers, crickets are a good entry-level edible insect for those wanting to explore this intriguing culinary world. Tasting a bit like rye bread or roasted chickpeas, these guys are full of calcium, folate, potassium, zinc, and iron, as well as being over 65% protein. And getting those nutrients into your body isn't all that bad, because crickets are also quite neutral in flavor, with a slight nutty air about them.
You may have heard of cricket powder (also called acheta powder) or flour — this is the most common form of ingesting these insects. Being a floury form of protein, this powder can easily be added to any number of things, from baked goods like tortillas, muffins, pancakes, and bread, to rice and soup. Cricket powder is also often added to tea and coffee, as well as smoothies, to bring a protein punch to your beverages. You'll prepare crickets much in the same way as grasshoppers — by first removing the wings and legs.
You can even twist off the head, which most often pulls the insides out with it. Wash them, then hop to your desired way of cooking. How does cricket, cinnamon, and maple granola sound? We reckon pretty delish. Or how about cricket flour banana pancakes? A roasted cricket trail mix is a lovely snack to keep your energy up during the day. You can also bake your crickets into a cobbler or this cleverly-named grasshopper and cricket pie recipe. If you're ready to try it, you can order a bag of cricket powder from JR Unique Foods on Amazon.
Mealworms
Worms aren't only good for the end of your fishing rod. Mealworms in particular are also very good for your health. Aside from their 20% protein content, mealworms are also high in fiber and essential fatty acids, along with vitamins E and B12 and calcium. And if you're ever stuck out in the wilderness with no food rations, mealworms are a great source of calories – 200 calories per 100 grams of mealworm larvae to be precise.
If your mealworms are fresh, you'll want to freeze them first. Then, boil them to clean them and get them ready for incorporation into your dish of choice. Dehydrated mealworms, however, will need to be reconstituted in water; soaking them for about 30 minutes does the trick. And then the fun begins. Mealworms are said to have an umami quality in their flavor — sweet but savory, with nutty notes — but are nice and mild so they can be used interchangeably. Similar to grasshoppers, mealworms have also been described as tasting a bit like shrimp.
Mealworms go well in a lentil salad for a healthy, high-protein meal; or, replace the tofu with mealworms to make a filling and delicious cold soba noodle salad. How about a mealworm mac 'n cheese, made the traditional way with a luxurious béchamel sauce but with crispy mealworms sprinkled on top? Mealworms also go well in omelets, smoothies, slaws, and even mixed with chili-salt to rim a cocktail glass for a margarita or tequila shot. Or, make a mealworm burger patty and enjoy these insects with your fave burger toppings. The Thailand Unique Store sells dehydrated mealworms for human consumption on Amazon.
Bee larvae
While the little buzzy insects with their sharp stingers may not be a go-to for your next meal, bee larvae are great additions to your menu. Bee brood, as the larvae, pupae, and eggs are called collectively, is rich in essential amino acids, fiber, protein, minerals, fatty acids, vitamins A, D, and E, magnesium, potassium, and a host of other nutrients that are good for the human body. Interestingly, eating bee larvae is actually a form of alternative healing therapy called apilarnil therapy (or apitherapy), where practitioners prescribe bee larvae and other bee products that are believed to help boost the immune system, manage arthritis, fight inflammation, and even help with anti-aging of the skin.
When choosing your bee larvae for cooking, pupae should be in the pink or white eye stage. Fry them up with butter and garlic cloves as a snack or side, or as the protein portion of your meal. You can also get creative and whip up a Bee-LT sandwich, where you make a delicious bee larvae patty and sandwich it with tomato, lettuce, and mayo on toasted bread. They can also be baked into granola – great because they are described as having a nutty, smoky flavor – made into a ceviche, or blanched and mixed into a creamy peas and bees soup. Edible bee brood can be hard to track down, but farmer's markets, local beekeepers, and specialty online stores like EdibleInsects.com are good places to check.
Caterpillars
Alongside mealworms and bee larvae, caterpillars are also a highly nutritious and protein-rich ingredient to include on your menu. A 2024 study published in Future Foods found that caterpillars called mopane worms are higher in protein than beef, coming in at 73 grams of protein per 100 grams of caterpillars, versus 59 grams of protein in the same volume of beef jerky. They also contain magnesium and iron. Before you cook with caterpillars, you need to rinse them thoroughly with water and squeeze out the entrails, then you're good to go with your recipe choice.
The easiest ways to cook your caterpillars are to boil, fry, or steam them for about five minutes, then eat them straight away. Caterpillars can also be used in tacos as a meat substitute; mix them into the batter for chocolate flapjacks; or, cook them up with onions, tomato, chilis, bell peppers, and curry powder to make a delicious caterpillar curry. You can also leave out the spicy curry powder and slow-cook them into a stew. Diners have said that cigar-sized African mopane worms taste a lot like beef steak, with an earthy flavor to them. Meanwhile, red maguey worms are used to make the umami condiment sal de gusano in Mexico.
Edible caterpillars can be harder to find in stores. But if you hop online, you can locate many spots where you can buy edible insects, usually to be delivered, though there are some venues where you can go in-store. Amazon has quite a wide range of edible insect products, ranging from insect flours to dehydrated bugs — you can get started on your entomophagy journey with a bag of mixed bugs from the Newport Jerky Company. Or, try specialty stores like EdibleInsects.com and BizarreFood.com.