STANDARDS

NGSS: Core Idea: LS2.B

CCSS: Writing: 1

TEKS: Science: 3.7D, 4.7C; ELA: 3.21, 4.19, 5.19, 6.18

Bug Bites!

Could insects be the food of the future?

April 2018

By Kathryn Free

Would you eat a cricket? How about a wriggly mealworm? Brent Evans, a fourth-grader in Hampshire County, West Virginia, wasn’t interested in tasting either one. But when a chef brought edible insects to his school early last year, Brent started to grow curious. This past fall, he decided to try mealworms, grasshoppers, and crickets for a social studies project.

Americans usually think of insects as pests, not food. But in other parts of the world, people have eaten bugs for thousands of years. Now some experts are urging Americans to add insects to their diets. That’s partly because bugs are nutritious. Farming insects also causes less pollution and uses fewer natural resources than farming meat like beef or pork, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (U.N.).

Brent ordered roasted crickets online. When they finally arrived, he popped one into his mouth. Would he spit it out? Or would he want more?

Would you eat a cricket? How about a wriggly mealworm? Brent Evans didn’t want to taste either one. He’s a fourth-grader. He lives in Hampshire County, West Virginia. But something changed early last year. A chef brought insects to Brent’s school. They were bugs people could eat. Brent was curious. He decided to try bugs this past fall for a school project.

Americans usually think of insects as pests. But they’re food in other parts of the world. People have eaten bugs for thousands of years. Now some experts want Americans to eat them too. That’s partly because bugs are healthy. Farming insects also creates less waste than farming meat like beef or pork. And it uses fewer natural resources. That’s according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (U.N.).

Brent ordered roasted crickets online. They finally arrived. He popped one into his mouth. Would he spit it out? Or would he want more?

Edible Insects

Watch a video about why people around the world are eating bugs.

Local Flavor

Entomophagy (en-tuh-MAH-fuh-jee), or eating insects, isn’t common in the U.S. or Europe. But more than 2 billion people around the world eat bugs. In Thailand, locals snack on fried locusts like they’re potato chips. Brazilians enjoy chocolate-covered ants for dessert. South Africans sprinkle insects into porridge for an added crunch.

By the year 2050, the U.N. predicts, there will be more than 9 billion people on Earth. All of them will need to eat. It takes a lot of land and water to raise animals like chickens, pigs, and cattle (see Room to Grow). That’s why we need more sustainable foods, says Juan Manuel Gutierrez.

Entomophagy (en-tuh-MAH-fuh-jee) is the practice of eating insects. It isn’t common in the U.S. or Europe. But more than 2 billion people worldwide eat bugs. You might munch on potato chips. But locals in Thailand snack on fried locusts. Brazilians enjoy chocolate-covered ants for dessert. South Africans sprinkle insects into porridge. The bugs give it an added crunch.

More than 9 billion people will live on Earth by the year 2050, the U.N. predicts. All of those people will need to eat. It takes a lot of land and water to raise chicken, pigs, and cattle (see Room to Grow). That’s why we need more sustainable foods, says Juan Manuel Gutierrez.

Room to Grow

Farmers need space to raise animals and grow their feed. Here’s how much land it takes to produce different proteins.

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Think: How does a farm animal’s size affect its needs?

Room to Grow

Farmers need space to raise animals and grow their feed. Here’s how much land it takes to produce different proteins.

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Think: How does a farm animal’s size affect its needs?

Gutierrez owns a company in Miami, Florida, that sells edible insects to restaurants. He first tasted an insect at a family reunion. It was a grasshopper toasted in traditional Mexican style. “Once I tried it, I was hooked,” he says.

Insects are both tasty and healthy, says Gutierrez. They’re low in fat, high in protein, and packed with important nutrients like iron (see Nutrition Facts). In fact, one mouthful of crickets has nearly 20 times more iron than the same amount of beef!

Gutierrez owns a company in Miami, Florida. It sells insects to restaurants. He first tasted an insect at a family reunion. It was a grasshopper toasted in traditional Mexican style. “Once I tried it, I was hooked,” he says.

Insects are both tasty and healthy, says Gutierrez. They’re low in fat. And they’re high in protein. They also have many nutrients, like iron.

Earth-Friendly Insects

Wendy Lu McGill is an insect farmer in Denver, Colorado. She
learned about eating insects while working for the U.N. She decided to start her farm in 2015. “Even though right now it seems strange, we could all be eating insects in a few years,” she says.

McGill likes that farming insects uses fewer resources than farming bigger animals. For one thing, insects need less food to grow. That’s because bugs are cold-blooded. Unlike other farm animals, they don’t need energy from food to keep their bodies warm. As a result, crickets eat 5 to 10 times less grain than cattle to produce the same amount of protein.

Wendy Lu McGill is an insect farmer. She lives in Denver, Colorado. She learned about eating insects while working for the U.N. She decided to start her farm in 2015. “Even though right now it seems strange, we could all be eating insects in a few years,” she says.

McGill likes that farming insects is better for the planet. It uses fewer resources than farming bigger animals. One reason is that insects need less food to grow. That’s because bugs are cold-blooded. They don’t need energy from food to keep their bodies warm. But other farm animals do. As a result, crickets eat 5 to 10 times less grain than cattle.

Nutrition Facts

Here’s how the nutrients in 100 grams of beef compare to those in 100 grams of crickets.

Shutterstock.com

Think: Which of these foods do you think is healthier? Why?

Nutrition Facts

Here’s how the nutrients in 100 grams of beef compare to those in 100 grams of crickets.

Shutterstock.com

Think: Which of these foods do you think is healthier? Why?

The grains that feed farm animals need water to grow. Since insects eat less, raising them saves water too. It takes about 2,300 liters (607 gallons) of water to grow food for 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of chicken. For the same amount of crickets, only 1 liter (0.26 gallons) of water is used.

Insects have one more environmental perk. Cows and pigs burp a lot—and they fart a lot too. These emissions contain methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. The gas traps heat in Earth’s atmosphere and contributes to climate change. But insects aren’t as gassy as bigger animals. For every pound of meat, cricket farming releases about 3,000 times less greenhouse gas than raising cattle does.

The grains fed to farm animals need water to grow. Raising insects saves water since bugs eat less. Growing food for 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of crickets uses 1 liter (0.26 gallons) of water. It takes 2,300 times that to grow food for the same amount of chicken.

Insects are better for Earth in another way. Cows and pigs burp a lot. And they fart a lot too. Both processes release methane. It’s a powerful greenhouse gas. The gas traps heat around Earth. That adds to climate change. But insects aren’t as gassy as bigger animals. Cricket farming releases about 3,000 times less greenhouse gas than raising cattle does.

Bugging Out

For entomophagy to catch on, people need to think insects taste good, says Gutierrez. He works with chefs to think up tasty bug-based recipes, such as spaghetti sauce with grasshoppers instead of ground beef. He now sells insects to restaurants in 48 states.

What will it take for entomophagy to catch on in America? People need to think insects taste good, says Gutierrez. He works with chefs to think up bug-based recipes. One example is spaghetti sauce. Instead of ground beef, it has grasshoppers. Gutierrez now sells insects to restaurants in 48 states.

Shutterstock.com

So what did fourth-grader Brent think of his first insect treat? It was a bit dry, he says, but it tasted good. Since then, Brent has ordered more edible critters. He’s tried roasted ants and cricket brownies. Eating bugs now feels normal to Brent. But insect fever hasn’t spread to the rest of his family. “I tried to get my mom to eat a cricket,” he says, "but she won't."

So what did fourth-grader Brent think of his first insect treat? It was a bit dry, he says. But it tasted good. Brent has ordered more bugs to eat since then. He’s tried roasted ants. He’s also had cricket brownies. Eating bugs now feels normal to Brent. But insect fever hasn’t spread to the rest of his family. “I tried to get my mom to eat a cricket, but she won’t,” he says.

Magnificent Mineral

How much iron is in your cereal?

Observe

Edible insects are a good source of iron. This mineral helps your blood carry oxygen throughout your body.

Ask a Research Question

How much iron is in your food?

Make a Prediction

Which of two mystery cereals contains more iron?

Materials

• two zip-top bags of mystery cereal (Teachers: see page T2 in this issue’s Teacher’s Guide for preparation instructions)
• metal spoon
• two plastic cups
• measuring cup
• 2 cups of warm water
• two prepared magnet wands (see T2)
• timer
• paper towels
• paper and pencil

Procedure

1. Your teacher will give you two bags of cereal labeled A and B. Without opening the bags, examine the cereal in each. What kind does it look like? Record your observations.

2. Make sure the bags are well-sealed. Use your hands and the spoon to mash each cereal into a powder inside the bag. Don’t leave any big chunks.

3. Open the bag labeled cereal A. Pour the powder into a cup. Then add 1 cup of warm water.

4. Use a magnet wand to stir the mixture for 60 seconds. (Don’t remove the plastic wrap from the wand.) As you stir, dark iron particles from the cereal will stick to the magnet.

5. Lay a paper towel on the desk, then take the magnet wand out of the cup. Carefully remove the plastic wrap and lay it flat on the paper towel. Do you see iron on the plastic? Record your observations. Then set the plastic wrap aside.

6. Repeat steps 3 to 5 with cereal B and the other wand.

1. Your teacher will give you two bags of cereal labeled A and B. Without opening the bags, examine the cereal in each. What kind does it look like? Record your observations.

2. Make sure the bags are well-sealed. Use your hands and the spoon to mash each cereal into a powder inside the bag. Don’t leave any big chunks.

3. Open the bag labeled cereal A. Pour the powder into a cup. Then add 1 cup of warm water.

4. Use a magnet wand to stir the mixture for 60 seconds. (Don’t remove the plastic wrap from the wand.) As you stir, dark iron particles from the cereal will stick to the magnet.

6. Repeat steps 3 to 5 with cereal B and the other wand.

Results

Compare the two pieces of plastic wrap. Which one collected more iron?

Conclusions

1. Which of the two types of cereal contains more iron?

2. Imagine you’re a nutrition scientist. How would you measure the iron content of an edible insect? Write your procedure in numbered steps.

1. Which of the two types of cereal contains more iron?

2. Imagine you’re a nutrition scientist. How would you measure the iron content of an edible insect? Write your procedure in numbered steps.

Take It Further

Test the iron content of other foods, such as beans or potato skins. Blend each food with water, then repeat steps 4 and 5.

Magnificent Mineral

How much iron is in your cereal?

Observe

Edible insects are a good source of iron. This mineral helps your blood carry oxygen throughout your body.

Ask a Research Question

How much iron is in your food?

Make a Prediction

Which of two mystery cereals contains more iron?

Materials

Procedure

1. Your teacher will give you two bags of cereal labeled A and B. Without opening the bags, examine the cereal in each. What kind does it look like? Record your observations.

2. Make sure the bags are well-sealed. Use your hands and the spoon to mash each cereal into a powder inside the bag. Don’t leave any big chunks.

3. Open the bag labeled cereal A. Pour the powder into a cup. Then add 1 cup of warm water.

4. Use a magnet wand to stir the mixture for 60 seconds. (Don’t remove the plastic wrap from the wand.) As you stir, dark iron particles from the cereal will stick to the magnet.

6. Repeat steps 3 to 5 with cereal B and the other wand.

1. Your teacher will give you two bags of cereal labeled A and B. Without opening the bags, examine the cereal in each. What kind does it look like? Record your observations.

2. Make sure the bags are well-sealed. Use your hands and the spoon to mash each cereal into a powder inside the bag. Don’t leave any big chunks.

3. Open the bag labeled cereal A. Pour the powder into a cup. Then add 1 cup of warm water.

4. Use a magnet wand to stir the mixture for 60 seconds. (Don’t remove the plastic wrap from the wand.) As you stir, dark iron particles from the cereal will stick to the magnet.

6. Repeat steps 3 to 5 with cereal B and the other wand.