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You might think of eating insects as something kids do on a dare. But some of these little animals are popular around the world for their nutritional value -- and they’re starting to catch on in the U.S. Not long ago, sushi and lobster didn’t seem all that appetizing to Americans, so it’s not as far-fetched as it sounds.
Adult crickets can be a good source of iron, protein, and vitamin B12. They’re prepared in a lot of ways. The least noticeable is probably when they’re ground into a powder that’s added to protein shakes and flour. You can already find “cricket flour” in one brand of chips available in America.
High in protein, these creatures are popular worldwide, especially in Mexico, Latin America, and parts of Africa and Asia. They’re in such high demand in Uganda that they cost more per kilogram than beef.
In Mexico, they’re typically served toasted in oil, with garlic, lemon, and salt. That snack has made inroads in the U.S. Major League Baseball’s Seattle Mariners have introduced a version to their fans -- toasted with chili powder and key lime salt.
They may be best known for chewing through wood, but in Africa and other parts of the world they’re known as food. Rich in protein, fatty acids, and other micronutrients, termites also have iron and calcium. They’re served fried, smoked, or sun-dried.
Certain kinds, especially the larvae and pupae of the weaver ant, are in high demand in Asia. They’re considered a delicacy in parts of South America, where some of the top chefs often use them in high-end dishes.
A good source of protein, they’re said to have a lemony, citrusy flavor.
The larvae is the form of the bee that’s normally used as food. High in amino acids, B vitamins, and other nutrients, bees have been described as having a buttery, kind of fatty texture. They’re a staple in Thailand. Australian aborigines use stingless bees as a source of sugar.
The most popular of the insects you can eat, the adult H. parallela is rich in protein and several vitamins and minerals. They can be dry roasted or used in recipes (with the head, arms, and legs removed).
In 2012, Starbucks revealed it used extract from cochineal beetles to help color one of its strawberry beverages. After some negative reaction to the statement, the company went to a tomato-based coloring.
These insects have lots of omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamins, and minerals like copper, sodium, potassium, iron, zinc, and selenium. They can be eaten raw but are most often served dry-roasted or ground up and added to flour. In Mexico, they’re sometimes used this way to make tortillas.
Certain types of flies, which are rich in protein, are ground up and used in east African countries to enrich baked goods like crackers and muffins, as well as meat products like sausage and meatloaf. They also can be eaten roasted or sun-dried.
In parts of Africa, nearly 9.5 billion of these are harvested each year. That’s in part because they’re an important source of protein, especially during the rainy season. Caterpillars are also popular in Asia and Mexico, where one of the most common ways to serve them is fried or braised, seasoned with a spicy sauce, and wrapped in a tortilla. They also can be found at the bottom of a bottle of mescal tequila.
Don’t get thrown by the name. These creatures have lots of nutritional benefits. They have fatty acids, flavonoids (chemicals that help fight inflammation), and amino acids. They also can be rich in minerals like iron, potassium, and phosphorus.
Some say that some species taste like cinnamon, while others are like a sour apple. In southern Africa, they’re soaked in lukewarm water to release their toxins, then sundried, washed, and cooked in warm water and salt.
This relative of the water boatman or backswimmer is something of a treat in Thailand, where it’s found only in June. You can eat them whole or crushed, ground, and added to chili paste. This mixture is known as jaew maeng da in Laos and nam phik in Thailand.
As easy as it might sound, it’s not a good idea to go out and harvest your own insects. They need to be processed and stored the right way. Once you’ve bought them from a regulated seller, preparing them is about the same as most kinds of food. Just be sure to clean and cook them properly.
For example, stink bugs need to be soaked in warm water, never hot, because hot water will instantly kill the bugs and keep them from getting rid of their toxins.
Also:
Meat Substitutes
Tofu is a plant-based choice that packs a protein punch -- half a cup has over 11 grams. Tofu is made of soybean curds pressed into blocks, and it's free of cholesterol and low in saturated fat. Because it takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it with, you can make tofu taste like you want it to for almost any dish.
Made from fermented soybeans, tempeh has even more protein than tofu. Half a cup has over 16 grams. You can marinate tempeh before cooking to give it flavor, and sauté it for a crispy outside.
With about 8 grams of protein per each half cup, seitan is another good non-meat protein source that takes on the flavor of any seasonings you add. But if you’re gluten intolerant, seitan isn’t for you. It’s made from cooked wheat gluten.
Yep, this fruit can take the place of meat. Jackfruit is full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. Plus, with 2.6 grams per cup, it has much more protein than most other fruits. You can use it as an alternative for shredded meat in barbecue or pulled pork recipes. But be aware: While it has more protein than fruit, it has much less than meat. So its benefits are more in terms of texture and taste than nutrition.
Grilled portobellos are savory, “meaty,” and can fill a hamburger bun nicely. But if you’re looking for protein and other nutrients you get from meat, mushrooms aren’t the way to go. They have only 3 grams of protein for every 1 cup and lack the iron, B12, and zinc meat brings to the table.
For a filling protein/fiber combo, beans are an ideal pick. One cup of lentils comes with almost 18 grams of protein and a whopping 15.6 grams of fiber -- around half your daily recommended value. You can easily sub them for ground beef in tacos, chili, and other similar dishes.
Textured vegetable protein, or TVP, is a meat replacement made of soy flour with the fat removed. Half a cup has 17.5 grams of protein, but is higher in carbohydrates than other meat substitutes at 11.5 grams. You can use it to give a meat texture to dishes, or you can also find it shaped as meat products, like chicken nuggets.
Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are the protein (and fiber) powerhouses that make up hummus. But you can also use them to make baked falafel, which is solid enough to serve as a meat-free patty. Half a cup of chickpeas offer over 7 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber, with low fat, no cholesterol, and plenty of vitamins and minerals.
There’s an almost endless supply of pinch-hitters for meat made of a combination of soy protein products, wheat protein products, and plant proteins. Common brands include Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, MorningStar Farms, Boca, Gardein, and Tofurky. Although many of these choices can deliver protein, they’re also often highly processed and high in sodium, so read labels carefully.
Your personal health needs will help decide which meat sub is best for you. But in general, it’s good to go for whole foods like beans over processed foods like blends. Impostor meat products tend to overload on sodium, saturated fats, and added ingredients. Talk to your doctor if you’re on the fence about the right meat alternative.
Also:
12 Edible Bugs That Could Help You Survive
In many parts of the world, entomophagy, or eating bugs is commonplace. Insects are actually the most abundant protein source on the planet, and many of them boast dense concentrations of nutrients like omega 3s. If two billion people can invite insects to the dinner table, it shouldn't be too much of a
Contents
Grasshoppers and Crickets
Ants
Termites
Grubs
Wood Lice
Earthworms
Stinkbugs
Scorpions
Earwigs
Aphids
Maggots
Dragonflies
Edible Bugs You Probably Want to Avoid Eating
In many parts of the world, eating bugs is commonplace. Insects are actually the most abundant protein source on the planet, and many of them boast dense concentrations of en-vogue nutrients like omega 3’s that we buy at fancy grocery stores. If 2 billion people can invite insects to the dinner table, it shouldn’t be too much of a stretch for you to include edible bugs in your emergency survival diet.
So, which bugs can you catch and eat?
Grasshoppers and Crickets
Grasshoppers and crickets are extraordinarily protein-rich, and you can collect them pretty much anywhere. Most types of grasshoppers and crickets are edible. If you want to try it without picking legs out of your teeth, you can try a store-bought food product called cricket powder, or cricket flour. Cricket powder is very high in protein, has similar baking properties to regular flour, and has a slightly nutty flavor. If you do decide to go wild, remember: They can carry nematodes, so remember to cook them before you eat them.
How to Catch Them
When and Where: Grasshoppers are easiest to catch in the early mornings when they move more slowly. Look for crickets in damp, dark places first: under rocks, logs, and other large objects. Also check in tall grasses, shrubs and trees. Try shaking branches above a shirt, sleeping bag or other piece of fabric, and see if any edibles fall onto it.
Things You Need: Hands, a wool blanket or flannel shirt, or a water bottle and some over-ripe fruit
Method:
By hand:
You can catch crickets by using your hands to snatch them up. This is hopefully self-explanatory (chase them down and catch your dinner). If you have to catch them by hand, they’re fast, so err on the side of overkill and grab the entire area of ground surrounding the cricket. Alternatively, hunt them in the early morning chill, when the cold-blooded critters are still sluggish. The best container to put them in is something with a lid.
By wool blanket/flannel shirt:
If you happen to have a wool blanket or a flannel shirt, place it in the middle of a field or location where grasshoppers seem to be plentiful.
Chase the hoppy little bugs onto the flannel/wool. Their feet will get caught in the fibers a little, hopefully giving you enough time to pluck them off (or out of the air).
By bottle:
You can trap them by cutting the top off of a plastic water bottle (an open Nalgene works too), burying it in the ground, and dropping some over-ripe fruit in it. If you don’t have any fruit, a glow stick or light works almost as well (they’re attracted to it). If you drop in a few small pieces of cardboard or leaves, the crickets will hide under them instead of trying to escape.
Leave it overnight, and in the morning, you’ll find breakfast hopping around inside.
How to Eat Them
To prepare crickets and grasshoppers, pull off their heads and the entrails should come with; discard both. The entrails are edible, but removing them reduces the risk of parasite transmission. For this reason, always cook the bugs before eating them.
Remove the wings and legs.
Dry roast them if you have a pan, or skewer them and roast over flame if you don’t. You can char them if you prefer.
Poisonous Grasshoppers
While the majority of grasshoppers are safe to eat, there are a few exceptions. Avoid any brightly-colored specimens, such as the eastern lubber (common in Texas and some other southern states), which can make you sick.
Ants
How to Catch Them
When and Where: Anywhere at any time. They’re sort of ubiquitous.
Things You Need: Hands, a stick if you want to make things easier on yourself
Method:
Just scan the ground, and you’re sure to eventually find a skittering battalion of ants. They march in straight lines, so they’ll lead you straight to their home base.
One good way to collect them is to hit an anthill or other habitat (like a rotting log) with a stick a of couple times, then put the end of the stick in the opening.
As ants rush to bite the stick, dunk it into a container of water—ideally the container you want to cook them in. Repeat until you have a few hundred.
How to Eat them
Capture as many as you can, putting them straight into the water so that they drown while you catch more. Once you’ve caught a sizeable portion, boil them for about six minutes. This will neutralize the acid in their bodies. If you have to eat them raw, just make sure they’re dead first so they don’t bite you.
Termites
Termites are a great source of protein, and since they live most of their lives buried away in wood, they are less likely to carry parasites than other insects. Mature adult termites have wings and can fly. The other stages (larvae, workers, soldiers, nymphs, queens, etc) can’t fly, so they’re easier to snag. In some cultures, termite queens are regarded as a delicacy. Who knew you could eat like royalty while eating insects?
When and Where: Termites love wood. It’s their main food source. So crack open a cold log, and collect your dinner.
What You Need: Hands
Method: Break open a punky log and grab them or shake them out fast. As soon as they see light, they’ll crawl deeper into the wood.
How to Eat Them
Roast them in a dry pan. You want these critters cooked up crispy.
Grubs
Is this the one you dreaded reading about? When someone says “grub,” they’re typically referring to the larval stage of a beetle. There are over 344 grub species consumed around the globe, including the witchetty grub in Australia, palm weevil grubs in some Asian countries, giant water bugs in North America, and mopane worms in Africa. Some of them are small and crunchy, like mealworms, and some are fat and juicy, like rhinoceros beetle larva.
This is probably the one you dreaded reading about. Grubs are very easy to find and collect, and some even taste not-disgusting.Rasbak / Wikimedia Commons
When and Where: The best place to collect them is in rotting logs. You can also try stripping bark off of living trees, or searching under rocks and leaf litter.
What You Need: A stick or a rock
Method
Find a rotting log.
Strip the bark off of the log or smash the log. Or strip the bark, harvest the grub (pun intended), and then smash the log to see if there’s any more inside. Grab them with your fingers—they’re not exactly fast.
How to Eat Them
Skewer them lengthwise with a long stick and cook over an open flame until the skin is crispy.
Wood Lice
Also called “sow bugs,” “potato bugs,” “roly polies,” or “pill bugs,” woodlice are actually not a bug at all. They’re the only terrestrial crustacean in North America and have a flavor that’s similar to shrimp. In fact, they’re even called “land shrimp” sometimes.
Also called “sow bug”, “potato bug”, or “pill bug,” the wood louse is actually not a bug at all. Andy Reago / Flickr
How to Catch Them
When and Where: They are extremely easy to collect. Overturn rocks and logs or sift through dead leaves, and you’re sure to find some.
What You Need: Hands, something to collect them in
Method:
Push things over.
Collect bugs.
How to Eat Them
Drop them in boiling water, and leave them there for a while. They can carry nematodes (better known as parasitic roundworms—things you don’t want freeloading in your intestines), so be sure they’re thoroughly cooked.
When they’re done, strain the water out and eat.
Earthworms
Are worms technically bugs? No. Not even close. But they are edible. You’ve probably played with these more than you’ve eaten them. However, things are about to change since, well, you’re here. If push comes to shove, you can go scrounging for these wriggly morsels. Maybe thinking of them as free-range, very fresh spaghetti will help them slide down your gullet easier. Remember to squish out the poop before you eat them. Bon appetit!
edible bugs - earthworms
When and Where: If it just rained, spotting these wigglers should be pretty easy. They’ll be everywhere. If it hasn’t just rained, ferret about for them in damp soil, in decomposing flora (such as leaves and wood), or under rocks.
What You Need: Hands, something to put them in
Method:
Find something they’re likely to be under or in.
Investigate the location.
Collect.
Enjoy them al dente (but, like, make sure they’re cooked).
How to Eat Them
While worms can be eaten raw in an emergency, you should cook them if at all possible. Like most of the things on this list, they can potentially carry parasites—and the parasite potential should motivate you to cook them first. Not to mention the extremely unpleasant prospect of eating a live worm.
Stinkbugs
Yep, believe it or not, stinkbugs are edible. Generally speaking, you shouldn’t eat noxiously odiferous bugs. Stinkbugs, however, are the exception. They’re just fine to send down that hatch (after you cook them, of course). They are even considered a delicacy in Mexico, where there’s an annual festival in Taxco to celebrate them.
How to Catch Them
When and Where: In the winter, you will probably find them hiding under rocks, logs, or other cover. Otherwise, you’ll see them parading arrogantly across open ground. You’ll recognize them because they look like a traditional medieval shield, straight across on the top and coming to a point on the bottom.
What You’ll Need: Hands, container
Method:
Stalk.
Pounce.
Profit.
How to Eat Them
Some people eat them raw, but maybe try not to be one of those people if you can. To rid stinkbugs of their stinkitude, soak them in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes, and then cook extensively by roasting in a dry pan. They are said to have an “iodine” taste.
Scorpions
Scorpions are a common street food in China and can be found in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and other Southwestern states. They taste a bit like crab. If you decide to dine on scorpion, make sure that you cut the stinger off first. Usually the venom is produced and stored in the top two or so segments of the tail. And make sure you cook them! Cooking generally negates the venom’s poisonous properties, but you can still have an allergic reaction to it. Unlike a bee or wasp, you’re not likely to get stung by a scorpion after it’s dead. If you’ve never eaten scorpion before, however, it might be best to avoid these—but if you’re in a survival situation, you might not have a choice.
How to Catch Them
When and Where: These living, dangerous thumbtacks reside in dens. You’ll have to find a den if you want scorpion for dinner.
What You’ll Need: A jar with a lid, hands (or something you prefer to dig with), a murder weapon (like a stick or a knife—probably don’t use your hands for this one).
Method:
To catch them, first find their dens. They’ll be low to the ground, burrowed under overhanging rocks or logs.
Dig a hole right in front of the burrow, large enough to accommodate an open-mouthed jar, water bottle with the top cut off, or cup.
When the scorpion emerges at night, it will fall into the jar and be unable to climb out.
Kill it with a stick or a knife while it’s still in the jar.
Cut off the stinger.
How to Eat Them
Roast over a fire or coals until it’s well browned.
Earwigs
Have you ever lifted up a pot in the garden and seen a horde of critters flee away into the grass? That could be your lunch escaping. Earwigs are edible and safe to eat. They don’t have stingers. They don’t have venom. They look like a cross between an ant (the head portion) and a scorpion (the pincher bits), and are about the size of one of those flattened pennies you get at a fair. When agitated, they might try to attack with their pinchers, but those pinches usually don’t break the skin or even hurt very much.
How to Catch Them
When and Where: Like most of the other bugs on the list, these guys are pretty easy to find. They live under things. They’re pretty fast but also pretty harmless. Looking under logs and things that look like they’ve been undisturbed for a while is a good place to start. They like dark, wet places.
What You’ll Need: Hands, container
Method:
Find something to wiggle, like a rock or log, and have your container ready.
Disrupt the rock or log and be ready to capture your lunch.
Toss the bugs in a container.
How to Eat Them
Get your fire roarin’ (or purring, it’s up to you).
Sauteé your dinner. You want your ‘wigs nice and crispy.
Once they’re fully cooked, you’re good to enjoy your dinner.
Aphids
Do you remember that children’s book “The Grouchy Ladybug”? The tale’s protagonist is in search of dinner: aphids. Aphids are tiny little insects that love sweet, sweet sap. They’re often green or black, but come in a wide variety of colors. They’re very small—you could probably fit more than 50 on a penny. Now, you get to be the Grouchy Ladybug—but you don’t have to share like the ladybug did.
How to Catch Them
When and Where: Aphids live on plants. There are many different types of aphids, and they have different plant preferences. If there are plants around, you’re sure to find an edible variety. What they feed on can affect what they taste like, ranging from slightly bitter to sweet.
What You’ll Need: Hands, a container that holds water
Method:
Brush them off into some water so they can’t escape.
How to Eat Them
Boil them and enjoy.
Maggots
Grubs and maggots are a bit different—even if they’re both pretty gnarly and maybe not prime snack material. Grubs are fat, juicy, and usually white in color. Maggots are thin, yellow-brownish, and legless. “Grub” usually refers to beetle larvae, while “maggot” usually refers to fly larvae. They are both edible though. So they’ve got that going for them.
How to Catch Them
When and Where: There are many different types of maggots. Some maggots live in rotting flesh and spoiled meat. While rotting meat isn’t safe to eat, the maggots are (but cook them first!). They also tend to live in rotting vegetables and fruit. Some even live in water. Maggots are incredibly high in protein and other beneficial nutrients.
What You’ll Need: Hands, container
Method:
Find a source to harvest them from. If you’ve got time, and some spoiled fruit, you can create your own by leaving it out.
Collect.
How to Eat Them
Boil or saute to kill any potential lingering germs.
Enjoy your Lion King-esque feast.
Dragonflies
Dragonflies are the most common in the spring and summer months. They more or less have two life-cycle stages: nymph and adult. Both of these stages are edible—though one is much easier to catch than the other. While they’re in their nymph stage, they’re often green, about the size of the fist two segments of your pointer finger, and water-borne. Much easier to catch when they can’t zoom away! Their adult stage is what you’re used to seeing: a fully grown dragonfly. These are edible, but can be a pain to catch because of how fast and dexterous that are.
When and Where: Dragonflies can’t bite hard enough for a human to feel it, and they don’t have stingers. Both the larval stage and the adult stage are edible. The larval version is probably easier to catch, though. Dragonfly larvae live in water and are more common in the spring and summer months.
What You’ll Need: Hands, optional net
Method:
Larvae: These live in the water and sometimes attach themselves to aqueous plants. You should be able to pretty easily just pluck them out of the water.
Adult: Dragonflies at this stage can fly—and they’re fast. Like, Back to the Future DeLorean fast. Catching them without a net will probably be difficult, unless you’ve mastered some kind of quick-snatch ninja move. Or maybe this is an opportunity to perfect your dragon-fly-snatching technique. Sneak up on them while they’re resting on something, and see if you can’t catch yourself some dinner.
How to Eat Them
You only need to cook these for a few seconds, just enough to kill any germs.
Pulling the wings and legs off is optional but might make them literally easier to swallow.
Edible Bugs You Probably Want to Avoid Eating
These bugs are edible, but either harder to find or riskier to collect and eat. You may want to exercise caution before eating these—or at least know what you’re getting yourself into.
Slugs and snails
Tarantulas
Bees and wasps
Caterpillars
Slugs and Snails
While their flesh is benign, there’s a high enough likelihood that they’ve fed on something toxic—like poisonous plants or mushrooms—to make eating them inadvisable. The ones that you eat in a restaurant have been fed safe-to-eat plants; the people preparing them know exactly what those snails were eating. The same can’t be said of an in-the-wild snail’s diet. If you wild snails or slugs, you risk contracting rat lungworm, which can turn into eosinophilic meningitis (causing severe brain and nervous system damage). These diseases usually hide in the digestive tract of the slugs and snails, so cooking them won’t necessarily guarantee that they’re disease-free system. If snails are your only meal option, you can also feed them plants you know aren’t poisonous for a week before eating them. Then be sure to cook them thoroughly.
Tarantulas
Fun fact: fried spider is a delicacy in Cambodia. Remove as much hair as you can, and don’t eat the fangs. If you cook them, curled legs are an indicator of how done they are and how well cooked the insides are. One of the most common edible spiders is the Thai zebra spider, but it is venomous and aggressive.
Bees and Wasps
Cut off the stingers and legs. Cook well. But be forewarned: These fliers are dangerous to catch. If risking stings is worth it (or you don’t have another choice), you can try plugging the hive, and then smoke the whole thing with some sort of improvised torch to kill everything inside. These are on the “honorable mention” list only because they’re hard to catch and will attack you without remorse. That said, bee larvae can be eaten, and they’re less likely to fight back.
Caterpillars
Some are toxic, like the giant silkworm moth and the puss caterpillar. Bright ones and hairy ones tend to be toxic, but that isn’t a set-in-stone rule. So either do some research about the area you plan to be stranded in or proceed with extreme caution. If you’re stranded and looking to survive, this probably isn’t the best gamble.
Which Bugs Shouldn’t I Eat and Why?
Bug Don’t Eat It Because…
Slugs and Snails You don’t know what they ate. They love eating poisonous plants. Cooking them doesn’t boil out this poison. They also carry rat lung worm (and it’s as awful as it sounds).
Tarantulas They have no qualms about jumping on you and attacking you. They’re aggressive.
Bees and Wasps These guys will kamakaze you. You could get stung by them. Other insects are likely more readily available, and they’re definitely less likely to attack back
Caterpillars Some are toxic, and unless you know which is which beforehand, now is probably not the time to guess wildly.
Telltale Signs a Bug Might Kill You
While the majority of bugs are safe to eat, there are a few precautions you should take:
Avoid Bright Colors: Don’t eat any insects that are brightly colored; their coloration is a warning to predators that they’re toxic. That even goes for the insects on this list.
Avoid Hairy Things: Avoid hairy bugs; there may be stingers nestled in the fuzz.
Avoid Smelly Things: Also avoid any bugs that have a potent smell (except, paradoxically, stinkbugs).
When in doubt: If you are ever in doubt about an insect’s edibility, cut off a tiny, cooked piece of it, swallow it, and wait a few hours. If you don’t develop any symptoms, eat a larger piece and wait again. If nothing happens, it’s probably fine.
No bug sushi: We can’t stress this enough. Whenever possible, you should cook your insects before you eat them. They may carry parasites or harmful bacteria that cooking will kill, and it improves flavor and makes the nutrients more digestible.
