Have you ever heard the term “entomophagy”? (pronounced en-toe-moff-ah-gee)
Entomophagy encompasses the human practice of consuming insects as food. Chances are you’re unfamiliar with this peculiar term, because bugs have never really been a part of the traditional Western diet.
So, naturally, almost nobody talks about eating them – especially in categorical terms like this. But maybe we should, seeing as how the insect world represents a largely untapped treasure trove of nutrition…
Once you get over the “gross” factor, the idea of eating insects suddenly becomes no different than eating a medium-well steak or grilled chicken breast. Take the lowly cricket, for example. Part of the non-Western global diet for millennia, this chirping little critter is a nutritional powerhouse, with a pleasantly mild and nutty flavor profile that you might not expect.
It’s one of the many reasons why cricket consumption is rapidly gaining traction here in the West as a new found and premiere source of complete nourishment, though perhaps not in the form you might expect.
Most people prefer NOT to chomp down on full insect bodies (head, thorax, abdomen, and all), which is why we’re starting to see all sorts of creative alternatives such as meal replacement bars, superfood beverages, and other cricket-based health foods hitting store shelves.
Turning Crickets Into All-Purpose “Flour” for Everyday Use
Arguably the most functional form of cricket food that humans are eating these days is cricket flour or cricket powder. Similar in appearance and texture to a typical protein powder, cricket powder contains all the protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals of the insect in its entirety. Additionally, cricket powder is exceptionally bioavailable for lasting sustenance.1
Cricket powder contains double the amount of protein found in beef.
It also contains impressively high levels of all nine essential branched-chain amino acids, or BCAAs, which serve as the building blocks of muscle growth and energy production.2
A growing number of athletes, in particular, are turning to cricket powder because of the fast-action support it provides.3
So where does cricket powder come from? It’s simple. Crickets raised by insect farmers are dried and often roasted before being milled into a fine flour that has virtually unlimited versatility. Like any other flour, cricket powder can be used to make protein powders, protein bars, smoothies, baked goods, and practically anything else that contains flour or protein as an ingredient.
Cricket Farming Is Environmentally Friendly
Perhaps the most appealing aspect to cricket consumption, at least from an environmental perspective, is that they’re easy to produce and require very little in terms of cultivation space and other growing inputs.
In other words, cricket flour earns an A+ on the sustainability scale – outperforming many other more traditional sources of protein such as meat.
Comparative Nutritional Analysis of Cricket Powder
So how does cricket powder stack up to other high-protein foods in terms of overall nutrition on a per-serving basis?
Besides its high protein content, cricket powder contains almost five times more magnesium, and over three times more iron, than beef. And because insect flour contains the whole insect, it’s also dense in many other important nutrients not commonly found in high quantities in traditional meat.
“You’re not just eating muscle,” says Daniella Martin, author of the book Edible: An Adventure into the World of Eating Insects and the Last Great Hope to Save the Planet. “You’re eating bones and organs, which deliver calcium, iron, vitamin B12, and zinc. It’s like if somebody ground up a whole cow.”
A single ounce of cricket flour, which clocks in at about 28 grams, is composed of 19.8 grams of complete protein – more than 70% of its volume – and 3.68 grams of BCAAs.
You’ll also find 2.4 grams of what’s known as chitin, a unique type of dietary fiber that’s been shown in scientific research to help protect the body against malignant pathogens, boost metabolism, support healthy joints and ligaments, and burn fat.4
Chitin has further been shown to support a healthy gut microbiota by feeding beneficial microbes the nutrition they need to grow and proliferate.5
Cricket flour also contains an impressive lineup of healthy fats – 5.4 total grams of omega-3s and other beneficial lipids per ounce – as well as high amounts of B vitamins and other vital nutrients.
Ounce for ounce, cricket powder is superior in almost every nutrient category compared to whey protein6, soy protein, and egg white protein, earning for itself a designation as a best-in-class superfood.7
“Nutritionally, insects are quite excellent,” says Dr. Arnold van Huis, PhD, an entomology researcher at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. “In a number of instances, they’re even better than normal meat.”
Its amino acid profile represents another important area where cricket flour really shines. With more than twice the amount of L-arginine as whey protein concentrate,8 cricket flour outperforms this popular dietary supplement in its ability to relax blood vessels, improve circulation, and increase blood flow – all of which support a healthy, youthful, and athletic state of being.9
Compared to whey protein concentrate, cricket powder also contains more than three times the amount of glycine, twice the amount of L-histidine, and 138 times the amount of L-leucine. These amino acids provide full-spectrum support for muscle growth and maintenance, healthy digestion, balanced blood sugar levels, balance of the central nervous system, and may even help protect the body against abnormal cell growth.10
What Do You Think About Entomophagy?
With its agreeable taste, environmental sustainability, and excellent nutrient profile, the only thing holding most people back from entomophagy (specifically when it comes to a product such as cricket flour) is unfamiliarity. But if health is your primary focus, then doesn’t it at least merit a try?
To learn more about the role of protein in an anti-cancer diet, check out this video.
Article Summary
The insect world represents a largely untapped treasure trove of nutrition.
Cricket powder (aka cricket powder) contains double the amount of protein found in beef.
Cricket powder outperforms most traditional sources of protein in sustainability and environmental impact.
Cricket powder is superior in almost every nutrient category compared to whey protein, soy protein, and egg white protein.
With its agreeable taste, environmental sustainability, and excellent nutrient profile, cricket powder can serve as a new staple in your kitchen.
Can cricket flour be fed to dogs and cats as a source of protein?
Hi Susan,
We would suggest speaking to your veterinarian about that. Best wishes!
love this. now we need to learn how to safely identify crickets from other bugs. so that we can provide for ourselves in the wild 🙂
In the Bible we are told that John the Baptist lived in the wilderness and sustained himself by eating locusts and honey. Just saying.
So true, Carol! That’s a super example!!! Thanks for sharing that with us! We believe the
Bible word for word, and it has lots of super lessons for us to apply to our lives, right? God
bless you, sister!!!
What are these crickets eating/being fed if farmed which is key as in any source of nutrients? And why wasn’t the comparison to plant proteins mentioned
Jana,
The Crickets are fed a diet of organic vegetables in order to ensure that our Cricket Super Fuel remains organic and gluten free. Thanks also for your feedback!
Hi there
Having visited a great number of Cricket farms around the world over the last 3 years as part of a thorough due diligence exercise leading up to the establishment of our own insect farming operation, I beg to differ with you on one very important aspect associated with farming crickets…not a single one of the farms I visited in Europe, the USA, Canada, and SE Asia fed their crickets a “sustainable” feed formula, instead they fed them on a soya / maize meal mix, commonly referred to as “Chicken Mash”, which is far from being sustainable, with a few vegetables thrown in as well. Other than this particular issue there’s absolutely no doubt regarding the nutritional value of a great number of edible insect species, although crickets sits lower down my nutritional value chart compared to the insect species I’ve eaten all my life. Having said that, it’s a great article and you must all remember one thing…pre 1994 it was considered taboo / disgusting to eat “raw fish” in the UK, today there is a Sushi Restaurant in every town and city throughout the country…
Hi Dave,
If you have questions about the Cricket Super Fuel product please reach out to Organixx here: https://support.organixx.com/submit_ticket
Are these the soft shell crickets pet stores sell for lizard food?
I would believe nutritionresults when crickets consume their ” free” range of living. And does the roasting minimize the nutrient vs being “raw” ..are the sources based on raw or roasted?
Interesting, anyway.
Are the black common crickets as edible? Northeast USA.
Interesting information Ty, Thank you! I will definitely consider trying this, and have found all your information and interviews with alternative Doctors, discussing natural immune building options to be first rate. This all makes so much sense to me, and came at the right time for me to help my significant other, when he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer of the esophagus. I hope this finds you and your family well,please keep up this incredibly important battle with getting such helpful information out across the world.
O appreciate your website. It’s very helpul. I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and have changed my diet a lot and learn a lot from you. I am a conservative Christian and appreciate that you are a happily married Christian. Thank you.
Wishing you all the best Janice!
I think this is disgusting, eating all the creatures in the world. Animals, Fish etc etc, Ultimately poor Insects, worms are in human plates all over the world.. I know, the Chines, Thailand, etc eating insects. & now in western countries also following this bad habits…Hotel Chefs are the one who introducing all these disgusting food to the world now…Sooner or later they’ll introduce Dogs, Cats & Snakes meat to Westerns as well. Sure enough, now these Insects(Cricket Powder) will add to some protein powder & other food as well….Sad World.
Hi, What is SAD in this WORLD is that we have become close minded and with no fault or criticism to you other than not having enough education and closing ourselves from learning new things because of all the traditions and westernised habits that are the norm for us. Yes, cultures eat their weird diets that you think are disgusting but in then they may think the same of your beef steak and westernised diet is disgusting. (snake meat has been introduced to western society already for many years, people state it tastes like chicken? and what about the introduction of frogs legs and snails by the French that we find in restaurants around the world?)). If it comes to the survival of our environment does it not make sense to look at other forms of foods that are not harmful to our health? So its mind over matter, if we allow ourselves to see beyond the cricket per say and research the benefits or the negatives and then make an informed decision before we throw our arms up in disgust we would be better off. Personally, I need to know more about cricket powder? Have they been exposed to any pesticides, how do they grow them, what type of processing is involved, has the insect came in contact with a GMO environment, how do they breed enough to make kilo and kilos of cricket powder? Is it really natural once it is processed? How does eating an actual cricket in some cultures compare to westernised processed cricket powder? This is what I will be looking into and asking these questions, as I do objectively as most individuals would do. Cheers Marie.
Hi Marie,
Thank you so much for the great thoughts and comments.
Feel free to contact Organixx directly regarding your questions about cricket powder.
You can submit a ticket at: https://support.organixx.com or contact them by phone at 1 877-750-6455.
I agree.. every creature deserves to live a life in peace.. who are we to decide wich living animal we can kill!! Every living entity derserves to live until it dies from a natural cause!
So that would include a lion killing a zebra, bird eating a worm, a big fish eating a small fish, and a Native American on the great plains surviving on the bison. It’s a dog eat dog world. We need more respect and good animal husbandry practices for the food supply.
Plants are living creatures, too you know.
And those of who keep dogs and cats have the daily dilemma of what to feed the carnivores.
Personally, I’m sticking with the plant-based diet for myself, but might consider cricket flour for my cats, which naturally eat certain insects, as opposed to feeding them commercial foods containing beef for example — how often do we think a house cat takes down a steer in the wild?!
You can enjoy your bugs. I will stick with my home grown moringa powder.
At $50 for 8 ounces for cricket powder, I’ll be sticking with steak, fish, poultry, and pork! These fools must think we are all wealthy to pay that price! Besides, I’ve been raising and eating crickets, mealworms, and soldier fly larvae for decades that I feed to my birds and reptiles and often use in my own meals.
I agree. I was going to try the powder, but $50 for a canister is too high.
Great article – was aware of the cricket nutrient profile through a co-worker who is thinking about starting a cricket business. I was totally blown away by the facts! Well worth the health investment. Am looking for a local source for the powder. Am sure that climate change is affecting regular food harvesting and food sources all over the world – so, cricket powder may turn out to be a life saver in the near future!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us, Richard!
Have you checked out the Cricket Super Fuel offered by Organixx? You can learn more by visiting the link below:
https://shop.organixx.com/products/organic-cricket-super-fuel
Dear Team of The Truth about Cancer,
We, human beings are designed to be vegans or eat a plant-based diet. To my mind, encouraging people to eat animal protein of insects just can not be good for their health. I am sure they have the same long-term effects as meat, dairy products, fish. I even think eating insects can cause cancer in the long term.
Thank you very much,
T. Diane Nguyen
Peace, human rights, vegetarianism, veganism activist
Thank you for your feedback T. Diane!
Though thats really just u thinking, rather than fully considering it, and the research. Crickets & insects have been considered for many years now. I’ll be glad to get those cows off all our land so it can become more forest
What are the crickets fed?
What do they eat?
Is it Organic? Is it GMO?
Are the crickets hybridized?
Hi Rebecca,
The Crickets are fed a diet of organic vegetables in order to ensure that our Cricket Super Fuel remains organic and gluten free. However, it is not certified non-GMO.
Any thing certified organic must NOT include anything GMO. It isn’t necessary to state it is non-GMO.
I am curious how they kill/dry these little critters. Is it done as humanely as possible?
Hi Valerie,
You can contact the Organixx Customer Success Team with regard to your concern/inquiries directly by submitting a ticket at:
https://support.organixx.com or contact them by phone at 1 877-750-6455.
No doubt that eating crickets sounds preferrable than eating meat, however the best advantage would be for farmers to quit using roundup and have consumers in their farms eating away the pests…ehehe
It’s not necessary to eat insects or any animal to obtain protein. Just eat plants. That’s enough.
You are WRONG! There are many necessary nutrients that humans cannot get from a total plant diet, and requires taking supplements which are often synthetic and not properly absorbed.
I am astonished why peoples are supporting eating unhygeinic creaturescreatures in the name of power house & convincing people saying it super food.No body knows how many crickets have more vitamins & proteins as compared to beef & poultry items.Only 20% populations living in china & its neighbour countries eat insects unlogically.I think as food beef,mutton,poultry is sufficient for humans health.If we suppose insects are superiors than beef & poultry why it is necessary to eat whole planet’s creatures in the name of super food.please don’t promote insects as food for human beings.
Thanks for your feedback and insight Zeeshan!
Doesn’t anyone fear how much disease or harmful bacteria these must carry? Gut feeling is they are dirty!
Hi Mary,
Eating crickets may seem strange, but crickets are safe to eat. Many cultures have been eating crickets for generations.
It annoys me that you have written in your email advertising “Even hardcore vegans are starting to use this to help get their vitamin B12..” – First of all, there are no “HARD CORE” vegans – you are either vegan or you are not. And there is nothing hard about it, it is very easy and rewarding to be vegan. Vegans get there B12 from the same place cows do- from plant sources. And while the benefits of being vegan range from personal health enhancements, environmental and of course animal welfare – there is a overall respect for sentient life. No true vegan is going to dump their morality to eat your crickets.
Thank you for your feedback Lesley. We appreciate it!
Just think about all the disgusting things we eat. Whats one more! I put glue boards down to catch crickets. If they can be turned into a snack food, say Crii-quetts, with minimal additives/preservatives, cinnamon or garlic roasted, in time they’d catch on. Check out whats in make-up you put on your face.
The creatures were made for us to Eat !
And also the animals in the wild eat each other .
The creatures were made for us to Eat !
From the article: “Once you get over the “gross” factor, the idea of eating insects suddenly becomes no different than eating a medium-well steak or grilled chicken breast.”
For those of us who have been, with much success, living a healthy Vegan life-style for decades, the idea of eating other Cows, Chickens, and sentient life-forms that possess a higher level of conscious awareness, is extremely unappetizing, to say the least. We weren’t always Vegans, or Vegetarians. Some of us were very avid ‘meat eaters’, and proud to be so. That is, until our eyes and hearts revealed to us the harm we were doing to innocent animals, as well as our planet.
Now add insects to the list? Ah, let me think about it… No. I think I’m gonna pass on that one too.
I’ll continue to enjoy my organic raw veggies and just leave the crickets to enjoy their existence too!
The Golden Rule is to “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” – and it’s all well to quote it. It’s another thing to actually live it.