cricket ·
cricket powder ·
eat grub ·
edibleinsects ·
essbare Insekten ·
future foods ·
Insekten essen ·
mealworms ·
pasta ·
QueenKeto ·
superfoods ·
Why eat insects?
Nutritional value
You might have heard about the outstanding nutritional values that edible insects have, but let’s try to take a deeper look at those and make some clarifications.
So far researchers have identified approximately 2100 species of insect that con be consumed by men without any health risk. The species that you can easily find on sale in Europe and North America are mainly 3: House cricket (Acheta domesica), mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) and grasshoppers (Locusta migratoria).
Insects are known to be a superfood, but what exactly makes them so special? Proteins? Fatty acids? Let’s find it out!
Proteins and amminoacids
Orthoptera (crickets, grasshoppers and similar) are the order of insects with the highest average protein content (62%), as well as the specie with the highest protein content, the red-legged grasshopper (Melanoplus femurrubrum) that reaches 77% of proteins.
Insect proteins contain all essential amino acids, specially lysine and threonine.
Fats
The record for the fatties insect goes to the caterpillar of the Phassus triangularis moth that reaches 77% of total lipids, while as an order Coleoptera are the the most fat-rich with an average of 35%. Fats doesn’t only mean unhealthy substances, it also means unsaturated fatty acids, also known as omega3 and omega6. These nutrients have a major role in cardiovascular health and the prevention of diseases linked to heart and circulation.
Insects are rich in linoleic, oleic and arachidonic acids with are amongst the most known unsaturated fatty acids. The level of UFA contained in insects is far superior than fish and poultry.
Micronutrients
Phosphorus, selenium, zinc, calcium and iron are nutritional elements that are naturally present in fair quantities in edible insects.
Vitamins wise insects are rich in pantothenic acid (B5), riboflavin (B2) and biotin.
After acknowledging these fact it should be clear that calling edible insects a superfood is no joke. Edible insects can really represent a vehicle for a better future in food both for eating more complete food and for fighting food insecurity in countries at risk.
You might have heard about the outstanding nutritional values that edible insects have, but let’s try to take a deeper look at those and make some clarifications.
So far researchers have identified approximately 2100 species of insect that con be consumed by men without any health risk. The species that you can easily find on sale in Europe and North America are mainly 3: House cricket (Acheta domesica), mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) and grasshoppers (Locusta migratoria).
Insects are known to be a superfood, but what exactly makes them so special? Proteins? Fatty acids? Let’s find it out!
Proteins and amminoacids
Orthoptera (crickets, grasshoppers and similar) are the order of insects with the highest average protein content (62%), as well as the specie with the highest protein content, the red-legged grasshopper (Melanoplus femurrubrum) that reaches 77% of proteins.
Insect proteins contain all essential amino acids, specially lysine and threonine.
Fats
The record for the fatties insect goes to the caterpillar of the Phassus triangularis moth that reaches 77% of total lipids, while as an order Coleoptera are the the most fat-rich with an average of 35%. Fats doesn’t only mean unhealthy substances, it also means unsaturated fatty acids, also known as omega3 and omega6. These nutrients have a major role in cardiovascular health and the prevention of diseases linked to heart and circulation.
Insects are rich in linoleic, oleic and arachidonic acids with are amongst the most known unsaturated fatty acids. The level of UFA contained in insects is far superior than fish and poultry.
Micronutrients
Phosphorus, selenium, zinc, calcium and iron are nutritional elements that are naturally present in fair quantities in edible insects.
Vitamins wise insects are rich in pantothenic acid (B5), riboflavin (B2) and biotin.
After acknowledging these fact it should be clear that calling edible insects a superfood is no joke. Edible insects can really represent a vehicle for a better future in food both for eating more complete food and for fighting food insecurity in countries at risk.