What Insects Can You Eat? A Guide to Tasting and Nutrition

by time news

2023-05-25 16:48:37

John D. BuffingtonGetty Images

Caterpillars, cockroaches, wasps, butterflies and moths. You may not immediately think of them, but you can really eat them all. In the Netherlands, wholesalers and supermarkets mainly sell locusts, mealworms and beetles for human consumption. But as many as 1900 species of insects are eaten all over the world.

How do insects taste?

Each insect tastes slightly different. Grasshoppers, for example, resemble nuts, while enthusiasts say mealworms taste like popcorn. Are you a fish lover and visiting a market in China? Then the dragonfly may offer a solution, because the popular snack there tastes like crab.

Are insects healthy?

Grasshoppers, mealworms and beetles are therefore most often on the menu in the Netherlands. And they fit perfectly into a varied and healthy diet, reports the Nutrition Center. ‘They contain many good nutrients, such as protein, unsaturated fat, iron and vitamin B.’ In terms of nutritional value, insect meat is equivalent to fish, chicken, beef or pork, according to the foundation.

Don’t eat them raw

But the Nutrition Center also warns. Don’t just put insects raw in your mouth. Then you can get really sick. The advice is to heat, blanch, boil, stir-fry or fry for at least 10 minutes. The same applies to freeze-dried insects. Don’t forget to remove the wings and legs. Otherwise, your intestines could become damaged or blocked.

Fat mealworm

Your grasshopper, beetle and mealworm are therefore full of good nutrients. But that doesn’t mean you have to eat bugs every day. Are they often on the menu at your house? Then that can have a negative effect on your cholesterol. Especially if you like mealworms and saber locusts, according to the Nutrition Center. This meat resembles organ meat, which is richer in fat and cholesterol than most regular meats.

The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) also advises to eat a maximum of 45 grams of insects per day. The weight differs per insect. As an indication: the large grasshoppers that insect nursery De Sprinkplank in Dongen sells for human consumption are 1.5 grams each. In terms of protein, 23 of these grasshoppers are equivalent to a 100 gram hamburger.

Why is the advice a maximum of 45 grams per day? The skeletons and carapaces of insects contain chitin. In small amounts, this substance is not toxic to humans. More research is needed to see whether chitin in larger amounts is harmless.

Are all insects safe to eat?

Worldwide, more than 1900 species of insects are eaten. Why is eating insects still not established in the Netherlands? This is because the European food safety organization EFDA first carries out extensive safety investigations before insects enter the European market. Permission for sale has been granted for all products that you can buy in the Netherlands.

You can eat insects as a snack in between, but also as part of your main meal. Sometimes it takes some searching, because not all stores sell insects for human consumption. You can find them at wholesalers and online stores anyway. And some supermarkets now also sell them.

Want to learn more about healthy food? Quest made the healthy eating course.

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