Johnson: Insects on menu for most critters

The list of critters out there enjoying the juicy crunch is a long one – birds, reptiles, fish and a number of mammals – and if it weren’t for the creepy crawly inhabitants of our world, a lot of stomachs would go empty.

Robins pull squirming worms from the moist earth after it rains, frogs snatch flies from mid-air, crickets make for good fish bait, monkeys have turned fishing termites out of trees into an art form and spiders weave webs to make a meal out of whatever flies or hops into them – there are even some plants that get in on the action, luring insects into reach and chowing down.

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In search of ponies

In fact often they are so excited about their catch, critters don’t even wait for their six-legged or legless snacks to pass on, content to enjoy their meal buzzing and wriggling.

It’s called entomophagy – a fancy Greek word for eating bugs – and there are a lot of creatures who depend on and enjoy the diet.

However, humans — mostly Americans — get a little squeamish at the thought of crunching through an exoskeleton or slurping a worm, though people in other countries around the world have been eating insects for centuries.

Bottom line, most folks are more likely to grab a can of insecticide than a fork when a particularly plump cricket hops through the room.

But there’s a big movement afoot to change that.

In 2013, the United Nations issued a plea to people to add bugs to their diets, citing that there are more than 1,900 varieties that are safe to consume worldwide.

The reason: An increasing population and decreasing land space means future food production will be a challenge and predictions are that if people want to eat, we are going to have to come up with some new solutions.

An easily renewable food source that is cheaper to farm than other types of food and offers a low fat, high protein option, it is easy to see the logic in insects, which is why the crunching is already taking place around the world. It helps that they come in a range of flavors from sweet to spicy or nutty.

Americans, however, have been a bit reluctant to get on board with eating insects.

Food and nutrition experts think that’s changing though. According to an August report from The Hartman Group, which studies the food market, there’s a growing trend in which Americans are becoming more flexible with food choices and are more conscientious about where their food comes from.

The prediction — Americans are edging closer to accepting insects as a valuable food option and eventually there will come a day they won’t think twice about bugs in their food.

Sure, the beady little eyes, spiky legs and antennae don’t help make the sale, but don’t worry, you’ll probably never know they’re there — because there is a flurry of research taking place to package them in appealing ways that will get you to eat your bugs.

Insects are being milled into powders that can be substituted in grandma's recipes (energy bars made with cricket powder are already on the market), European researchers are developing insect cooking oils, and, in a strange turn of events, progressive chefs are trying to get bugs into the food at trendsetting urban restaurants.

Generations from now it’s expected people everywhere will rely on and enjoy insects like any other food, but change takes time, and the idea of opening minds and mouths to bugs… now that just might take a little while to worm its way into our hearts.

Sharna Johnson is a writer who is always searching for ponies. You can reach her at:

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