Put The Bite on Bugs

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Though the time of year during which they're harvested, their stage of development and sometimes even their sex (females are often more nutritious than are males) can account for some variation in the protein content within a particular group of insects, here's how some species stack up:

Termites 20-45%
Grasshoppers 15-60%
Beetles (larvae and adults) 11-30%
Butterflies and moths (larvae and pupae) 8-38%
Bees and ants 7-25%

And the protein that bugs can provide is of high quality, too. Studies indicate that the meat of termites, for instance, contains the same essential amino acids found in animal proteins. Furthermore, insects supply carbohydrates (which other meats are extremely low in), fats, minerals, salts, and vitamins A, B2, niacin, and D. As an example of just how nutritious the little crawlers can be, Turkish women in the Middle Ages ate large quantities of mealworms (the larvae of tenebrionid bee tles) to acquire that plumpness of form which, it's said, drove their men wild.

Actually, the vitamin content of most insects probably isn't enormous, but immature honeybees are one known exception. Uncooked, they supply an astonishing 10,000 I.U. of vitamin A per 100 grams, and 600,000 I.U. of vitamin D per 100 grams. That's twice the U.S. recommended daily allowance for vitamin A, and 1,500 times the RDA for vitamin D. When one considers that vitamin D deficiencies have been linked with fatigue, arthritis, and poor bone and tooth growth, it begins to appear that eating a honeybee daily may be good vitamin "insurance."

And there should be no problem involved in obtaining a regular supply of the "one-a-day" insects. Entomologist Ronald Taylor has calculated that, in extremely cold areas of the United States and Canada, between "600 and 1,500 tons of bees (both immature insects and adults) are deliberately destroyed each year" so that new colonies can be started in the spring. That's the equivalent of some 102 to 225 tons of pure protein. The "worthless" bees could, with only a little processing, be ground into meal, packaged, and sold.

Increasingly, information about entomophagy is finding its way into survival manuals ... and it's a good thing, too! Who knows how many people have starved to death in places literally crawling with energy-packed edibles!

BUT IS INSECT EATING SAFE?

Bugs are nutritious, but you aren't likely to find insect recipes in most popular cookbooks. When the Betty Crockers of the world finally see the light, however, their volumes may well include an insect selection and preparation section to provide the following kinds of information.

[1] Insects spoil fairly quickly after they die, so eat them within several hours of the kill. Otherwise, keep them alive in the refrigerator, where they'll stay fresh for several days. (Never eat any insects found dead.)

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