Edible insects include yellow mealworms, bees, wasps, ants, grasshoppers, crickets, silkworm pupae, locusts and robins. Insects are high in protein, more than twice as much as the average meat and fish. It also has the advantages of fast reproduction and large output, and is much cheaper in price than the commonly eaten chicken and pork.

1 Nutrition of yellow mealworms

The crude protein content in the body of the yellow mealworm is up to 50% or more, while the protein content of beef is around 20%, so it is possible that the protein content of insects can reach two to three times that of beef. There have been some claims that the protein content of insects can be up to six times that of beef. Obviously, this is unlikely because it means that one pound of dried insects would have to contain 1.2 pounds of protein to reach six times that of beef. Few foods can match insects for protein content. In addition, insects contain many amino acids and other nutrients.

The fat content of yellow mealworm is 25% to 30%, mainly unsaturated fatty acids, of which essential fatty acids account for half, and high digestibility. Can be used to replace part of the red meat, in the provision of high-quality protein at the same time, can also reduce the intake of saturated fatty acids, reduce the adverse effects of excessive consumption of meat, more beneficial to cardiovascular health. Yellow mealworm is also rich in dietary fiber, B vitamins, vitamin E, a variety of minerals and other nutrients.

Especially worth mentioning is that the unique chitin and antimicrobial peptide in yellow mealworms are chemicals that are beneficial to the body's health. It has many functional effects such as lowering blood pressure, improving immunity, activating cells, preventing cancer, lowering blood lipids, lowering blood pressure, regulating blood sugar, anti-aging, and regulating the body's environment. Yang Zhaofen and other research pointed out that: yellow mealworm larvae dry has better anti-fatigue, delay aging and reduce blood lipids and promote cholesterol metabolism, and can improve the mouse peripheral lymphatic fine saturated transformation and reduce the rate of bone marrow micronuclei; yellow mealworm in the blood to strengthen the body, the treatment of digestive disorders and rehabilitation, the old and weak patients have a practical role in the basic nutritional supplementation.

2 Cuisine: Insects

According to FAO data, 527 species of insects are used globally as delicacies on the table. In terms of regional distribution, insects are used as complementary foods in 36 countries in Africa, 29 countries in Asia (with Thailand, Cambodia, India, Laos and other South-East Asian countries being the most prevalent), and 23 countries and regions in the Americas.

How to do insects enough flavor? Qian Lei introduced that in the way of eating insects, people are mainly fried, stir-fried and sauced. For example, China has cicada sauce, bee pupa sauce, fried bamboo worms, fried hornet larvae, fried crickets and other insect food. Foreign fried crickets, fried silkworm pupae, Paris has an “insect restaurant”, Colombians in the theater will be fried ants as a leisure food, fried crickets in Cambodia has become a tonic fashionable food, has now been made into cookies, bread, insect wine, insect soy sauce, as well as amino acid oral solution and other types of insect food.

3 Existing problems with insects

Other foods with image issues, including lobster, have overcome traditional perceptions and become trendy. People's perceptions of food are really changing, but slowly,” Alexander said. He points to the example of lobster, which for years was considered a very unpopular food, often served to inmates in prisons, before it became a luxury item. It was so plentiful that there was a law that prohibited people from feeding inmates lobster more than twice a week.” Sagari says the best business advice is to grind the insects and incorporate them into processed foods, rather than serving them whole as a snack. Chef Andy Holcroft, who runs the UK's first edible insect restaurant at The Insect Farm, agrees. “Rather than sprinkling whole insects on salads ------ I think if we're going to make it acceptable to mainstream food culture, the best way to do it is to include it as a percentage of the whole product.” Hawcroft said. “Ultimately, you may have the healthiest, most nutritious, most sustainable product, but unless it tastes great and people want to embrace it, it's probably going to be much harder to get it out there.