Eating insects is nothing new. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that 2 billion people already enjoy insects as part of their standard diet.
We didn't choose crickets because they're cute (sorry Jiminy). As it turns out, crickets are a superfood, rich in protein and other nutrients that are also environmentally sustainable to produce.
Complete proteins contain all of the nine essential amino acids required to build and repair protein tissues in the body. People typically get these complete proteins from animal-based foods like eggs, dairy and meat.
You can find plant-based protein substitutes, but many plant-based proteins are missing certain amino acids, making them incomplete.
Cricket protein powder has all nine essential amino acids. How much protein in a cricket? Cricket Protein provides double the amount of protein than beef.
While beef has been the primary source of iron in Western diets, cricket protein powder offers a more effective and sustainable solution.
Why is iron so important? Your body needs iron to help carry oxygen through your blood to all parts of your body and if you aren’t getting enough iron in your diet, you risk greater fatigue, weakness and headaches.
Cricket protein powder has 4X more iron than spinach and almost 3X as much as beef.
Crickets contain a uniquely animal-based fibre called chitin and probiotic bacteria in your gut (Bifidobacterium animalis) can’t get enough of it. Researchers at Colorado State University found that a steady diet of cricket protein powder significantly increased the numbers of those little gastrointestinal helpers.
Cricket protein powder is also one of the most efficient sources of vitamin B12, which is needed to form DNA, make healthy blood cells and keep nerves working properly. It can also boost your energy, improve memory and help prevent heart disease.
Producing animal protein can take a lot of water. However, crickets use 2000X less water than cows to make the same amount of protein.
Livestock are responsible for 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions (that's more than the transportation sector!) and cows are the worst offenders. Producing a 100g beef steak creates 750g of greenhouse gases emissions while producing the same amount of crickets create 100X less greenhouse gas emissions.
If you want to be healthy AND save the planet, get gubgub, and get some earthproof proteins into your life. Let's do this!
