People have used crickets as a food source in many parts of the world for thousands of years. In fact, biblical scriptures dating back from the third to the first century B.C. mention cricket consumption (1Trusted Source).
In Africa, Asia, and Latin America, eating insects is part of traditional cultures (2Trusted Source).
People use about 2,100 species of insects for food, with crickets being the most common insect food source worldwide (1Trusted Source).
Insects are a cheap, sustainable, and easy-to-produce source of nutrients and are especially rich in protein.
People most commonly eat crickets in under-resourced countries, where many people experience food insecurity and other animal sources of protein, like cattle, poultry, and fish, are scarce.
Research shows that people in Western countries aren’t entirely comfortable eating insects because they tend to view insects as unclean or potentially dangerous (2Trusted Source).
However, more people have begun to accept cricket consumption in Europe, the United States, and Canada as food companies have created user-friendly cricket-based products like protein powders and protein bars (3Trusted Source).
There are a number of benefits to eating crickets.
Crickets may offer health benefits and provide a more sustainable and environmentally friendly source of protein than other animal-based protein sources.
