save the planet and eat a bug
By Naomi Schanen
One of Britain’s largest meat processors has launched a plant-based meat alternative. ABP is the first meat producer to do so in the UK. The company wants to appeal to meat reducers and non-meat eaters, a significant move that reflects the country’s dietary climate.
Today, one in eight people in Britain have cut meat out of their diet, and one in three are looking to reduce their meat consumption, according to Waitrose’s annual report.
While new diets are constantly making headlines, the insect diet is relatively unheard of, but it may become the next big thing.
In November, Sainsbury’s became the first UK supermarket to sell edible bugs. London-based edible insect supplier, Eat Grub, has since won listings for their roasted cricket snacks and are doing their part in changing the image that insects are “gross”.
Lunch anyone? Bugs like these could soon be your go-to snack.
Eating bugs may sound bizarre to many, but it is a staple diet in many parts of the world and is eaten by around two billion people.
Insects are highly nutritious. They contain all nine essential amino acids, as well as important minerals like calcium and iron. Bugs such as crickets, mealworms and grasshoppers can also be up to 69% protein for every 100g, compared to just 19.5% in every 100g of beef.
“The world needs to learn to eat smaller, more nutritious food,” says personal trainer and nutrition adviser Beatrice Dall’Armellina. “I always encourage my clients to incorporate insects into their food – I think it’s a great way to stay healthy and be open-minded about food.”
Switching to an insect diet also benefits the environment. According to Eat Grub, producing 1kg of beef requires 13 times the amount of cultivable land needed to rear the same amount of insects. Less land means less resources, and producing insects requires 22,000 times less water than beef.
Since insects do not exhibit pain-related behaviour like other animals, many vegans are also accepting bugs into their diets now.
Grub Kitchen is the UK’s first full-time edible insect restaurant: “I want to make people think about their food,” says director and chef Andy Holcroft. “Eating insects isn’t for everyone, but I hope to turn it from novelty to normalcy. I have no doubt that eating insects is the solution to a healthier, more sustainable world.”