Insects as Food

In many parts of the world, people happily eat insects such as crickets and grasshoppers, and have done so for thousands of years. In Europe and North America, however, the idea of eating insects still seems strange to most people. Recently, scientists and food companies have begun to argue that insects could become an important food in the future, because they are surprisingly （ 1 ）.

Insects have several advantages as food. They are full of protein, the same healthy material that is found in meat, and they also contain useful vitamins. （ 2 ）, raising insects is much better for the environment than raising large animals such as cows. Insects need only a small amount of food, water, and space in order to grow, and they produce far fewer harmful gases. They can even be raised on food waste that would otherwise be thrown away.

The biggest problem is not health or the environment, but the way people feel. Many people simply do not like the idea of eating whole insects. （ 3 ）, some companies now turn insects into a fine powder, which can be added to bread, pasta, or cookies without changing the taste very much. In this way, people are able to enjoy the benefits of insects without even noticing them. Slowly, insects may find their way onto more and more dinner tables. Some restaurants have already begun to serve dishes made with insect powder, and many customers say that they cannot taste any difference at all. Experts believe that finding new sources of food like this will only become more important as the world's population continues to grow.