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Consuming insects is already an everyday practice for two billion people worldwide, largely in the global east and south. Rearing them uses less land, energy, water and produces fewer greenhouse gases than traditional meats like chicken and beef, and more of their body is digestible (80-100 percent, compared to only 40 percent for beef).
They are also better for us: they are rich in protein, fat, and energy and can be a significant source of vitamins and minerals. But the Western world has still not embraced this wonder food.
Researchers think they know why: the 'disgust' factor. Insects are gross. The more interesting question is: given the enormous benefits, how can we convince people to get over the grossness?
The article argues that eating sushi and lobster was once considered disgusting, too.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday May 16 2019, @06:12AM (17 children)
When you can make a bug taste and feel like a juicy ribeye or a crispy, flaky catfish fillet, I'll consider adding bugs to the menu. I can afford real meat just fine though and I'm not about to stop eating it to assuage anyone's hyperbolic guilt.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 16 2019, @06:18AM (2 children)
Poor TMB! No idea what Catfish eat, particularly in the part of the country he fishes for them in. Bugs would be a step up.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday May 16 2019, @06:33AM (1 child)
I know exactly what they eat. How do you think I get so many of them on a hook. As long as I don't have to eat it though, what do I care? It's not like a carbon atom from a dead possum's asshole is somehow forever tainted. Once it's been digested it's just another carbon atom.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 16 2019, @01:27PM
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 16 2019, @07:03AM (1 child)
I eat shrimp.
Notably, I do not eat shrimp heads or shells or gills. I do not eat the "vein", which is actually the shit-filled gut.
The trouble with "eat bugs" is that I'm expected to eat the entire bug. That is just not happening. I also don't eat the entire chicken, cow, scallop, crab, or shark. Hooves and teeth and especially shit are all not food.
Simply make a robot to extract meat, do nothing else (no filler, "broth", or spices), and I'll be happy. The robot could cut the leg joints off of a grasshopper, then use a blunt probe to push meat out of the largest segment. Feed the icky parts to pigs, chickens, fish, or whatever. Sell me the meat in a 5-pound package that looks like burger.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Thursday May 16 2019, @09:07PM
>The robot could cut the leg joints...
Finally, a job I like!
>...off of a grasshopper
THAT'S NOT IN A SKYNET BOT'S JOB DESCRIPTION, HONEY.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday May 16 2019, @09:22AM (4 children)
Have you tasted them already or are you just refusing them on the basis of your bias? (grin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday May 16 2019, @01:32PM (3 children)
I used to own a motorcycle and wasn't a helmet type of guy, so I've munched a few million. Granted, they're probably at least somewhat more enjoyable when not consumed at speed.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 16 2019, @03:16PM (2 children)
Ahh, so you’ll eventually self-select out of the gene pool, excellent. Hold off on breeding for a while, it’ll cut into your helmet-less motorcycle riding time.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday May 16 2019, @04:39PM (1 child)
Weak and obvious. Do better.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 16 2019, @04:53PM
no u
(Score: 2) by Magic Oddball on Thursday May 16 2019, @10:53AM
My standards aren't even that high: when they can manage to make insects taste and feel as pleasant to eat as any of the meat varieties that are common in the USA, then I'll consider eating them.
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Thursday May 16 2019, @03:05PM (5 children)
Can I assume you also refuse to eat salads, nuts, brownies, pizza, lobster, etc. unless it can be made to taste like ribeye or catfish?
Personally I love meat, but I don't really care if they can make insects taste like it - only if they can make them taste *good*. Like veggie-burgers - until the Impossible Burger came along it was basically impossible to get a veggie-burger that tasted like meat - and it seemed like the general rule was the harder they tried, the less tasty it actually was. The really good veggie burgers are the ones that don't try to pretend to be meat, but instead embrace that they are a plant-based food that just happen to be eaten in a similar fashion.
We don't have to give up steaks and fish, we can get a whole lot of benefit if we just add tasty insects into the mix as a common alternative.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday May 16 2019, @04:40PM (4 children)
They're not looking for insects to be included with meat, they're looking to have them replace meat. So that's what I addressed.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Thursday May 16 2019, @05:39PM (1 child)
And so they will - every time you eat fish, it replaces steak as your entree. Same thing with insects. Doesn't have to replace it all the time to do a whole lot of good.
Also, headline aside, the article says nothing whatsoever about replacing anything - just about getting people to eat insects on a regular basis.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday May 17 2019, @04:30AM
Go for it then. I'm going to be over here eating whatever the hell I want to. You sit over there and do the same.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 16 2019, @11:00PM (1 child)
As a fellow obligate carnivore, I think we should support these misguided millennial ecotards. The more of them that eat bugs, the less demand there is for rib steaks. Economics says this results in lower priced rib steaks. So win-win... we get cheaper real food, and the ecotards get to feel virtuous while they eat centipedes.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday May 17 2019, @04:29AM
You make a damned compelling argument.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.