As I was paying for gas the other day, I noticed the items being sold near the check register included “chili-flavored crickets.” They looked like actual crickets covered in seasonings. I wasn’t ready to buy one but it made me think about crickets as survival food.
Why consider crickets as food?
From what I understand, 80% of the world eats some kind of insects. In the U.S. we tend to shy away from eating insects but they are supposed to be quite nutritious. Crickets are plentiful in the wild and can be a source of food for survival. They are also highly sustainable. Several companies now produce cricket flour which is high in protein, vitamin B-12, omega-3 and omega-6. The low carbohydrate content is being marketed for people who are on high protein diets.
Cricket energy bar taste test
We conducted a taste test of a cricket energy bar. Full disclosure, I did not buy this bar but received it as an included item when I reviewed the Apocabox.
The result
The bar had a slightly bitter taste and had a crumbly texture. Crickets are known to have a bitter aftertaste. However, the chocolate flavor masked the bitterness so it was very slight. That said, crickets are listed as the 3rd to the last ingredient.
The ingredients listed include:
Pumpkin seeds, chocolate chips, gluten free rolled oats, tapioca syrup, sunflower seeds, honey, sunflower butter, crickets, hemp protein, salt.
Our tester said he found it quite edible. He also said it was comparable to Cliff Bars, but not as good as PowerBars. He also said it was good with his morning coffee.
If you’d like to view photos of the taste test, head over to my Patreon page.
I should mention the company who manufactured Coast Bars has recently gone out of business, but there are other makers.
The verdict
Research indicates crickets are edible and would be fine as a survival food.
Remember the first rule of storing food for emergencies: Eat what you store and store what you eat. Only buy foods that your family will eat normally. Otherwise you risk throwing away a lot of food. Nothing against anyone who happens to like them, but at this time, my family is not on board about eating crickets or food made from crickets. Also, since they are on the pricey side at the moment, I would tend to consider other lower priced options for my emergency food stash.
Image by Angela Yuriko Smith from Pixabay
