We usually think of bugs as nuisance pests we want to eliminate, and purposefully eating them as part of a meal is, well, a definite turn off to most U.S. sensibilities. But gastronomically, insects can be very beneficial to us in many ways.

Eighty percent of the world’s population eats insects on purpose. They are regarded as healthy, nutritious and tasty food. Around most areas of the world, insects are a valuable and integral part of the diet.  In over 113 countries across the globe, people eat insects as a portion of their regular food source.

In fact, Western Exterminator is hosting a pop-up “Pestaruant” this weekend, October 8th, in Santa Monica, CA where we will be serving up edible insect dishes like Deep South BBQ Beetle Tacos and Thai Mai Mealworm Salad. The free event will be celebrating Western Exterminator’s 95th anniversary and educating the public about the benefits of eating insects.

U.S. consumers might be interested to know that they eat insects without knowing. Our government has established maximum levels of natural or unavoidable defects in foods for human use that present no health hazard. Our food contains a certain amount of insects per gram. It’s estimated that each of us unknowingly eats probably about 500 grams per year!

Any processed foods you eat contain insects, because insects are here all around us, in nature and our crops. Fruits have insect damage and those fruits, such as a tomato, may go into tomato soup, as long as they meet the requirements for the FDA allowance. Other processed foods like peanut butter, cereals and chocolate all have a certain amount of allowable insects in them that present no health hazard. So we’re eating them without even noticing.

But back to insects as an intentional food source. Insects are extremely sustainable to raise, requiring far fewer resources than other forms of livestock, and they produce fewer greenhouse gases. Insects reproduce at a far faster rate than livestock, and require much less space meaning of course, much less money to produce.

Nutritional insects are low in calories, low in fat and high in protein, so they’re good for your waistline. Some of the insects usually eaten are grasshoppers, meal worms, wasps, termites, stink bugs, scorpions, spiders, beetles, and ants.

Although insects are edible, there are some risks to eating them. If you are allergic to shrimp, shellfish, dust or chocolate, never eat an insect for you might have the same allergic reactions. Even the non- allergic should never eat raw insects. Certain insects store compounds that make people sick; some are poisonous; others may be carcinogenic. Be cautious – don’t go out in the backyard and look for dinner just yet!