From ice cream to pasta, bugs have become one of many recent food trends in the West. While many might brush it off as a fad, bugs hold a promising future as a sustainable protein source.

Although bugs are eaten internationally, with 2 billion people eating bugs daily, bugs have never quite taken hold in the West like it has in other countries like Mexico and Thailand. 

However, adventurous foodies and environmentalists alike have flocked to bugs as their newest beloved food item.

For American foodies, bugs represent a new terrain for them to conquer. It’s a badge of honor, emphasizing their tenacity and their ability to overcome the ultimate food taboo. 

Environmentalists, on the other hand, find a much deeper meaning in consuming bugs.

Bug farming produces significantly lower amounts of greenhouse gasses compared to other popular sources of protein like meat, and also requires less feed and less stringent conditions to ensure health and quality of the bugs.

With the global population only continuing to grow, environmentalists are propping up bugs as the new and innovative way to produce significant quantities of nutrient and protein-rich food to supersede less sustainable options.

Admittedly, proponents of bugs certainly have their work cut out for them.

Most people simply are not entirely ready to make such a dramatic switch, which is fair enough. After centuries of designating insects as a sign of filth, swarms of insects symbolizing death, decay and disaster in western literature for example, it’s hard not to sympathize with those who are apprehensive.

Besides, bugs have a much more intimidating appearance compared to a slab of meat.

However, given time and a steady but subtle inclusion of bugs in food like cricket flour, bugs can surge from a trend to a staple in America and beyond. This wouldn’t be innovation so much as it is catching up to what the rest of the world has already learned.

When prepared, bugs taste rather pleasant. 

With bug products rolling out onto supermarket shelves and restaurants, expect to see the bugs surge in popularity. Perhaps even try it out, it’s not as intimidating as it looks.