Hello. I'm YAYA â½, a health reporter for YakAl..

A new year has dawned. Health always starts with the new year! Are you all getting started??

This year, let's learn about protein together with me and have fun achieving your desired weight and muscle mass..

So, are you ready to learn about the first protein-related information of the year??

Today's topic is Protein and Insects🐛..

You've probably seen news about eating insects as a future food source at some point.,

You probably imagined eating insects in a way like below.?

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(I specially removed the bugs for your sake. Thank you, Speedwagon.!)

In fact, in a news segment I watched before, they showed dried insects being placed on top of cookies and eaten.,

These days, insects are processed well and come out

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as powder,

and can also be made in bar form like the 'cockroach jelly' from Snowpiercer..

Then why, given delicious pork and beef, do people say insects are a future food source??

First, insects have a lower cost per gram of protein production compared to animals..

For example,, to obtain 1kg of cricket protein requires 1.7kg of feed, whereas

pigs and cattle require 5kg, 10kg 5kg and 10kg respectively, according to reports..

Second, insects have a fast growth rate, making them quickly consumable.

Third, insects have no waste parts unlike pigs, cattle, and chickens;

all parts can be commercialized..

Now then, shall we really explore which insects are good protein sources?? 😋

Rice Grasshopper

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Rice grasshoppers contain 64.2g of protein per 100g, 1g of carbohydrates, and 2.4g of fat..

The fat contains essential components for children's health and development during growth periods:

linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid in abundance..

The taste of unprocessed grasshoppers is said to be similar to dried shrimp stir-fry, but if I were to eat them, I would process them first.!

Silkworm Pupae

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In South Korea, it's one of the foods with strong likes and dislikes..

Commonly called 'pupae,' it's a protein source frequently seen in stores..

It contains 22.3g of protein per 100g, which is lower protein content compared to grasshoppers..

It's rich in lecithin, which is essential for brain tissue and nerve composition, and contains high amounts of tyrosine, an essential amino acid, and large amounts of unsaturated fatty acids, which reportedly have the effect of improving high cholesterol..

How about silkworm pupae as today's protein source? I'll pass. (I strongly dislike them.).)

White Spotted Flower Chafer

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The name of the chafer we're looking at is 'white spotted flower chafer.'.

Pretty nice name, isn't it??

So shall we see if the white spotted flower chafer's specs are quite good??

Per 100g of white spotted flower chafer contains 58g protein, 18g fat, and 17g carbohydrates..

Living up to its name, it has a perfect protein-carbohydrate-fat ratio..

Mealworm

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The last insect protein source we'll look at is the mealworm..

Mealworms are often used on YouTube as punishments in mukbang challenges,,

and their taste is reportedly similar to shrimp snacks. (Even so, I'll pass.)!)

Mealworms contain 53g of protein, 34g of fat, and 9g of carbohydrates per 100g. (In the distant future, if mealworm snacks appear with the above macronutrient ratio, I'll try them.).)

There are many other insect protein sources as well..

Although insect protein may not resonate with us yet,,

with the growing population, it seems we'll soon reach a day when we need to eat insects as a protein source..

As an early adopter in our rapidly changing world,,

as a pioneer of insect protein, how about trying insect protein for a meal today??

Conclusion

Insect protein has a lower production cost compared to animal protein and will be a good choice for the environment..
Among them, the best protein source is grasshoppers..

References

Park, S., & Yun, E. (2018). Edible insect food: Current scenario and future perspectives. Journal of Animal Products Science and Industry, 7(1), 12-20
Nam, J. H., Kim, D., Hyun, J. Y., Jin, H. J., Choi, Y. S., Cho, J. H., ... & Chun, J. Y. (2022). Current status and future prospects of the insect industry as an alternative protein source for animal feed.