How to fight Obesity and still eat your Proteins

We eat too much steak, and Scientists are concerned,
It’s not about our waistlines but has everything to do with global warming.
The bovines are filling the atmosphere with gases that contribute to global warming.
Frank Mitloehner professor and air quality specialist at the University of California Davis is researching ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cows.
According to the study, cattle are the number one culprits in emitting greenhouse gases worldwide. A single cow belches out about 220 pounds of methane every year.
Methane is shorter-lived than carbon dioxide but 28 times more potent in warming the atmosphere, notes Professor Mitloehner.
And, Livestock is responsible for 14.5 percent of global greenhouse gases. Reducing these carbon footprints is a big challenge.
“If you have hundreds of millions of cattle to achieve a dismal amount of product, then that comes with a high environmental footprint,” Professor Mitloehner observed.
This is where a change of diet is recommended even as Professor Mitloehner refutes, “There will never be a situation where some major part of our diet will be ruled out,” he clarified.
“My job is not to judge people for their eating habits. My job is to look at how we can produce livestock and minimize those environmental impacts that do exist.”

Eat insects to reduce Global warming

This startup isn’t waiting for magical solutions to global warming, they are aggressively encouraging people to change their diet.
Talash Huijbers, founder of InsectiPro an insect processing startup is encouraging people to switch their diet and eat more insects.
Now the Startup is in Africa, a place that traditionally embraces eating crickets, grasshoppers, termites, and other crawly grubs.
But still, not everyone’s palate is open to munching crickets, in as much as they are high in protein. A fistful of fried crickets about 20g, contains 73% protein.
So Insectpro has come up with creative ways to encourage more people to eat crickets.
Huijbers explains that it's challenging to sell whole crickets, but selling their powder form is mostly acceptable. The powder is incorporated into various dishes and drinks, such as smoothies and school meals.
The startup offers three cricket protein products, a crunchy snack called Chirrup’s, made from cricket flour, available in four flavors (barbecue, plain, caramel cinnamon, and salt and vinegar)
Packaged and sold in attractive 20g packets colorfully branded by a playful cricket attractively tantalizing your palate.
Insectipro also produces cricket a porridge powder that is used in school feeding programs under the name PET.

What is Entomophagy?

Entomophagy, the practice of eating insects is common in many parts of the world, including China, Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and some developing regions of Central and South America. Eating insects is culturally acceptable in these regions.
According to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) an organization of the United Nations (UN), around 2 billion people worldwide eat insects as part of their diet.
Almost 2000 insect species are considered edible. Beetles are the most commonly consumed insects, followed by caterpillars, bees, wasps, ants, grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets.
But not everyone thinks eating insects is palatable. People in North America and Europe find the idea of snacking on spicy grasshoppers and buffalo worms quite revolting.
The Journal of Insects as Food and Feed reports 72 percent of Americans are unwilling to eat insects.

Incorporate insects into your diet

This may not be for long, Environmental considerations may soon factor into people’s food choices, in as much as religious, cultural beliefs, traditions, and personal tastes still play a crucial role when it comes to change of diet.
It’s not looney to start considering eating insects. They are highly nutritious rich in protein, healthy fats, iron, and calcium, and low in carbohydrates.
In fact, FAO’s report claims that insects are just as nutritious if not more nutritious than steak. Besides eating them will help combat our waistlines.
“We have the ability to transform our diets from the steady stream of junk food, to which so many are accustomed, to an entirely different and decidedly broader global culinary adventure.
It is up to us to make decisions about the future of our waistlines and our planet, and the best option might be a little more creepy-crawly than we initially suspected.” 29-year-old Jason Brink was quoted saying in the report.
The low-fat content in insects is touted to hold the secret of fighting obesity. For example, 100 grams of crickets contain around 121 calories, 12.9 grams of protein, 5.5 grams of fat, and 5.1 grams of carbohydrates, compared to 100 grams of beef which contain 23.5 grams of protein.
Besides being a source of healthy fats and protein, insects are easily accessible. And can be propagated cheaply.
Unlike cattle, insects require minimal space to propagate.

Insects production is sustainable

The startup Insectipro grows crickets in stackable crates, packed in an area the size of a tennis court.
As the world’s population increases and the climate situation becomes dire, food production will become more unreliable.
A single female cricket lays about 300 to 400 eggs over a period of two to three weeks. The crickets feed for ten days and are harvested after five weeks. They are then frozen, thawed, and baked ready for consumption.
Such rates of production as compared to cattle guarantee sustainable protein production.
The World Bank estimates that the global population will hit 10 billion people by 2050, And as climate change reduces crop yields, there is an urgent need to find alternative foods. FAO sees entomophagy as a solution to the expected food shortage.
Their objective is to improve food and nutritional security and provide ecologically friendly foods to consumers as they create an environmentally sustainable food system.
“Edible insects as food fit comfortably within this environmentally sound scenario and, by extension, ought to be considered prime candidates as both food staples and supplements, as well as more generally for their role in sustainable diets.” They said.

Consider Eating These Insects

The world still has a long way to accepting entomophagy as an alternative food solution, and culture has everything to do with it. But as the world changes and more mouths get hungry, here are some insects that may soon find their way to dinner tables:

• • Crickets contain probiotics and may be what you need to build a healthy gut. [Eating crickets spurs the growth of certain good probiotics](here are some insects that may soon find their way to dinner tables).
• • Mealworms pan-fried, deep-fried, boiled, steamed, or microwaved are an excellent protein source with over 50 percent protein and 30 percent fat content similar to whole milk powder.
• • Grasshoppers are full of disease-fighting Antioxidants, besides they taste like shrimps are high in protein and fat, and low in carbohydrates.
• • Termites Are a delicacy in many parts of Asia and Africa. They are Rich in Magnesium which plays a great role in metabolism and is essential for strong bones and immune function, as noted by the [National Institutes of Health](file://C:\Users\user\Desktop\My Articles ready to publish on website\Termites Are a delicacy in many parts of Asia and Africa. They are Rich in Magnesium which plays a great role in metabolism and is essential for strong bones and immune function, as noted by the National Institutes of Health..
• • Cicadas are plentiful and are a great bite. They taste like Shrimp are low in fat, high in protein, and can be eaten as a snack according to George [Mason University](C:\Users\user\Desktop\My Articles ready to publish on website\Cicadas are plentiful and are a great bite. They taste like Shrimp are low in fat, high in protein, an d can be eaten as a snack according to George Mason University).

Taste is extremely important to the appreciation of food. We keep off eating strange food because we don’t know what it’ll taste like. Insects have diverse tastes and flavors.
The flavor is a result of pheromones on the surface of the insect. It also depends on the environment, where the insects live, what they eat, cooking methods, and ingredients added.
Here are some flavors you should expect when eating insects:

Edible insect ** Taste and flavor**
Ants, termites Sweet, almost nutty
Larvae of darkling beetles Whole meal bread
Larvae of wood-destroying beetles Fatty brisket with skin
Dragonfly larvae and other aquatic insects Fish
Cockroaches Mushrooms
Striped shield bugs Apples
Wasps Pine seeds
Caterpillars of smoky wainscots Raw corn
Mealybugs Fried potatoes
Eggs of water boatman Caviar
Caterpillars of erebid moths Herring

Final Word:

Insect nutritional composition is diverse from species to species. For example, the nutrient Value Score of crickets, palm weevil larvae, and mealworms is significantly healthier than beef and chicken.
Here is one last reason why you should consider eating insects:
Most edible insects provide sufficient energy, proteins, and amino acids. They are high in mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and are rich in trace elements such as copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, and zinc, and vitamins like riboflavin, pantothenic acid, biotin, and folic acid.