CamRen Brantley-Rios sees traditional meat products such as beef and pork to be unsustainable so he wanted to find out if he could dare to spend a month thriving on a diet with insects as his primary source of protein.
The college student from Auburn University has been on his bug diet over the past 30 days and his meals include the likes of crispy cricket tacos, waxworm pizza, mealworm soups and ant scrambles.
"My favorite way to cook crickets is with chili powder or taco seasoning-- I love Mexican food so seasoned crickets with lime juice works with all of my favorite foods," Brantley-Rios said. "I feel like crickets are the more 'Westerner-friendly' insect as far as popular culture."
The 21-year old, who documented his "30 Days of Bugs" challenge progress in his blog, orders the live insect online where the bugs are widely available albeit as food for pets and the stores them in a freezer.
Brantley-Rios admitted that it was not easy at first to embark on the challenge. For one, it took him months before he was able to start with his month-long experiment of eating bugs. He also shed tears when he had to bite into a cockroach for the first time.
While his meal may seem very unappetizing, Brantley-Rios, now appreciates his diet so much he has not just been adding insects to his meals. He has also been snacking them more than thrice a day grabbing cookies and protein bars with crickets on them.
Now, he claims that cockroaches are delicious and compared their taste to wild game, rabbit or pheasant. As for mealworms, he said that they are reminiscent of popcorn. Just like with traditional food, there are also certain bugs that are not as appealing to Brantley-Rios who says that Silkworm pupae is not as good.
However bizarre Brantley-Rios' bug diet is, there are actually a number of people around the world who eats insects. The United Nations has in fact been encouraging to eat more insects because they are nutritious. Critters are packed with healthy fats, fiber and protein.
"I'll admit I'm not the kind of guy who reads every nutritional label, but I am the kind of guy who pays attention to protein and insects just so happen to be protein goldmines," Brantley-Rios wrote on his blog. "Many of them even have protein contents comparable to meats we already eat and usually with less fat and cholesterol."
