see now i always thought these guys were cool with the whole “hakuna matata” philosophy, but now i’ve dived into the word of eating bugs! so i did some research and i found some pretty interesting stuff about edible insects other than that they sound delicious.

on to the informative part.

countries around the world are entomophagous (eat bugs). the strange thing in our culture is we see bugs as pests and kill them on sight because we learned that insects are “icky”. insects are a great source of protein, fat, and other nutrients essential to our growth and depending on what bug you decide to snack on they stack up to meat and fish in the nutrient content but can also surpass them. not only that, insects are eco-friendlier than livestock with differentiating margins in feed, water, greenhouse gas emissions, and occupational space.

approximately 80% of the human population eats insects knowingly and 100% of the population eats them unknowingly. to see how people would react to the idea of eating bugs i conducted a little (unscientific) poll, and asked around to see how many of people would be up for the idea.

to my surprise a majority said they would as long as they didn’t physically see the insects, and the rest wouldn’t mind eating bugs as long as they tasted good.

in case you were wondering those are fried grasshoppers, which carry around 20 grams of protein, 6 grams of fat, and 4 grams of carbs per 100 grams.

grasshoppers are found wherever there’s a food source, and like their relatives crickets, are another great source of nutrients such as iron and vitamin b12. plus, those who lack these nutrients can pop a few crickets as a supplement.

another fun fact, insects contain omega-3 fatty acids like fish, not only that but higher levels of thiamin and riboflavin than eggs. soldier fly larvae are used in processing compost and this makes them higher in calcium than other insects, found in their exoskeletons. over 1,000 edible insect species around the world and they’re all in our back yard; harvesting this food source can yield a new market along with job opportunities.

other popular insects like ant and beetles have a complete protein profile like beef, chicken, and fish. there’s an added bonus, since edible insects are all over the world farms can grow local species of insects and reduce the need for transportation as opposed to the transport of livestock.

now for the eco-friendly benefit. let’s begin with insects being cold blooded, they use less energy to keep themselves warm and more energy to grow. insects have shorter life spans than livestock leading to higher production since they reach maturity at faster rates. eventually the amount of livestock needed to sustain our projected population growth won’t be feasible and will increase our carbon footprint.

crickets require about one pound of feed to create approximately one pound of body mass and significantly less water to be kept alive. insects release significantly less greenhouse gases than livestock, for example crickets release up to 100 times less greenhouse gases than cattle.

large scale production of insects can be used as feed for livestock reducing the amount of land needed for the production of animal feed. mealworms break down food waste that cannot be consumed by humans or livestock which can reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions expelled by rotting organic food waste. since we use pesticides to kill insects preserving our crops, harvesting insects can greatly reduce the need for pesticides. pesticides are a huge danger since they stay in the organisms that affect them and it just goes up the food chain.

finally getting to the fact that we all unknowingly eat bugs and they’re most likely than not in the very piece of food you are eating right now. the fda uses “accepted food defects level” which is the amount of unavoidable defects in foods we eat that show zero health hazards. on average five percent of bay leaves can be insect infected, peanut butter can average out to 30 or more insect fragments per 100 grams, and ground paprika can reach 75 insect fragments per 25 grams. so the fda has certain levels of food defects that range from insect, rodent, mold, and industrial contamination (center for food safety and applied nutrition. “sanitation & transportation – defect levels handbook.” u s food and drug administration home page. center for food safety and applied nutrition).

these levels are deemed safe for human consumption but all humans consume bugs in one way, shape, or form. we just have to get past the “ick” factor, i know i have and since learning about the health and environmental benefits of insects i already tried protein bars made with cricket flour from a company called exo (you should check them out) and i purchased roasted crickets to keep around as a snack and for cooking. there are also cookbooks that use cricket flour and other insects for various recipes!

have i convinced you to start eating bugs yet? if not, it’s cool. it’s gonna take time for pop culture to catch on, but hey it can be done there will be people that cannot consume insects due to shellfish allergies being that they’re arthropods like shrimp.

i dream of a future where food security isn’t an issue. so join me in this endeavor to spread awareness of edible bugs and let us join fellow insectivores on tasty bug treats. we can help end hunger and help save the environment at the same time! i wish i had a picture of myself eating some but it’s winter in syracuse and they aren’t around yet.

—

works cited:

– center for food safety and applied nutrition. “sanitation & transportation – defect levels handbook.” u s food and drug administration home page. center for food safety and applied nutrition, n.d. web. 03 mar. 2017.

– disney, oh my. “10 times timon and pumbaa were you and your bff.” oh my disney. n.p., 14 apr. 2016. web. 03 mar. 2017.

– “eating bugs.” eating bugs |. n.p., n.d. web. 03 mar. 2017.

– “edible bugs and insects: are these high protein critters the future of food?” precision nutrition. n.p., 15 nov. 2014. web. 03 mar. 2017. elton, by: jordan. “

– “14 surprising stats about global food consumption.” one. n.p., 03 oct. 2016. web. 03 mar. 2017.

– “insects as food!?!” insects as food!?! entomology. n.p., n.d. web. 03 mar. 2017. posted by florian nock 36bx on april 22, 2016.

– “put down that bug! – allergies and edible insects.” bugsfeed. n.p., n.d. web. 03 mar. 2017.

1) there are dozens of microgreen varieties

people often believe the number of microgreens produced and available on the market is a small fixed number of plants. this is not true. in actuality, there are many dozens of varieties including everything from carrots and spinach to beets and mustards and beyond. this producer, for example, has over 115 different varieties of microgreens available for consumers. many smaller farms produce about 10-15 varieties at a time.

2) they have a greater nutritional density than fully mature plants

the nutritional benefits of microgreens vary from plant to plant, but so far it appears all microgreens have a higher concentration of phytonutrients than their fully mature counterparts. it has been shown that some varieties have many times the ratio of vitamins than their fully grown counterparts.

researchers from usda and the university of maryland found in a study leaves from almost all of the 25 microgreens they examined had four to six times more nutrients than the mature leaves of the same plant.

there was much variation between microgreen varieties with red cabbage having the highest density of vitamin c while green daikon radish microgreens had the most vitamin e.

“microgreens aren’t going to replace a big, leafy salad that has lots of fiber and will give you a good sense of satiety… but if you throw a big bunch of microgreens on anything, that’s a pretty good shot of vitamins.” ­– gene lester, usda researcher

although so far it appears microgreens are scientifically superior in nutrition to mature plants, more research is needed and it is important to remember that microgreens are not typically consumed in large quantities. instead, the greens are most commonly used in salads and to garnish small dishes. still, the benefits seem undeniable.

3) really, they only take one or two weeks to grow

yeah, that’s right, a higher density of nutrients grown in one week. this also allows quick turnaround for farmers beneficial to everyone.

4) you don’t have to be a top chef to use them, or an experienced farmer to grow them

really, it’s actually not that difficult and there are a lot of online resources like this one that have step by step instructions on how to grow many varieties of microgreens at almost any home.

5) microgreens are not sprouts

unlike sprouts, which can be harvested after germination in water after only 48 hours, microgreens have not been implicated in foodborne illness outbreaks.

microgreens typically require soil and sunlight, although there are alternative methods such hydroponics and the use of artificial light. they also can only be harvested after one or two weeks. this means there is much less risk in consuming microgreens, although they are not risk free.

will you be growing or using microgreens in your kitchen? let us know how you’re mixing these powerful greens into your diet. 

john perrino is a senior majoring in political communication at the george washington university. julia blakely is a senior majoring in journalism at the george washington university.

that’s right, every gallon of gasoline emits 20 pounds of co2 into the environment.

a gallon of gasoline only weighs a little over 6 pounds, but co2 is created from combining the carbon with oxygen in the environment which means that the weight of the gasoline in your car more than triples in the amount of emissions released through your exhaust pipe.

what changes can we make?

we all have a number of options to lower the amount of vehicle emissions released each day. below are four simple ways to stop emitting 5 – 9 tons of co2 automobile emissions each year.

1. choose a car that gets better mileage.
   having a car that gets better mpg means you are putting less vehicle emissions into the air. the epa and u.s. department of energy have a great comparison tool to help consumers find the right car for them when considering gas mileage.
2. walk, bike, or take public transportation.
   if you’re close enough to walk or bike to work, or even to the store, you are making nearly a 100% difference in the amount of vehicle emissions you are producing. even if walking or biking to work is not feasible, consider taking public transportation when you can. you will not only be helping the environment, but also your wallet.
3. carpool
   get to work in the fast lane and split save money and reduce pollution doing it. carpooling is a great option if you are looking to save money, the environment, and have a few buddies at the office who live nearby you. many areas have carpool lanes that will let you get to and from work much quicker, and everybody will be splitting the fuel cost.
4. use low-carbon fuels
   using ethanol, cng, or other even cleaner automobile fuels (electric car?) can help reduce co2 pollution when you are driving.

what will fuel your change? 

john perrino is a senior majoring in political communication at the george washington university. julia blakely is a senior majoring in journalism at the george washington university.

what sets her crops apart? well, for one they are grown year round in “a controlled agriculture environment.” this means while other local farmers in loudon county, virginia are unable to grow, the lettuce lady still provides her products to top washington, dc restaurants and chefs and local customers.

taylor told us she got the idea from a visit to disney world’s hydroponic gardens. “i never thought i’d go into farming, but i have found it, just right now, the place to be,” the californian raised taylor said.

“this is smart farming.”

– mary ellen taylor, aka the lettuce lady

endless summer harvest grows 4,000 plants a week using just 12,000 ft.2 of greenhouse space. that is the “equivalent of 12 acres of traditional farmland,” she said.

her hydroponic farm uses no soil and she is able to recycle 90% of the water used back through her well into the mixing tanks that produce the solution used to grow her crops.

endless summer harvest’s controlled environment hydroponics system could provide a way for farmers in climates unsuitable for growing crops to provide food for a growing planet.

visitors from around the world, especially in developing nations including afghanistan and botswana have visited her farm seeing it as a model for future use in their less irrigable home regions.

the lettuce lady hopes to double the amount of greenhouses at endless summer harvest from two to four within a year.

is this the future of farming?

the dc ddot has partnered with the washington area bicyclist association to provide bicycle and pedestrian safety training in dc elementary schools.

biking is a healthy, convenient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly way to get around and commute to work each day. in our nation’s capital, there are over 100 miles of bike trails and bike lanes making traveling by bike simpler and safer.

a $45.8 million dc bicycle master plan is also underway and nearly complete. the plan includes many improvements to the biking infrastructure and programs about biking safety and awareness for dc residents, especially children.

of the 51 largest u.s. cities, the district tops the list for highest per-capita funding for cycle and pedestrian facilities and education spending approximately $9.82 per resident.

“i have made it clear i want the district of columbia to be the most sustainable, walkable city in the nation, said mayor vincent c. gray.”

biking is also an integral part of the 20 year sustainable dc plan. the plan calls for an increase in the “use of public transit, biking, and walking to 75% of all commuter trips…”

while producing the video, julia and i found many people were very knowledgeable about the environmental importance of biking. we met an environmental lawyer, a man who taught sustainability awareness in africa and was testing out an 18 mile bike commute, and a father showing his son the importance of biking who had served on various regional boards dealing with the new transportation plans.

most people, however, were not very aware of any plan but noticed an increase in biking lanes and acceptance of bikes on the roads.

there has been an upward trend in commuting by bicycle (3.2% in 2011 to 4.1% in 2012) in dc and most surrounding regions and the future looks bright with smart investments in biking and high awareness by local residents.

however, the numbers still have a long way to go until they can compete with nations like the netherlands where approximately 30% of all short trips are by bicycle. 

john perrino is a senior majoring in political communication at the george washington university. julia blakely is a senior majoring in journalism at the george washington university.