The next big thing in protein is little.

Maybe you’ve heard the buzz about insects being the sustainable food choice of the future or perhaps you’re one of the two billion people around the globe who eats bugs every day.

Eighty per cent of the world includes insects as part of their diets and chances are you’ve probably already been eating them without even realizing it. It’s all about perception. Today we’ll happily tear into a lobster at a fancy restaurant (they share an exoskeleton with crickets) but at one point in time lobsters were seen as food for prisoners and pigs.

Protein of the future

Crickets are 65% protein by weight and are a complete protein that contains all nine amino acids. They’re high in heart-healthy calcium, zinc and iron (2.2 times the amount you’ll find in spinach) and crickets also contain fives times as much magnesium as beef. Did we mention that they have the same amount of B12 as salmon? Hello, red blood cell boosting vitamins!

Helping the world

By 2050 the world will be home to nine billion people, which is putting a strain on the earth, with masses of agricultural land being used to grow feed for cattle and other traditional protein sources. It’s bad news for the environment but microlivestock management, such as cricket farming, is bringing good news for future food security. Crickets produce 100 times less greenhouse gases than beef per pound and use six times less feed to farm. It takes around 2000 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef protein versus only one gallon of water to produce a pound of cricket protein.

Canadian crickets

We work with Entomo Farms, an organic Canadian cricket farm, to source our cricket flour. People often ask us ‘What do crickets taste like?’ On its own it’s described as a slightly earthy or nutty flavour but you can’t taste it when they take on other flavours; whether stir fried with pinch of salt and squeeze of lime, or inside our Peanut Butter or Chocolate Sea Salt bars.

Why eat crickets?

As proud West Coasters we know that adventure calls to you, so we’re happy to share the news that crickets are high in protein, sustainable and tasty alternatives. We know that our West Coast food community is home to innovators and influencers that want to be part of this global movement to find a more sustainable food for the future.