Inside Scoop: Let us show you just why you’re going to want to start using cricket protein powder, and it totally involves Double Chocolate Paleo Cricket Cookies.

Cricket protein powder got you like hell nahhhhhhh?

We used to be cautious about cricket protein powder too, that is until we actually tried it.

If you’re living that grain-free lifestyle, or tackling a Paleolithic approach, you might be looking for better sources of protein that are environmentally sound, but at the same time keep you feeling full and energetic.

Back in 2013, a report by the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations named edible insects as the future of food and feed security.

Booya!

Let’s shift the approach, okay?

There are over 2 billion people worldwide that fully rely on insects as part of their daily diet, and yet it’s still so taboo over here in North America.

We get it, eating insects isn’t really a North American tradition. The ‘ick factor’ when many of us think of insects is still pretty common, and entomophagy or the practice of eating insects is a concept we may need a little bit of warming up to get used to.

What if eating insects as a nutrient dense source of protein, vitamins and minerals is not only better and more sustainable for the environment, but could offer numerous health benefits too?

And, what if it actually tasted great?

What if it was presented it to you in the form of a delicious Double Chocolate & Coconut Paleo Cricket Cookie, would you give it a try?

THE RISE OF CRICKET POWDER & WHY THESE CRICKET COOKIES ARE EVERYTHING

While we may not yet be ready to munch on a bag of whole cricket chips, many of us have embraced the concept of eating crickets in the form of a ground ‘flour’ or ‘powder’. The US insect market alone is expected to exceed $50 million by 2023 (almost doubling from 2015). So, obviously, we are going to start experimenting with cricket protein powder to get the most delicious, chocolatey cricket cookies…. Right?

One company that caught our attention for the job is Fit Cricket. These guys are on a mission to bring you the most sustainable, ethical and highly nutritious source of protein without the ick factor.

Fit Cricket makes delicious and minimally processed protein bars, cricket powder and whole roasted crickets (if you dare)!

They use a type of cricket (Acheta Domesticus) that is lighter in color and flavour. In fact, most people that try it are surprised by the earthy, nutty and pleasant taste.

And our experimentations with this cricket powder or flour has been incredibly well received. Not only did we bring these Double Chocolate & Coconut Paleo Cricket Cookies to our friends and surprise them when we told them there was cricket flour involved, but with most of the recipes we’ve tested so far, you can’t even taste the cricket flour.

Who would’ve thought?

STILL ON THE FENCE? JUST CHECK OUT HOW NUTRITIOUS CRICKET POWDER IS

Contains All 9 Essential Amino Acids

Crickets are very high in protein with 58% to 65% of protein per bug. So, in only 12 grams of cricket flour there is 7 grams of protein and all the essential amino acids that your body needs. These cricket cookies are more than enough nutrients to send your protein bar packing!

Cricket protein is also gluten free, soy free, dairy free, and egg free; therefore, perfect for anyone with allergies or intolerances. Just a note that if you are allergic to shellfish, you may be allergic to crickets too.

More B12 Than Salmon or Beef? 

Yeah fam. For 100 grams of cricket flour, there’s 24 micrograms of B12, compared to 3.18 micrograms for salmon. So, you can get 80% of your B12 in approximately 1 tablespoon of cricket flour.

For this reason, cricket flour that’s produced with ethical and humane practices is cultivating a movement amongst some vegans (called the Entovegans and Entotarians) who are introducing it into their diets due to the high B12 content.

High in Calcium & Iron

Crickets are incredibly rich in minerals such as potassium, magnesium and selenium but the two that get the most attention are calcium and iron. That is because crickets actually contain more calcium than milk and more iron than spinach that is also easier to absorb. 

Anti-inflammatory Omega 3s

Crickets are a great source of fatty acids, especially anti-inflammatory omega 3s in the desired 1:3 ratio to omega 6. If you’re not really into fish, these cricket cookies are a great alternative!

Good for Your Gut

While not conclusive, a small recent study found that eating crickets may help improve the natural bacteria in your gut as well as reduce inflammation in your body. This is due to the fact that crickets (unlike other animal proteins) contain fibers, such as chitin which help some good bacteria in your gut flourish.

More research is needed, but it’s definitely a great start.

Good for the environment

Insects are one of the most sustainable sources of protein. They use less water, less feed and emit less than one-tenth as much greenhouse gas compared to beef. So, as Founder, Angela Kelly from Fit Cricket says:

“Go green and get your protein”

OTHER THAN CRICKET COOKIES, HOW ELSE CAN YOU INCORPORATE CRICKET POWDER INTO YOUR DIET?

First, we would highly recommend testing out these Double Chocolate & Coconut Paleo Cricket Cookies because they are nutty, chocolatey, easy to make, and loaded with healthy fats and protein.

However, you buy a big bag of cricket flour and are looking for more ways to get this sustainable protein into your diet? Here are just a few ways you can utilize cricket flour:

• All types of baking, including cakes, cookies, protein bars/ bites, breads and muffins * just remember cricket flour is not as dense as regular flour and absorbs water easily, so do some experimenting.
• Smoothies
• Pancakes
• As a nutritional boost to soups
• Salmon or chickpea fritters
• Cricket flour tortillas
• Add as nutritional booster to baked veggies or as a salad topper
• Add into rice or risotto/ quinoa or any other cooked grain, pulse or legume
• Make cricket chili
• Put on your brave pants and eat cricket chips!

As you can see there are plenty ways to get this incredibly healthy protein into your diet (aside from our cricket cookies), so we highly recommend jumping on the cricket bandwagon and get cooking!

And, we would love to hear your thoughts, have you tried and had success with cricket flour?