Mom Feeds Baby Crickets to Save Money
Hold on to your hats folks, because this story is about to get buggy! A Toronto mom has revealed her secret to saving hundreds of dollars on baby food is by feeding her 18-month-old baby CRICKETS! Yes, you read that correctly. According to Wikipedia, crickets are small to medium-sized insects with mostly cylindrical, somewhat vertically flattened bodies. The head is spherical with long slender antennae arising from cone-shaped scapes and just behind these are two large compound eyes. Eating crickets makes think of that tv show survivor where the people on that show had to eat bugs. That totally grossed me out, buy apparently eating crickets is a thing!
You may have heard about people eating crickets because they are known to be highly nutritious and affordable. For these reasons this is why people eat them in many areas of the world. I was surprised to learn that health nuts are using a cricket-based protein powder. You can buy bags of dried crickets online. Crickets are a good source of protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and fiber and may benefit gut health.
In an article for Insider, Tiffany Leigh, a food writer from Toronto, Canada, said that she first tried insects during a visit to Asia — tasting everything from fried tarantula legs to scorpion on a stick – and she “loved” how the critters were ‘incorporated into local dishes’ to “enhance their textural appeal.”
Incorporating what she experienced abroad, at home, Leigh decided to add the protein source to her daughter’s diet, not only because of her adventurous spirit but for practical reasons too. She said by making the switch from “more traditionally expensive proteins like beef, chicken, and pork” she’s managed to trim her grocery bill from about $250-$300 a week to about $150-$200 a week.
So, if you’re tired of shelling out big bucks for baby food, maybe it’s time to hop on the cricket wagon. Bon appétit!
