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Eating insects: Would you be up for trying something like this?

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Edible insects are on the menu in New York City.

Insects are on the menu at a restaurant in New York City.

Brooklyn Bugs chef Joseph Yoon says his biggest challenge was turning something that 'people don't think of as food into something delicious'.

Bugs are easier to farm than cows and sheep, taking up less land and using less water. That makes insects more environmentally friendly to eat.

And, this isn't as unusual as it might sound ... recently a major UK supermarket started selling packets of edible bugs too.

Sainsbury's says it is the first British supermarket to stock packets of Eat Grub's smoky BBQ crunchy roasted crickets, which will be sold in 250 stores across the country.

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Why eating insects could actually be a good idea

While it might sound strange to us, around the world eating bugs isn't that weird, More than two billion people already eat them, and scientists say eating bugs could be the key to saving our environment.

They believe insects could help fight world hunger and malnutrition because there are so many of them, they are healthy, and have less of a carbon footprint.

Why are insects so good for us?

Crickets, grasshoppers and mealworms contain more copper, zinc, magnesium and calcium than beef!

But remember not all bugs and insects are edible! You should always check before you bite!

Image source, Getty Images

Here are 4 reasons why we should eat insects:

  • Healthy

Insects are filled with lots of good nutrients, including amino acids and protein. Crickets, grasshoppers, and mealworms contain more copper, zinc, magnesium and calcium than beef!

  • There are loads

There are a LOT of insects in the world. Some people put the number at 10,000,000,000,000,000,000... which is 10 quintillion!

  • Better for the environment

Agriculture produces a lot of greenhouse gases and farming insects doesn't require as much land and water as traditional agriculture does. Insect farming is already happening in Africa.

  • Money makers

Insects provide an opportunity for new ideas in business and the technology and scale of edible insect farming is improving. Insects can be eaten raw or processed into powders. Several new businesses in the Netherlands, South Africa and Kenya have been set up to focus on making insects for human food.