You may not want to eat earthworms directly from your backyard, but it’s common to consume other types of worms in cultures across the planet.
Entomophagy, or the consumption of insects as food, is believed to have originated in early human development and it's common in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Australia. Over 2,300 insect species are traditionally eaten!
Common edible worms include the larvae of grasshoppers, true bugs (Hemiptera), beetles (Coleoptera), termites, butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera)
Worms are high in heart-friendly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and lower in saturated fats compared to animal protein.
100 grams of beetle larvae provide up to:
Calories: 155
Protein: 21 grams
Fat: 19 grams
Carbs: 3 grams
Fiber: 25% of the daily value (DV)
Iron: 133% of the DV
Zinc: 55% of the DV
Riboflavin: 269% of the DV
And the mopane worm (Gonimbrasia belina) contains 84 times the quantity of iron and 7 times the amount of zinc as the same serving size of beef!
