Eating insects has a bad reputation even though insect consumption is nothing new: people have been doing it for thousands of years. In fact, more than 2 billion people worldwide eat insects every day, and for a good reason too! They’re rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and are considered the most sustainable protein source in the world. Embracing insects as food is a step toward adopting a healthier and more eco-friendly lifestyle. 

For less adventurous eaters, you may feel more inclined to eat crickets if they were presented as flour. Thankfully, cricket flour is becoming one of the most popular ways of integrating insects into your diet. Cricket flour, or cricket powder, is made 100% from crickets and has been labeled as asuperfood while being a sustainable product. If you’re confused as to why you should be using cricket flour, what it is, and how you can use it, this article will address all of your questions! 

Why cricket flour?

Maybe you’re asking yourself why you should be includingcricket flour in your diet. The better question would be: why wouldn’t you! Cricket flour is a fantastic source of complete protein, in fact, crickets are 60% protein by weight! For endurance athletes, thisprotein composition makes cricket flour a valuable ingredient for enhancing post-workout muscle recovery. 

Cricket flour is also packed with other nutrients such asessential fats, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. It is incredibly nutritionally dense which is why cricket flour is commonly referred to as a superfood! If you’re curious about the many other health properties that cricket flour carries, click here to learn more! Additionally, cricket flour iseco-friendly: compared to traditional livestock farming, cricket farming requires significantly less land, less resources, and produces less greenhouse gas emissions. Cricket flour is truly the food of the future! 

What does cricket flour taste like?

Because many people have their own preconceived notion as to what crickets taste like, most are pleasantly surprised the first time they taste cricket flour. Cricket flour is made through a simple and humane process that produces a natural product with no additives or fillers. The end result is a fine powder with a slight nutty flavor and a rich brown color that resembles brown sugar. Cricket flour has become increasingly popular over the years that even professional chefs are now using it to enhance flavor profile while increasing nutritional benefits!

How can cricket flour be used in your diet? 

Because of its neutral flavor, a spoonful of cricket flour can be added to just about any recipe that you’d like to add aprotein boost to. This includes dishes such as pasta, smoothie bowls, or even burgers! Unlike whey and soy powders, which have more noticeable taste and grainy textures, cricket flour has almost unlimited applications: a small amount will easily be disguised with other ingredients and flavors, and the overall texture of a dish won’t be affected. 

Despite “flour” being in the name, cricket flour shouldn’t be a direct substitute for recipes that call for all-purpose flour. A general rule of thumb is to substitute up to 25% of the flour in a baking recipe with cricket flour to achieve the same flavor and texture while adding additional nutritional value. With a cricket flour blend, you can make all kinds of tasty recipes such as banana bread, pancakes, or muffins! If you’re looking for some inspiration, we’ve got you covered with awhole list of recipes. 

After you get over the mental hump of eating crickets, try out this versatile flour for yourself: we promise you won’t even know the difference. Unless you have a crustacean allergy, there is no good reason why you shouldn’t be incorporating cricket flour into your diet. Cricket flour is packed with complete protein, vitamins, minerals, essential fats, and fiber, all of which will positively impact your health. There are so many different options for adding cricket flour into your diet; try some outhere today!