What's for Lunch? Crickets!

Eating locally has many opportunity and benefits to community health, but there are also challenges that come along with buying local foods. Many consumers claim that they would love to buy locally sources products, but there are too many obstacles that lead them back to the habit of purchasing unsustainable, non locally sourced food. 

The first most common challenge that people say prevent them from buying locally is the price. Local foods are known to be more expensive. As a poor college student, I can particularly relate to this challenge as well. Although it can be more expensive to purchase local foods, I believe it is important to be conscious about where our food is coming from and chose to support the local community and health of the environment. There are ways to make it more accessible including splitting the cost of a CSA share with friends and family. By splitting a CSA share, there will also be less food waste produced! Another way to save money on local food is by going to the farmers market and searching for the best prices and deals on veggies. By browsing around the farmers market you will also get the chance to meet your local farmers and connect with your community. One other thing to keep in mind while purchasing local food is the money that you’re spending, is helping support local farmers and staying within the community. 

Along with the pricing of local foods, another common challenge to buying locally is availability. First of all, it is important to research your local options in order to know where your local food is and when it is available. During the cold seasons, especially in Montana, fresh local vegetables are not always available because of the growing seasons. The most common local options in winter include winter vegetables, local creameries, meat and legumes. These are all delicious and nutritious local options you can incorporate into your diets during the colder seasons. While there is limited resources of vegetables in the winter, during the summer months there is often an abundance of vegetables that often go to waste. In order to reduce food waste and have available local food in winter, an awesome option is preserving your vegetables in fruits. You can do this by canning, freezing, fermenting or drying! 

Convenience is often another challenge for customers. Ways to make your local food more convenient include, CSA share delivery options. Many farmers give you the option of delivering your local produce, so you don’t have to make the trip to the farm. People also claim that they often get their local produce and don’t have the time to prepare the food. This can be solved by meal prep. By designating one day a week to plan and prepare food, it can be a huge time saver to help make cooking your locally sourced meals easy as pie. 

Resources: 

http://www.fooddowntheroad.ca/node/17

“Breakfast if the most important meal of the day!”

Adults and children hear this phrase all the time. Most parents repeat this same phrase to their children, regardless if they themselves skip breakfast most days of the week. Usually the reasons for skipping breakfast range from not having enough time, not being hungry in the morning or simply not liking breakfast foods.  Of course adults have the freedom to make their own decisions regarding their morning eating habits, however, parents should keep in mind that their actions serve as a model to their children.

It is beneficial for both parent and children to consume a healthy morning meal. Children who skip breakfast are more tired and irritable before noon. Eating a breakfast regularly provides energy and when you feel awake and ready for the day, attitudes will improve as well. If it is common practice for adults to skip breakfast, then how is it the most important meal of the day? The benefits of eating breakfast are:

       - A morning energy boost after sleeping for 8 or more hours.

       - A kick start to the metabolism

       - Keeps appetite in control during the day

       - Academic performance and work productivity improve

The excuse of not having enough time, is a horrible reason to skip a morning meal. In this modern day, we have access to a large number of ready to go meals that take little to no preparation at all. There are even some recipes that can be prepared the night before so they are ready to go in the morning.

Try this recipe for Overnight Oats. This is a standard recipe and can be altered in many ways, the addition of fruit, protein powder, chia seeds, etc are all great additives! Get creative! The kids can each create their own and then in the morning, grab a jar and eat in the car on their way to school.

Overnight Oats

½ cup Oatmeal 2/3 cup Almond Milk 1/3 cup Greek Yogurt 1 Banana 2 TBSP Peanut Butter

Welcome back!

Hopefully my last two blogs have convinced you all that insects are not creepy nuisances solely meant for getting stepped on by us humans. Insects, rather, are quite beautiful. Both their abilities and potential are slightly underappreciated. My friends, it does not have to be this way.

How can one take part in the consumption of insects?

How does a DIY open-source bug farming (a.k.a rearing) kit sound? This idea was brought about by a man by the name of Daniel Imrie-Situnayake whom of which is very concerned about our current food system and how the world manages to feed a growing population. He believes that there is a far better option livestock (beef, pork and chicken) being our only sources of protein. This bug kit contains the necessary equipment to begin cultivating the insect(s) of your choice.

The cost of the kit, specifically the Mealworm Farm Kit, as shown above, is $154. A relatively reasonable price, yes? The cost of the insect variety varies. One can purchase 9,000 live mealworms (1kg harvestable weight) for $28. When I first found this I instantly wanted to jump at the opportunity. But then I remembered that I still live in a Residence Hall on campus and raising insects is not highly encouraged. That being said, I plan to partake in this DIY insect-rearing practice once I live elsewhere.

Where to Buy Your Bug Grub

Currently, purchasing insects is done online and will be shipped to your front door. I highly recommend this method for anyone interested in altering their diet. However, ordering insects this way can get costly and, in the long run, is not very sustainable due to the amount of packaging and long distance transportation associated with it. Well, how can entomophagy be sustainable? First, seek out local companies, farms or anything of the like. If this does not work, raise your own! Here are a select few locations where one can obtain insects (Sadly I did not find any here in Montana).

Fluker Farms located in Port Allen, Louisiana. Rainbow Mealworms located in Compton, California. Online Retailer: Thailand Unique.

Entomophagy – Is it Sustainable?

An excellent point was brought up in a comment on my previous blog. The point being, entomophagy may not be entirely sustainable. Consuming insects here in the United States, especially here in Bozeman, MT is not as feasible as it is in Thailand or several countries in Africa or South America where insects are abundant and heavily relied upon as a food source. This means that those who would like to obtain insects here in the U.S must purchase them either online or do their research to find a farm nearby (which is very difficult considering there are only a select few insect farms here in the United States). Doing my own research, I found that the insects can come from as far as Thailand and Australia. Wow! Is it logical, from a sustainable standpoint, to consume insects here in the United States where insect access is limited and comes from long distances? Both the cost and the impact of transportation to bring insects into the U.S from another country or a long-distance farm that raises insects is not exactly sustainable. However, don’t lose hope. Entomophagy and insect-rearing very well COULD become a sustainable practice with the proper education, awareness and desire for change. Self-raising insects in our own homes is an ideal approach to becoming a more resilient-minded individual.

In closing I have provided you all with a thought-provoking excerpt from an entomophagy-promoting article by Heather Looy, Florence Dunkel and John Wood. “Failure to embrace entomophagy prevents us from seeing the full humanity of those of other classes, races, and cultures, and leads to agricultural and food policy decisions that fail in their objectives to improve nourishment for all people.” It will take time, there is no doubt about that. The sooner we accept this lifestyle change, the sooner we see progress and success in creating more sustainable, resilient communities here in the United States.

A Recipe To Try!

Termite Salad with Mango-Orange Vinaigrette

“This salad balances the earthy and nutty addition of high-protein insects with a bright tropical citrus vinaigrette.”

Ingredients:                                                    Makes 4 Servings 2 ½ grams Termites (or Black Ants) Salad Greens Microgreens

Mango Orange Vinaigrette: 2 tbsp Cameroon Mango Vinegar 4 tbsp Desert Miracle Extra Virgin Olive Oil   ½ tsp Dijon Mustard ½ tsp Brown Sugar 1 tbsp Orange Juice ¼ tsp Orange Zest Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper

Directions: 1. Mix up the vinaigrette by adding all the ingredients to a jar with a tightly-fitting lid. Shake like the dickens until well incorporated. 2. Pour over the greens and microgreens in a bowl large enough to toss them, then toss to coat. 3. Mound onto four plates, then top the salad with a generous scatter of termites or black ants. Bug apetit!

References

Looy, H. Dunkel, F, Wood, J. (2014). How then shall we eat? Insect-eating attitudes and sustainable foodways. Agriculture and Human Values. Vol. 31(1), pages 131-141.

Matthew. (21 Feb. 2015. ). “Termite Salad.” Marx Foods Blog. MarxFoods.com, Retrieved on 10 Nov. 2016 from http://marxfood.com/termite-salad-recipe/.

Nguyen, T. (3 Dec. 2013). “Insect Farming Kit Lets You Raise Edible Bugs.” Smithsonian Magazine. Smithsonian. Retrieved on 09 Nov. 2016 from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/insect-farming-kit-lets-you-raise-edible bugs-180948261/?no-ist.

I liked how you mentioned the difficulty in finding insect based products in Montana. Chapul has a few local grocery stores listed as carrying their products, but sadly I went to all of them and they no longer carry. My guess is that they were just placed on a shelf and nobody knew what they were. I believe the greatest challenge for entomophagy in the U.S. will be educating the public.

Thanks for the great article!

Welcome back!

Hopefully my last two blogs have convinced you all that insects are not creepy nuisances solely meant for getting stepped on by us humans. Insects, rather, are quite beautiful. Both their abilities and potential are slightly underappreciated. My friends, it does not have to be this way.

How can one take part in the consumption of insects?

How does a DIY open-source bug farming (a.k.a rearing) kit sound? This idea was brought about by a man by the name of Daniel Imrie-Situnayake whom of which is very concerned about our current food system and how the world manages to feed a growing population. He believes that there is a far better option livestock (beef, pork and chicken) being our only sources of protein. This bug kit contains the necessary equipment to begin cultivating the insect(s) of your choice.

The cost of the kit, specifically the Mealworm Farm Kit, as shown above, is $154. A relatively reasonable price, yes? The cost of the insect variety varies. One can purchase 9,000 live mealworms (1kg harvestable weight) for $28. When I first found this I instantly wanted to jump at the opportunity. But then I remembered that I still live in a Residence Hall on campus and raising insects is not highly encouraged. That being said, I plan to partake in this DIY insect-rearing practice once I live elsewhere.

Where to Buy Your Bug Grub

Currently, purchasing insects is done online and will be shipped to your front door. I highly recommend this method for anyone interested in altering their diet. However, ordering insects this way can get costly and, in the long run, is not very sustainable due to the amount of packaging and long distance transportation associated with it. Well, how can entomophagy be sustainable? First, seek out local companies, farms or anything of the like. If this does not work, raise your own! Here are a select few locations where one can obtain insects (Sadly I did not find any here in Montana).

Fluker Farms located in Port Allen, Louisiana. Rainbow Mealworms located in Compton, California. Online Retailer: Thailand Unique.

Entomophagy – Is it Sustainable?

An excellent point was brought up in a comment on my previous blog. The point being, entomophagy may not be entirely sustainable. Consuming insects here in the United States, especially here in Bozeman, MT is not as feasible as it is in Thailand or several countries in Africa or South America where insects are abundant and heavily relied upon as a food source. This means that those who would like to obtain insects here in the U.S must purchase them either online or do their research to find a farm nearby (which is very difficult considering there are only a select few insect farms here in the United States). Doing my own research, I found that the insects can come from as far as Thailand and Australia. Wow! Is it logical, from a sustainable standpoint, to consume insects here in the United States where insect access is limited and comes from long distances? Both the cost and the impact of transportation to bring insects into the U.S from another country or a long-distance farm that raises insects is not exactly sustainable. However, don’t lose hope. Entomophagy and insect-rearing very well COULD become a sustainable practice with the proper education, awareness and desire for change. Self-raising insects in our own homes is an ideal approach to becoming a more resilient-minded individual.

In closing I have provided you all with a thought-provoking excerpt from an entomophagy-promoting article by Heather Looy, Florence Dunkel and John Wood. “Failure to embrace entomophagy prevents us from seeing the full humanity of those of other classes, races, and cultures, and leads to agricultural and food policy decisions that fail in their objectives to improve nourishment for all people.” It will take time, there is no doubt about that. The sooner we accept this lifestyle change, the sooner we see progress and success in creating more sustainable, resilient communities here in the United States.

A Recipe To Try!

Termite Salad with Mango-Orange Vinaigrette

“This salad balances the earthy and nutty addition of high-protein insects with a bright tropical citrus vinaigrette.”

Ingredients:                                                    Makes 4 Servings 2 ½ grams Termites (or Black Ants) Salad Greens Microgreens

Mango Orange Vinaigrette: 2 tbsp Cameroon Mango Vinegar 4 tbsp Desert Miracle Extra Virgin Olive Oil   ½ tsp Dijon Mustard ½ tsp Brown Sugar 1 tbsp Orange Juice ¼ tsp Orange Zest Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper

Directions: 1. Mix up the vinaigrette by adding all the ingredients to a jar with a tightly-fitting lid. Shake like the dickens until well incorporated. 2. Pour over the greens and microgreens in a bowl large enough to toss them, then toss to coat. 3. Mound onto four plates, then top the salad with a generous scatter of termites or black ants. Bug apetit!

References

Looy, H. Dunkel, F, Wood, J. (2014). How then shall we eat? Insect-eating attitudes and sustainable foodways. Agriculture and Human Values. Vol. 31(1), pages 131-141.

Matthew. (21 Feb. 2015. ). “Termite Salad.” Marx Foods Blog. MarxFoods.com, Retrieved on 10 Nov. 2016 from http://marxfood.com/termite-salad-recipe/.

Nguyen, T. (3 Dec. 2013). “Insect Farming Kit Lets You Raise Edible Bugs.” Smithsonian Magazine. Smithsonian. Retrieved on 09 Nov. 2016 from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/insect-farming-kit-lets-you-raise-edible bugs-180948261/?no-ist.

I liked how you mentioned the difficulty in finding insect based products in Montana. Chapul has a few local grocery stores listed as carrying their products, but sadly I went to all of them and they no longer carry. My guess is that they were just placed on a shelf and nobody knew what they were. I believe the greatest challenge for entomophagy in the U.S. will be educating the public.

Thanks for the great article!

In my previous blog post I explored the many ways of how food is wasted through our food system. In this post I will be talking about the “other wastes” from food that come up in the distribution and consumer end of the equation. These wastes come from the packaging, transportation, selling, preparing, and eating of food. A large portion of our landfills, and our earth is piled with these “other wastes”. They end up in our water systems, in our air when it is burned or incinerated, in the intestines of animals, and in our soil. However, if we educate ourselves, and make smart choices, these issues can be avoided.

The U.S. is obsessed with packaging! We like things clean and orderly when it comes to our food, which is different from many other countries where food is widely sold on the streets. The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) states all of the countless food safety laws, which requires things like restaurant inspections from the health department, and food recalls. All of these regulations were put in place to insure that what we are eating isn’t contaminated. But isn’t all this sanitization just weakening our immune systems, and making us more susceptible to diseases?

Take a walk down any typical grocery store in America, the aisles are lined with metals, glass, cardboard, and plastics galore! You might be thinking “what is the big deal, we need packaging, don’t we?” “How else will we take our food home?!?” Yes, some packaging is necessary, but we can pick and choose which materials our food is packaged in, and how much. Additionally, we can choose to reuse those packing materials. Many things in the super markets are over packaged. Fruits and vegetables –which have a natural casing– are found wrapped up in plastic, plastic wrap, and Styrofoam. Although there have been some studies that show that packaging, such as putting bananas in plastic bags, can actually increase shelf life, by adding extra cushion during transportation. This is just another reason why people should buy locally grown produce. Snacks and candies are packaged in individual wrappings to make it more convenient for consumers to take on the go.

Now you might be thinking “can’t all of these “other wastes” just be recycled?” You do have a point there, but not everything can be recycled, and frankly, that’s not where our waste is going. According to The World Bank 2012, only 8% of the waste in North America is being recycled, and 91% is going to landfills. Why? In many places recycling systems are still being developed, technology is slowly improving, and because it also costs a lot for consumers and recycling companies. Not only that, the recycling process takes a lot of energy, fossil fuels, and may pollute the atmosphere. However, the recycling process is a lot cleaner than mining, refining, processing, and shipping raw materials. These raw materials are either non-renewable resources such as aluminum, or renewable resources like trees. Both of these resources take quite a long time to replenish themselves, so we should make use of the ones we have already harvested.

Waste can be categorized into seven different groups which consist of organic, paper, metal, glass, mixed, e-waste, and lastly, plastic waste, something we all probably use on a daily basis. Something everyone should know about plastics is that not all of them are safe, some are recycled more than others, and they can only be recycled a certain number of times. It is important to know which plastics are which by looking at the recycling symbol, and to know which numbers your recycling center collects. Because of this, we should limit our plastic use, and choose glass or metal materials when we are given the option because they can be recycled infinitely.

http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2014/02/michigan_landfill_waste_grew_l.html

Your comment that we are able “to pick and choose which materials our food is packaged in” reminded me of the documentary Food, Inc that explains we have the power of consumers and purchasers to “cast our vote” for what we will and will not accept. I think more education to the general public on the environmental impact from food packaging and their power to create change will be what changes the current state of our groceries stores. 

I also liked how you touched on plastic. This reminded me about an amazing video I saw on Facebook about the edible spoon created in India were plastic silverware use and disposal is extremely high. This was created from a guy who saw the environmental impact and a way to help fix it. Hopefully we will see this amazing product, in environmental friendly packaging in Montana soon! 

To me it is very important to strive to eat as many local foods as possible.There are a couple different reasons for this. It is important to support local farmers that grow organic foods and when you buy local vegetables they tend to be more fresh since they do not have to travel hours in a truck. A couple places in Bozeman that people can buy local greens is the Community Food CO-OP and the local farmers markets. These happen all year so there is no excuse in why someone cannot buy local foods. It is understandable that everyone cannot always buy local foods or vegetables based on diets, but it is important to try and incorporate at least some locally grown vegetables into their diet. 

There are also a lot of different restaurants in Bozeman that use locally grown products including locally grown greens, local dairy, and locally made food. Some places of the places include Sola Cafe, Nova Cafe, and Feed Cafe. In my next blog I will also talk about the importance of eating organic and non GMO foods.

It is important to incorporate fresh greens into the diet, because they are very beneficial to your health. They provide the necessary nutrients to allow the body to function. Eating dark leafy greens can be a great source of fiber, folate, and coratenoids. Some of the vitamins include vitamin C and vitamin K; some minerals include iron and calcium, which is very important to bone growth. Also in my last blog I talked about some of the super foods that are loaded with antioxidants. One of the super foods is dark green vegetables. This makes sense, because of the level of vitamins and minerals in these types of foods. They are high in nutrients that help fight diseases and are loaded with antioxidants that may help fight cancer cells. 

Another great benefit for eating locally produced foods are reducing food miles. This not only increases our enjoyment of the foods through taste but also is a huge benefit for the planet in reducing exhaust from shipping. Below is a picture that sums up food miles. Can you believe that our food travels over 1,500 miles!

Source for above picture: http://verdefood.com/locavore/ 

The consumption of insects, or entomophagy has become an increasingly popular topic in the past decade. Why the sudden interest? The number and diversity of insects on this planet is astronomical. Roughly 40 tons of insects could satisfy one human (McVeigh, 2013). Currently, one billion of the global population lack access to food or are food insecure. With the global population expected to increase to nine billion by 2030, locating an additional, or more importantly, an alternative food source is vital. So we must locate an additional food source just to feed a growing population. Well, not exactly. An ever increasing global population will create pressure on agricultural land, the price of our current food sources as well as an increased demand for clean, usable water. Introducing insects into our western diets could have a positive impact on human health as well as the environment compared to the negative impact that current western agricultural practices have on land, water and health of the environment as a whole.

First and foremost, my passion lies within the realm of developing an innovative and resilient food system. The documentary, Can Insects Save the World? has had a dramatic impact on why I feel entomophagy is one, if not the main answer to feed a growing population with their current resources diminishing at an accelerated rate. In addition, a TED talk given by Marcel Dicke in 2010 provided insight on why it is vital for societies around the globe to adopt insects into their diets. From this talk I learned how sustainable insects really are. Compared to cattle and other livestock who guzzle grain, mealworms feed on waste wheat chaff. Furthermore, it is feasible to farm insects on a large scale without damaging the environment. Insects pose a wide array of nutritional benefits such as high fat, protein, vitamins, fiber and other micronutrient content. The following infographic displays the nutritional benefits of one insect, a grasshopper, compared to a singular cow.

Authors: Saroja Coehlo, Samantha Early

The overarching goal of this Buggin’ Out blog is to convince as many people as possible to consider insect consumption for themselves. If not for themselves, I encourage all to open their mind to the idea that insects can and should be the alternative food source of the future. This is an exciting topic, one that provides a vast amount of opportunities in terms of future research and careers.

To show everyone just what you can do with insects, I have provided a mouthwatering recipe that combines the commonly known insect, the grasshopper with a commonly consumed food, the taco.   Grasshopper Tacos (Tacos de Chapulines)

Ingrdients Needed: ½ pound medium-sized grasshoppers 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 half red onion, chopped 1 lemon, juiced Salt 2 ripe avocados, mashed 6 tortillas (corn or flour) Optional Additions: Cabbage, diced tomatoes, peppers, anything your heart desires.

How To Prepare: Roast grasshoppers for 10 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Toss with garlic, lemon juice, and salt to taste. Spread mashed avocado on tortilla. Sprinkle on roasted hoppers, to taste.

Sources Used:

McVeigh, T. (02 Mar. 2013). “Insects Could Be the Planet’s next Food Source… Even If That Gives You the Creeps.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Accessed on 27 Sept. 2016 from https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/mar/02/insects-next-food source.

I agree completely that insects are a great alternative food source. However, with the 14.58% of U.S households experiencing food insecurity (Boyle, 2016), insect consumption needs to be promoted now so that costs of insect products will go down.