Iowa is well known for raising corn, soybeans, and hogs, but there are other types of farming that go on in our state. Here’s a new one for you - raising crickets for human consumption!
Entomophagy, the practice of eating insects, is embraced by 80% of the world’s countries; a third of the world’s total population enjoys eating insects regularly! But North Americans and Western Europeans hold out on this practice. Shelby Smith of Gym-n-Eat Crickets has set out to change that.
Born and raised on a farm near Ames, Shelby left a career in the banking world to farm with her dad. He encouraged her to find a niche market of some sort, and Shelby pursued a source of protein that has a low environmental impact. After much research, she bought her first 10,000 crickets, and the rest is history.
You might be asking yourself, “Why would I want to eat crickets?” There are actually quite a few reasons to consider trying them.
Number 1: They are a complete protein. Number 2: Sixty percent by volume of the cricket is protein! They’re also high in iron and calcium, low in fat, and are a good source of B12 vitamins and Omega 3s and 6s.
Crickets are relatives of lobster and shrimp which has earned them the nickname of "prairie lobster."
Gym-N-Eat Crickets' mission is to produce a “high-quality, highly sustainable source of protein from start-to-finish… [utilizing] the most ethical and efficient practices to maximize nutritional benefit while minimizing negative environmental impact.”
That’s a mission most of us can get behind!
How do you eat them? To start with, all the crickets are dried and roasted. Then, some are seasoned to eat whole while others are ground for use in cooking or baking.
The whole crickets are perfect for a crunchy snack on the go. Flavors like Smoky BBQ, Dill, Buffalo Ranch, or the slightly sweet Cocoa Cinnamon jazz up the natural nutty flavor of the crickets. Toss a few on top of your salad, or make chocolate-covered crickets!
The cricket powder packs a whopping eight grams of protein per two tablespoons. Shelby uses it to bake up delicious protein bars with wholesome ingredients; the Salted Caramel cricket bar contains dates, sunflower seeds, crickets, vanilla extract, maple extract, and sea salt flakes.
She sells a variety of flavors; try the Lemon, Apple Cinnamon, Banana Bread, or Chocolate Mocha.
Want to add more protein, fiber, and micro-nutrients to your own cooking and baking (or maybe your smoothie)? Buy a package of Cricket Powder (flour). The powder can replace up to a quarter of the flour in your favorite recipes.
Shelby also has recipes on her website that she’s developed for keto lemon bars, breaded chicken strips, cricket powder onion rings, cricket crust flatbread pizza, and cricket cinnamon rolls. Speaking from personal experience, we can recommend cricket waffles, pancakes, and pizza. Shelby’s chocolate chirp cookies are next on the baking list!
How do you get your hands on this great protein? Hop on over to Gym-N-Eat Cricket’s website, where you can order them directly (by the way, the "gym" in Gym-N-Eat Crickets is more than just a cute play on words; Shelby’s a weightlifter and has hosted several dead-weight competitions at her farm by Ames). Shelby also stocks her crickets in nearly 25 Iowa stores (and more around the country) and she regularly attends local markets. Check her website for details.
Will you dare to eat differently?
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