Although in many cultures crickets have been used as a good source of nutrients and protein, in Western culture, the extreme health benefits of crickets are still relatively unknown. Using products made from crickets – particularly products such as cricket powder and cricket flour – can do wonders for your body, hugely increasing your protein intake, benefiting muscle repair and growth, raising iron consumption, providing a brilliant source of vitamin B12, and assisting in keeping your gut healthy.
Read on to learn just how using cricket powder and flour can benefit your health and why you should definitely try it!
1. High Protein Content
Cricket flour is one of the best sources of protein. Just like other animal products, it contains the 9 essential amino acids – however, what sets cricket flour apart is the fact that it contains 60-70% protein, 2-3 times more than your average beef, pork, chicken, or lamb. This makes it a great sustainable and tasty replacement for your normal meat consumption.
This protein content is incredibly good for you. It is vital for you to consume the 9 essential amino acids for a healthy, balanced diet. They provide functions such as muscle growth and repair. Integrating cricket flour into your diet will help to make this process of growth and repair more efficient.
2. Vitamins and Minerals
Cricket flour is absolutely packed with vitamins and minerals, particularly iron and vitamin B12. Iron is absolutely essential to the functioning of our bodies. It helps to carry oxygen molecules throughout the body to where they are required. This can help reduce fatigue and energize. Cricket flour contains huge amounts of iron – almost twice the amount of iron found in spinach! It is a great way to subtly introduce more iron into your diet, as cricket flour can be added to a wide array of foods, shakes, and smoothies.
Vitamin B12 is a nutrient that is particularly important for maintaining healthy nerves and blood cells. It assists in the conversion of food into energy, is important for the formation of red blood cells, and it is critical to the health of our nervous system and brain. It is not found in plants, making it important for us to consciously include it in our diets. Cricket flour is a particularly strong source of vitamin B12.
3. Gut Health
Chitin is a powerful and useful prebiotic fiber that is responsible for strong probiotic growth. There is an abundance of chitin in cricket flour, which helps you develop a stronger immune system, boosts your energy levels, can improve your mood, and overall assist you in maintaining good health. Studies on the benefits of chitin have also found that it can help to reduce the inflammation experienced in those suffering from irritable bowel disease, making cricket powder or flour a great choice for managing symptoms of the condition.
4. Interesting taste
Many people who tasted cricket flour for the first time are very pleasantly surprised. The taste of cricket powder is comparable to the taste of nuts with earthy tones. In general, however, it has a neutral and not very pronounced taste, which is why many chefs have started using it in the kitchen, both for salty and sweet dishes.
If you had the opportunity to taste a product made from cricket flour and you were not told in advance that it is made of crickets, you would surely guess that you are eating a product rich in nuts!
5. Versatile use
As already mentioned, cricket flour has a neutral taste, so it is suitable for a wide range of dishes. You can, for example, bake a sweet cake from it or mix it with classic flour to increase the protein content of your dish.
If you are not a fan of protein pancake mixes, try making pancakes from cricket flour. And, of course, there are no limits to your imagination. Muffins, cakes or bread – you can also add cricket flour here.
Frequently asked questions about cricket flour
What is cricket flour used for?
Cricket flour is most often used in the kitchen, for example when baking desserts, protein bars, bread or other dishes. If you mix classic flour with cricket flour, you may not feel any change in taste, but your dish will be very nutritionally rich. This is because cricket flour does not have a pronounced taste, so it is used mainly due to its high content of protein, fiber, vitamin B12, and iron.
Is cricket flour a complete protein?
100 grams of cricket flour contains about 70 grams of protein. The rest consists of fat (20 grams), fiber (about 9.5 grams), negligible amounts of carbs, vitamin B12, and iron.
What are the benefits of crickets and cricket flour?
Cricket flour is recognized primarily for its beneficial nutrients. It is also suitable for people who want to maintain their protein doses and for those who want to try something different. Compared to beef, up to 1800x less water is needed when producing cricket flour. Therefore, it is one of the best alternatives that supply our body with the same nutrients as meat, and at the same time, we help save the planet.
How many carbs are in cricket flour?
100 grams of cricket flour contains a negligible amount of carbohydrates, namely 0.5 grams.
Do vegans eat crickets?
Simple answer: No! This is because vegans do not eat animals and crickets are, of course, animals.
Bottom line
Overall, the health benefits of cricket flour are incredibly important. Incorporating cricket-based products into your diet can help your muscle, blood, nerve, brain, and gut health immensely, resulting in better wellbeing.
