What is Cricket Flour & Why You Should Eat It

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. They form nearly every tissue in your body.

Cricket protein is considered a “complete protein” because it contains all nine essential amino acids. These amino acids -- leucine, isoleucine, valine, methionine, tryptophan, threonine, lysine, histidine, and phenylalanine -- are considered “essential” because you must get them through diet. You can’t synthesize them.

Leucine, for instance, is a branched chain amino acid (BCAA) crucial for muscle growth. You won’t find much leucine in plant protein, but cricket protein is a fine source of BCAAs.  

Then there’s tryptophan, needed to make your sleep hormone (melatonin) and your happy chemical (serotonin). Did you know that collagen protein -- all the rage right now -- has negligible levels of tryptophan?

Nothing against collagen, just don’t count it as a complete protein source. You need a complete protein -- like cricket protein -- to meet your daily protein needs.

Beef is a great source of bioavailable protein. Unfortunately, raising cows isn’t so great for the environment.

When cows fart, they produce tons of methane. Methane, by the way, is an extremely potent greenhouse gas, about 30x more potent than carbon dioxide. Not good for climate change.

Conventional herding practices also destroy soil quality, create runoff waste, use excessive resources, and contribute to the problem of antibiotic resistance. Livestock, amazingly enough, account for 50-80% of worldwide antibiotic usage.

That’s where crickets come in. Compared to livestock farming, cricket farming:

- Requires significantly less land

- Produces less greenhouse gas emissions

- Doesn’t use lots of antibiotics

- Uses less feed per volume of protein produced

To be clear, crickets won’t solve climate change, pollution, and the global resource problem. But they can be part of the solution.

You can be part of the solution too by enjoying crickets, cricket flour, and cricket bars. If enough people do it, it will make a difference.

When you eat cricket powder, you’re eating the entire cricket. Which means valuable minerals come along for the ride.

These minerals include zinc, copper, iodine, and manganese. Here’s why you want more of these minerals in your diet:

Zinc supports immunity, hormone production, and DNA health. Zinc deficiency often shows up as dry skin, slow wound healing, hair loss, and sex hormone deficiency.

Copper supports skin health, immune function, and iron absorption[*]. It’s often deficient in the modern diet. Copper deficiency mimics iron-deficiency anemia, and presents as low white blood cells.

Iodine is required to produce thyroid hormone, which regulates your metabolism. Low iodine manifests as hypothyroidism.

Manganese helps you form bone and metabolize protein. Many enzymes in your body are dependent on manganese. One called glutamine synthetase turns toxic ammonia into glutamine, a beneficial amino acid.

The takeaway is that cricket powder -- unlike other protein powders -- contains valuable minerals scarce in the modern diet.

• High in protein, with all 9 essential amino acids

• High in B vitamins

• A good source of fatty acids

• Rich in minerals like copper, zinc, and manganese

• Rich in chitin, a prebiotic fiber that may support gut health

Because it’s nutrient-dense and low-carb, cricket flour compliments both the paleo and keto diet. Also, high-quality cricket powders are generally gluten-free, and dairy-free.

Note, however, that those with shellfish allergies should be cautious with cricket flour. Believe it or not, crickets and crustaceans are closely related!

Put another way: eating crickets is like eating shrimp or lobsters. Odd-looking, but delicious!