2022 EXPO Poster Nevarez (Nutrition)

Are Insects the Food of the Future?

Abstract 

Insects have been around for millions of years, with over 925,000 different insects and more than 1,900 being edible. Many countries worldwide readily incorporate insects into their diet, but misconceptions about safety and taste inhibit many Western societies from adopting this practice. Incorporating insects into a Western diet can be a nutritious and sustainable solution for our food system. This study aims to demonstrate how perceptions around this protein source may change after an education and tasting session is conducted. The education session will cover the comparison of insects versus typical animal sources of protein and their impact on the environment, nutritional value, and cost. The tasting session will allow participants to try foods made with insect protein. It is hypothesized that participants may be more willing to incorporate insect protein into their diet after this study.