Imagine if you could step out your door anytime you want and grab some of the most nutritious food there is, full of omega-3 fats, protein, and fiber. Sustainable food that you don’t have to grow or tend to. Tasty food that you can find and enjoy in almost every climate. Such a food exists, and it is a common traditional food source in 80% of the world’s cultures – pretty much everywhere on earth except in North America and Europe. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, over 2 billion people worldwide regularly eat this food.
So what is it? You guessed it… bugs!
You might have heard that the 8th Annual Bug Eating Festival took place this weekend in Austin. Marjory started this event 8 years ago with her friend Allen Davisson, who is an expert on edible bugs. We didn’t want those of you who live elsewhere to feel left out, so we decided to send out this offer.
If you’re like me, the idea of eating bugs is… well… kinda gross. But in an emergency, knowing which bugs are nutritious and edible would be an extremely valuable skill. And this isn’t just about emergency survival – it’s about sustainability. Bugs can be mass produced with a tiny fraction of the space, food, and water required to produce the same amount of beef. Nutritionally, ecologically, and financially – eating bugs just makes good sense. Many food experts are predicting that eating bugs will become commonplace in Western cultures in the very near future. Crickets, grasshoppers, mealworms, and more. And, if you’re trying to eat a paleo diet, this as about as paleo as you can get.
Marjory’s friend Allen Davisson has put together a great resource to inform you about eating bugs, and to help you get past the “yuck factor.” It’s called The American Bug Eater’s Handbook, and it includes a 40 page eBook and a half hour video, all about eating bugs. He can show you which bugs are safe to eat, which bugs taste the best, and which bugs you should avoid. This is a terrific resource for preppers, and it’s a great start for people who are curious about eating bugs for ecological sustainability and nutrition. In this eBook and video, Allen clearly explains all of these important points:
– What do bugs actually taste like
– Which common bugs are always safe to eat
– How to catch enough bugs to survive
– Which bugs taste best (and which should be saved for survival situations only)
– How to attract insects
– How to farm insects as a regular food source
– Which bugs can be eaten raw (and which bugs should not)
– Campfire recipes to turn bugs into a gourmet meal
– And more!
Whether you are interested in foraging for bugs, or farming them, Allen’s eBook and video contain all of the information you need to get started. Allen has agreed to sell the entire package to you for the very low price of only $7.
Click Here to Order The American Bug Eater’s Handbook
COMMENTS(0)
As I read the intro to this bug article, “step out your door anytime you want and grab some of the most nutritious food there is, full of omega-3 fats, protein, and fiber. Sustainable food that you don’t have to grow or tend to. Tasty food that you can find and enjoy in almost every climate. Such a food exists, and it is a common traditional food source in 80% of the world’s cultures – pretty much everywhere on earth except in North America and Europe….” I was sure you were talking about hemp (seed, oil leaves). Everything you said about bugs applies equally to hemp. It even used to grow wild in many parts of the world (before the drug war.) The only problem with this marvelous food is that it’s still illegal in most places. But as a survival food, after the collapse of society, that may not matter. It wouldn’t hurt to have a supply of whole hemp seeds (not marijuana) on hand. The ones I bought online from the UK actually were able to sprout and grow. The hemp seeds I bought years ago in the US had to be steam treated so they would not sprout (even though hemp in any form is not psychoactive.) I don’t know if this is still true today.
Bonnie, I have been trying to find out if Sunn Hemp is edible. I grew it as a summer cover crop for my garden and it was so easy to grow and so productive I hated not being able to use the leaves for greens. It is good forage for other animals, but does anyone know if humans can digest it?
The bug eating info is intriguing, but I have trouble getting past the yuck factor.
Hi,
I,m one of those weirdos that don,t use credit cards.
I would like to buy your american bug eaters handbook. Could I send you a U.S.postal money order for seven dollars plus postage if need be and you could send me a copy either by U.S.mail or to my e-mail address. Either way would work for me. Let me know if we can work this out and I’ll send M.O. and my address.
Thanks,
Jerry
Hi Jerry – You can send in a money order to buy the book/video, but they’re only available online at this point in time – no physical products. This is an eBook and an online video. If you want to purchase them by money order, you can send it in to the P.O. Box at the very bottom of this page. Thanks!
Ahhh – No thanks – I understand what you’re saying, but no bugs, No
Hmm, in the changing fortunes of time there will be lots of yuky things for survivors to adjust to.. dining on bugs doesn’t seem like a big stretch.. But if the ag chem giants have their wish I doubt there will be any edible bugs in abundance anyway. OTO if the bugs are eradicated have the ag chem folks put themselves out of business? Nahhhh, they will turn their resource to developing cricket corrals
No way – You can eat the bugs – and also the raccoon you mentioned the other day – I will have to be desperate to eat either.
Bon ANTpetit!! Thank you for the great articles! Looking forward to reading your book. Are slugs edible? A Slug sandwich?
Ciao, Bea
Hi Michael, I am interested in this subject not as a survivalist, but as an organic gardener. In years like this one, and increasingly so, my garden and fields seem overrun by grasshoppers and locusts (the flying grey hoppers). I have eaten green grasshoppers, caught and cooked by the wonderful Mexican workers on a CA organic farm I was on years ago. I’ve tried it since but don’t know how they were able to catch so many. Try as I may, and I am fast, I can get a few in the garden but not enough to warrant cooking so I give them to my hens who give me eggs. Do you spend enough time in your guide to help people like me learn how to catch lots more than before?
thanks,
Freyda
Hi Freyda – The majority of the information is about which bugs to eat and how to prepare them. And, there are some instructions about how to “farm” the bugs you do catch. But there is only basic information about how to catch the bugs. We’ll think about adding more “bug catching” information for a future update. Thanks – Michael
I ordered your book on bugs and got the $27 special. I got the email with the address to log ,the one growyourowngroceries.net but it will not open please advise.
Hi Daniel – Sorry for any confusion. You should have gotten a second email with an updated link. You need to login at thegrownetwork.com, not at growyourowngroceries.net. Let us know if you have any issues – Thanks – Michael
one thing I have learned in my 60+ years of life is never trust someone who claims to be an expert. Especially in the dietary field. From diets to what to eat that is safe. Why do I feel this way. Simple I love the outdoors I have loads of experience in the outdoors and chances are I’m probably twice as old as many of these experts. That Is why. Never , ever take an expert at face value. Most are just trying to sell a book or something. Second remember all of the experts that said plastic would not hurt you. So why do we have to throw plastic out that might change the male hormone or GMO’s are safe. Yet countries are refusing to except GMO products. Lets not forget about mad cow diesease will not effect humans. Or that antibiotics feed to livestock is not harmful to humans. And agent orange is safe and does not cause cancer. Along with a million other things in life. Bugs carry parasites. Bugs also carry pesticides that are used to kill them or to protect plants. Just like fish have mercury. And fish from fish farms are not that great because of the feed they are given is made from animal by products. That means waste and remains. But then bakeries use saw dust in their bread called plant fiber. So be careful when experts talk about things. Chances are they are blowing wind up some ones skirt.
Why don’t you use PayPal?
If I need to resort to bugs as a food source ebooks might not be accessible. Is Allen a paperback writer?
Hi Edward – Unfortunately we only have this available as an eBook/video right now. The eBook is a PDF, but if you have a printer and paper you could always print out a paper copy. Thanks – Michael
Do you do PayPal??? That is soooo much easier and secure….
Unfortunately PayPal just doesn’t play well with some of our other software. But we’re working through those issues and we should be able to accept PayPal before too long.
Also…post this ebook on Ebay….It might help move more out to the public!!!
Hi Larry – Thanks, that’s a good idea and we’ll look into it. We’re always trying to get this info out to more people – as Paul Wheaton would say, “infecting minds.”
One more time…Is there a 10th annual event??? If so When & Where???
Hi Larry – This year’s festival (9th annual, I believe) was scheduled for June 4th, but it got rained out and rescheduled for July 13th. I believe it will be at In.gredients (https://in.gredients.com/) on Manor Rd.