The world is facing food shortages already, and a day we starve for nutrition isn’t far. So what could you eat if you find absolutely nothing to get by?
We love playing a food connoisseur and binging on gourmet delights, but if catastrophe strikes tomorrow, there are multiple bets in the wild. Arguably gross, they are stacks of nutrition.
Majority of us will need some serious motivation to even bite at one of the creatures listed below. But if there’s an apocalypse, a famished body will devour anything.
If a man has to survive on gross, what are his options?
Worms
A single worm is hardly nutritious, but a plate full of them counts a handsome meal. Earthworms have hundreds of species and all are considered safe for human consumption.
How to: Purify your worms of dirt by sticking them in a container of damp grass. Cook them (frying recommended) before you gorge. What do they taste like? Jerky. Yes, believe it or not.
Snails
A delicacy in France, but eating slugs is not considered much better than starving. Slugs and snails found on land are generally safe for consumption.
How to: Cook them thoroughly High nutritional value of about 90 calories per 100 grams, high in protein (12 to 16 per cent) and rich in minerals, its proper meat.
Cicadas
Cicadas roar out of their shells each summer. And are a choice food among animals. Look for newly hatched ones which will be softer and better to eat.
How to: Boiled for 4-5 minutes soon after collecting to solidify their insides and kill any bacteria and parasites they’re carrying. Remove the wings and legs and try frying them.
Ants
Small but hearty, in great quantities, Ants is a meal high on protein. A 3.5-ounce serving of red ants will give you 14 grams of protein, iron and calcium.
How to: Some ants have a lemonish flavour due to a sour acid in their bodies. Toast, boil, or even eat raw till you have better meat to survive.
Termites
The award for the most nutritious bugs on the list goes to termites. With a high calorie content of 6 per gram, the pale-coloured, ant-like termites are a great source of survival food.
How to: It’s hard to get hold of enough termites. But if you do, roast them in a pan, boil as a stew, or bake into dough for a protein-rich boost.
Crickets
Crickets are a great source of protein used extensively in daily diets around the world. Crickets, katydids, and grasshoppers are generally safe to eat. Avoid the colourful species.
How to: Remove the heads and small legs. Cook the bugs thoroughly to remove parasites. Yield nearabout 4 to 5 calories per gram, crickets are flavourless to fatty.
