Weird question: Would you eat/feed your child insects?

[AddiJames]

Sorry if this is out of place. I still mostly use this site to find answers to questions that other people have asked, but I haven't seen anything on this.

Before we met, DH lived for several years in Thailand and thinks it's weird that we're so weird about eating insects (we're both from the UK). The more I think about it, the more I think "yeah, it is weird that we're weird about it" because we're ok with eating things like prawns, which kind of look like insects. I guess if they're farmed properly then there's no issue with them. But I still can't stop thinking it's gross.

It's learned behaviour, I know, so I've been thinking about introducing (properly sourced and farmed) insects to our little one's diet when he's old enough. I just want my children to have the opportunity to have as wide a variety of options as possible. We've already been doing this with vegetables we don't like.

Would this be weird? Would you eat insects and if not why not?

How old is your dc at the moment?

Three and a half

eating insects is the future, and many people already do it without realising, cochinneal, in food and make up

No I wouldn't.

Yes, can’t see the difference between a locust and a prawn, tbh.

Nope! I'd rather feed them plant based.

have they never eaten a red sweet?

A quick Google indicates that cochineal hasn't been used as a good additive in the EU since 2019 as it is banned

I would and have, but I am a nose to tail type eater and not squeamish about any animal part really, I’ve eaten just about every part of a sheep for example, including cheek and tongue.

*food

Not unless there is more regulation of the supply, but if they sorted that out then yes. Also one of my children is allergic to cochineal and there is a family history of crustacean allergies so I am a bit wary, but if it was correctly labelled as an ingredient then it wouldn't be an issue.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235236461930046X

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6613697/

The only time I would consider eating an insect is if I were stranded in the wilderness and had no other food. I think it's the legs that put me off. I should say, I also don't like eating prawns, crab etc for this reason.

I don't tend to feed them stuff like that no. Whether they have or not occasionally in their life, I wouldn't like to say. But regardless, it doesn't mean I'm going to feed them insects as part of their overall diet. Because I'm not going to.

I have sometimes thought about this, and feel exactly like you do about it @AddiJames. As you say, it is learned behaviour, but that doesn't make the idea of eating insects any less appealing to me.

If I had a partner who had actually grown up in a culture where it is normal, I think I would allow them to give them to the child, but I'm not sure my acceptance would stretch as far as being happy for a partner who only "lived for several years" somewhere where this was the norm to do it.
I can see that is illogical, especially as I do eat meat, but hey ho. Mind you, I've never wanted to eat seafood either. Standard, normal-looking fish, yes, but nothing slimy or creepy-crawly looking!

maybe not, but it will become a normal source of animal protein within the next few decades. It is the only long term sustainable source.

It depends how you do it. I wouldn’t go into the garden and just pick some up, no. If you went to a restaurant that cooked and maintained them properly, then fine.

I'm aware I'm a hypocrite, but no, I couldn't.

If it was hidden as protein in something then sure. But I wouldn't be eating a grub in its usual form.

Nope.

But if you eat other creatures, I don’t see the difference.

No, I don't eat anything that was alive, it's unnecessary.

I eat insects. A larger percentage of the world's population does eat insects, so in the grand scale of the whole world, it's actually weirder not to!

It's starting to become a bit more common here, and there are British companies (such as Eat Grub) that supply edible insects.

Well you hope it will. Whether that actually comes to fruition, well only time will tell. Trying to force this on people doesn't mean it will actually happen. It depends on politics, who gets voted in, what protests take place. We can see push back already across the world.

its supply and demand, it people want animal protein, this will be the biggest source, other animal protein will still be available but in tiny amounts and at 10x the cost. It isn't anything to do with politics, it is just what is and is not possible.

How would you obtain and cook them? The only insects I’ve tried in the uk have been dry, crispy and very unpleasant. Similar to accidentally eating a bit of prawn shell.

Well I've inadvertently swallowed flies, and eaten the odd greenfly, but it wouldn't be a natural choice, although deep fried, ground up crispy insect would probably be okay on toast with peanut butter.

Well I'm sure people like your good self will be purchasing the insects for your dinner. But judging on the push back across the world when it comes to governments trying to reduce farming, I can't see the insect model becoming the most popular food source for humans any time soon. (Ever) And it is very much political. Even if you can't see that.