The practice of entomophagy (en-toh-MOFF-uh-jee) or eating bugs is done in at least 113 countries. The species most commonly eaten were ants, termites and a species of mondo cricket. Surprisingly, or maybe not, insects are more nutritious than beef or pork. For example, crickets contain more than 1,550 milligrams of iron, 25 milligrams of zinc and 340 milligrams of calcium per 100 grams of dry tissue. So just 3 crickets would provide an individual’s daily iron requirement. Gram for gram crickets are more nutritious than beef. Most lipids in bugs are long-chain, unsaturated fats healthier than those found in livestock. Insects also contain a fairly high concentration of essential amino acids (lysine and tryptophan)- types that humans need but can’t make. Although I am not ready to make the switch to insects, if a situation arose where I had nothing to eat I think I could bring myself to biting into a crunchy cricket. Terry Pfau DO, HMD