Airplane legroom is already a controversial subject, and passengers may soon have to deal with even more legs: JetBlue announced last week that they'll be partnering with AccelFoods to bring us a new crop of in-flight snacks — some of which may include crickets as ingredients.
While the official options haven't been announced yet, AccelFoods has already partnered with a few startup brands that seem to contain all manner of natural superfoods. Among them is Exo, a New York-based brand that uses cricket flour (yep, flour made from roasted crickets) in its protein bars.
Other food startups have called insects "the most sustainable form of protein." Although they only have about half the protein per 100 grams that's found in beef or chicken, they can be farmed using less land and fewer resources than traditional livestock. For many of us in the States, there's still a certain gross-out factor associated with eating insects. But, they are popular in other parts of the world, such as Asia, South America, and Africa. And, it seems like we may start seeing more and more of them. For instance, last year, tacos made with grasshoppers — long consumed in Mexico — emerged at several popular U.S. restaurants.
But, in Exo bars, the crickets are blended in (each bar contains flour made from about 40 crickets). The only thing giving away the bars' secret ingredient is its packaging. So, maybe it's time we gave the little guys a chance?