Mum Saves Hundreds Of Dollars By Giving Daughter Crickets For Protein

“We first tried cricket cheese puffs, which were far less salty and have a fibrous finish… my daughter devoured them with delight!”

Food blogger mum Tiffany says that when her daughter was born she wanted to ensure she was exposed to a variety of different foods just like she was. Growing up it wasn’t uncommon for the mum to snack on crickets and ants instead of chips and chocolates. “I’ve tasted everything from fried tarantula legs to scorpion on a stick,” she says. 

Tiffany decided to add protein into her 18-month-old daughter’s diet but soon discovered how expensive those options were. So instead of going down the traditional route of pork and chicken, she decided to try crickets instead.

“We first tried cricket cheese puffs,” she told Insider. “My baby devoured them with delight and didn’t notice the slight textural difference.”

That’s when she thought the baby was ready for the real deal- whole roasted crickets which contain roughly 65 per cent protein, with some species providing all nine essential amino acids. “Without hesitation, she took a bite – but promptly chucked the rest onto the floor,” she explained. So the mum began disguising them in various foods like pasta sauce and Mac and cheese.  “She took a big bite and clamoured for more,” mum says.

I feed my daughter crickets for protein — it saves hundreds on grocery bills https://t.co/a7B2LCBuN0 pic.twitter.com/rBFMWdS3CI

— New York Post (@nypost) April 25, 2023

Mum Saves Hundreds Of Dollars By Giving Daughter Crickets For Protein

Apart from the health benefits, Tiffany says she’s saved a lot of money since swapping out crickets for protein. “I’ve managed to cut my bill down to about $150 to $200 a week,” she states.

Tiffany doesn’t plan on stopping at crickets though. In fact she wants to introduce a variety of bugs to her daughter’s diet. “I have plans to incorporate more edible insects into our meals, such as ants, grasshoppers, and worms,” she said.

And while everyone has a right to feed their children whatever they choose, it seems crickets were less than desireable with commenters on Twitter. Some thought it was just plain cruel to deprive a child of food and replace it with bugs.

“Poor baby,” one person wrote. 

“She is just being provocative for attention!” added another.

“So sad for the baby, this is just mean,” wrote one person.

What do you think? Is it reasonable to give your kids cricket protein instead of meat?

Images: Twitter and Instagram