Why do we eat mealworms? How safe are they?

1. Why eat mealworms?

• This might be the first question you’re asking yourself. If it’s the case don’t worry you’re not the only one, we met thousands of people and this question came often. 
• We are more and more aware of food’s impact on our health and on the planet. Our current habits and consumptions patterns are not sustainable; whether on a small or large scale. 
• That’s where our mealworms come as a solution! But, let’s be honest, we eat them because we love to. More than sustainable and nutritious, we find them delicious. The question would rather be: Why not eat insects?

2. What do mealworms taste like?

• It will depend on how you prepare them. Simply roasted in a pan or baked in the oven and they will have a mild and pleasant nutty aroma. We hear often from you that they taste like sunflower seeds, peanuts or pumpkin seeds. Try and give us your feedback; we would love to hear your impression.

3. Are there any other interesting nutrients in mealworms? What is the nutritional composition?

• On the fresh matter, mealworms contain between 20 and 22 grams of complete protein per 100grams. That’s approximately the same amount than in other high-protein food such as beans, meat or fish. They also contain essential fatty acids. But that’s not all, some of the most notable nutrients in mealworms include:
• Fiber- not usually found in meats, making mealworms special!
• Vitamin B12- a nutrient mostly only found in meat.
• Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)- which is important for many bodily processes.
• Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5)- A nutrient known for hair and skin health.
• And of course Protein!
• Our MicroFoods™ are roasted mealworms, all the water content has been sucked out. There, they are a real pure concentrate of proteins, vitamins, and minerals!

4. Can there be any allergies or diseases from mealworms?

• Insects are arthropods just as shellfishes and dust mites; therefore they can share some common allergens and a cross-allergy can occur. The topic of insects and allergies still need further researches, but as a precaution principle, we recommend that people who are allergic to shellfishes and dust mites should not eat insects. For more information; please read our blog post about allergies.
• The only dust allergies that have been reported to come from mealworms were from people doing heavy and open sieving of mealworms to separate them from their frass and thereby getting in touch with a lot of the dirt and fine excrements. This is not the case when harvesting with the Hive, as you can close the top lid and the dirt lands on the harvest plate. Anatomically, mealworms are very different from humans, it is very unlikely that there are any diseases transmitted - unlike other livestock like pigs which are closely related to us and therefore can transmit their diseases easier. You are in charge of growing your mealworms healthily and to feed them responsibly. Livin farms does not take any responsibility or liability for the consumed harvest and neither for allergies.