Revealed: Caterpillars have double the protein of chicken and beef
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Entomophagy, the diet of eating critters, is something that has been around for a while, yet many of us still seem hesitant to try this delicacy. But what is the nutritional value of creepy crawlies?
To find out, Betway has analysed the nutritional value of 15 different bugs and insects to reveal which are packed full of protein and the ones that are the ‘best’ for the celebs to be eating.
The top 10 most protein-packed bugs and insects
| Rank | Bug/ Insect | Protein per 100g |
| 1 | Caterpillars | 53 |
| 2 | Winged Termite (raw) | 21 |
| =3 | Mealworms | 20 |
| =3 | Giant Water Beetle | 20 |
| =3 | House Fly | 20 |
| 4 | Tenebrionidae mealworm (Larvae) | 19 |
| =5 | Grasshopper | 17 |
| =5 | Dung Beetle | 17 |
| =5 | Mopane worms | 17 |
| 6 | Termite | 14 |
Caterpillars have over double the protein amount than chicken and beef new study reveals
Betway has analysed the nutritional value of 15 different bugs and insects to find out which are packed full of protein and could be your next go-to dish
I’m A Celeb is back on our screens and with the much-loved eating trials already taking place, we’ve conducted a study to find out the nutritional benefits of eating creepy crawlies.
100g of caterpillars has over double the amount of protein compared to chicken and beef
Entomophagy, the diet of eating critters, is something that has been around for a while, yet many of us still seem hesitant to try this delicacy. But did you know some of these bugs and insects pack a greater health punch than our everyday foods such as chicken and beef.
The top 10 most protein-packed bugs and insects include:
| Bug / Insect | Protein per 100g |
| Caterpillars | 53 |
| Winged Termite (raw) | 21 |
| Mealworms | 20 |
| Giant Water Beetle | 20 |
| House Fly | 20 |
| Tenebrionidae mealworm (Larvae) | 19 |
| Grasshopper | 17 |
| Dung Beetle | 17 |
| Mopane worms | 17 |
| Termite | 14 |
Caterpillars rank as the most protein-packed insect with an impressive 53g per 100g serving, well above any other insect analysed. In addition, our analysis reveals 100g of this insect has more protein than 100g of beef or chicken which have 26g and 31g respectively.
Termites, mealworms and the Giant Water Beetle come in after Caterpillars as the next most protein filled insect options to consider adding to your plate, all having more protein than 100g of raw cod (18g/100g) and salmon (17g/100g).
The top 5 bugs and insects with the lowest fat content
| Bug / Insect | Fat per 100g |
| June Beetle | 1.4 |
| House Fly | 1.9 |
| Red Ant | 3.5 |
| Dung Beetle | 4.3 |
| Morpane worms | 4.4 |
The June Beetle and House Fly have the lowest fat content of all bugs and insects both coming under 2g per 100g. Whilst raw cod ranks slightly lower at just 1g of fat per 100g, these two insects beat the fat content in chicken and beef which have 2.6g and 17g respectively.
