Mealworm larvae contain levels of potassium, copper, sodium, selenium, iron and zinc that rival that of beef. Mealworms contain essential linoleic acids as well. They also have greater vitamin content by weight compared to beef.

If you give a mealworm a cookie, he’s going to ask for a glass of milk.

Baked or fried mealworms have been marketed as a healthy snack food in recent history, though the consumption of mealworms goes back centuries. Unlike meat, insects are ingested whole (even when ground as flour). That means you’re eating nutrient-rich exoskeletons and organs along with protein-packed muscle. Eating insects is good for the environment too. Insects require less feed, less space and a fraction of the water used to raise beef cattle.