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PICTURE OF THE WEEK: Bug Breakfast

What will you do this summer? Will you use bug spray and candles to keep the bugs away, or will you catch them for a fresh snack? Eating bugs may sound like an odd thing to do, but bugs are gaining popularity as meals--even in America!

Bugs like worms and beetles are common foods in many countries around the world. Perhaps even half of the Earth’s population munches on bugs. But Americans do not normally eat bugs as part of their everyday diet. You cannot find roasted ants in American theaters like you can in Africa.

But if you decide you want to try eating bugs, there are now insect eating classes you can take to learn how to do it properly! Or, if you join the Armed Forces, you can take the survival training that makes cricket and ants seem like five-star dining.

If you still can’t stomach the idea of edible insects, there are many flavorful cookbooks on the subject. To sweeten the deal, you’ve probably already eaten several pounds of bugs in your lifetime without knowing it. A human usually eats about one pound of bugs a year unknowingly. Sometimes they accidentally get mixed into our food at the factory. Fortunately, most bugs are perfectly safe to eat. They are also rich in protein and relatively inexpensive.

--Written by Katheryn Troyer

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