Actress Salma Hayek Films Herself Eating A Cricket, But Is Eating Insects A Good Idea?

Salma Hayek Eats A Cricket, But Is Munching Insects A Good Idea?
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Bizarre celebrity diets are nothing new, yet Salma Hayek has still managed to surprise the internet with her choice of food.

The Hollywood actress, 48, uploaded a video of herself eating a cricket on her Instagram page on Sunday.

"These are crickets from Mexico, from Oaxaca, and they are eaten," she told her 54,000 followers.

While many commenting on Instagram have called the video "disgusting", Hayek isn't the only celebrity chowing down on creepy crawlies.

Angelina Jolie has previously said her children love snacking on crickets and Shailene Woodley has hailed bugs as "the future for food".

"Entomophagy (eating insects) has been the norm in many countries for as long as anyone can remember," Jo Travers from of The London Nutritionist tells HuffPost UK Lifestyle.

"In Africa, Asia and Latin America, people routinely eat them raw or cooked."

Research suggest entomophagy has a range of health benefits, including staving off obesity, because insects are packed with protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins and essential minerals.

According to a 2013 report published by the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization, the most popular species of edible insects are, in descending order, beetles, caterpillars, bees, wasps, ants, grasshoppers, locusts and crickets.

Ryan Chetiyawardana, who's previously spoken in favour of entomophagy, told HuffPost UK Lifestyle that there are less ethical issues to consider when eating insects than there are when eating other meats.

He explained: "They produce a fraction of the greenhouse gases, they can be grown vertically in urban environments and slaughter is much more humane."

Will you be copying Salma Hayek and giving entomophagy a go? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @HuffPoLifestyle

Facts About Edible Insects
Chapulines fundido(01 of09)
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"Chapulines fundido is made with one of Mexico’s most sustainably farmed, yet unusual ingredients, grasshoppers.We take fried chapulines and cook them with softened shallots, garlic and smoky chipotle chillies to create a delicious salsa, which is served with queso fundido, a mixture of gratinated mozzarella and cheddar cheese, perfect for scooping up with corn tortillas."
Cheap lunch(02 of09)
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Insects are cheap: Cold blooded creatures don't need to be kept warm and are a really easy way of converting veg into protein. They are also really cheap to breed (credit:AP)
Nutritious (03 of09)
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adult locusts and grasshoppers have the same levels of protein to raw beef, comparably and they are packed with nutrients (credit:Getty Images)
Sustainable for the planet(04 of09)
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Insects don't fart as much as cows, uses less land and water to survive and can actually eat up food waste. (credit:Getty Images)
Make us less sick (05 of09)
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They aren't likely to make us ill through transmitting diseases .... no more BSE or bird flu, or salmonella. (credit:Getty Images)
Archipelago (06 of09)
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Dine on the exotic bugs of the east at ARCHIPELAGO Restaurantin London (W1T 5ED)
Try edibleunique.com for bugs delivered to your home(07 of09)
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These edible Yellow Scorpions, Mesobuthus martensii (Chinese armor tail scorpion) have been cooked and dried. The stingers are safe to eat
2001009(08 of09)
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757(09 of09)
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