(05-29) 16:09 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- Eating a bug might not be just a part of the Truth or Dare game anymore - not if people in the United States and other western countries take a new United Nations report to heart.

The report, out this month, argues that insects are a healthy, cheap, sustainable alternative to poultry, meat and fish, and if more Westerners were willing to eat them, it could alleviate many of the world's environmental and nutritional problems.

Not convinced? It turns out that Americans have been eating bugs all along, or at least bits of them. Insect parts, rodent hairs, larvae and other unappetizing - but not harmful - things can be found in both grown and processed foods we eat daily, because it's nearly impossible to remove all of them without using large amounts of harsh chemicals. As a result, the FDA has set thresholds for "unavoidable defects" in many of our everyday foods. The agency points out that the bits and pieces in most foods fall well below these legal cutoffs.

Here are the numbers:

Photo: Hoang Dinh Nam, AFP/Getty Images

60

The number of "insect fragments" the FDA allows per 100 grams of chocolate, which equates to a little more than two Hershey's bars.

30

The number of insect fragments allowed in 100 grams - about 6 tablespoons - of peanut butter.

5

The number of fly eggs allowed per 250 milliliters - a little over 1 cup - of orange juice.

28 grams

The amount of protein in 100 grams of caterpillar, or in one chicken breast. (For comparison, 100 grams is about 10 gummy worms.)

2 billion

The number of people around the world who include insects in their diet, according to the U.N. report.

- Kathryn Roethel