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Crickets are popular on menus in Thailand and other Asian countries and their calcium content makes them one of the more common insects eaten (or at least tried) in the West.

“Protein is a big part of their value nutritionally, but they also tend to be calorie- and lipid-rich and they are generally good sources of vitamins and minerals,” says May Berenbaum, the head of the Department of Entomology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “There are ecological and economic benefits, too. [In general] some insects can be raised on foods that aren’t consumed by humans and rearing insects tends to produce far fewer greenhouse gas emissions.”

Protein: 12.9 grams

Fat: 5.5 grams fat

Carbohydrates: 5.1 grams

While crickets contain some fat, some of that fat is of the healthier, unsaturated kind, and roasting the insects can keep the fat that you consume to a minimum. If you’re curious about how crickets compare to a similar sized serving of steak:

Steak, sirloin (100 grams)

Protein: 30.55 grams

Fat: 5.79 grams

Carbohydrates: 0

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