Angelina Jolie & Her Kids Eat Insects. That’s Not A Bad Idea

Share

Curious about Angelina Jolie’s snack preferences? We now know bugs are on the list.

(Yep, you read that right.) In a segment that aired on BBC News this week, the Oscar-winning actressΒ and her children noshed onΒ tarantulas and scorpions while they were in Cambodia to promote her passion projectΒ First They Killed My Father.

β€œSee the hard part where you have the teeth?” Jolie asked her 8-year-old twins, Knox and Vivienne, as she showed them how to prepΒ the spiders for the skillet.Β β€œTake the fangs out.”

It’s clearΒ the 41-year-old mom ofΒ sixΒ is no strangerΒ to eating bugs:Β β€œI first had them when I was first in country,” she says. β€œCrickets, you start with crickets. Crickets and a beer and then you kind of move up to tarantulas.” (Apparently her children were big fans of the starter bugs too:Β β€œThey can eat a bag of crickets like a bag of chips,” Jolie saidΒ in an interview on Good Morning America Tuesday.)

While munching on insectsΒ may not be the most appetizing idea, the crunchy critters can be quite nutritious. A study published last year in theΒ Journal of Agriculture and Food ChemistryΒ found thatΒ insects can provide as much magnesium, iron, and other nutrients as steak.

The researchers reported that when compared to beef, crickets actually had higher iron solubility (the property that allows a mineral to be used by the body). And grasshoppers, mealworms, and crickets all had higher concentrations of chemically available magnesium, calcium, copper, and zincΒ than the sirloin.

Β 

RELATED: 17 High-Protein Snacks You Can Eat on the Go

According to nutritionist Vandana Sheth, RD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, bugs can be a healthy addition to your diet.Β β€œIn general, insects can be high in protein (about 60 to 70%), low in carbohydrates, and provide vitamins, minerals, and fat,” she wrote in an email to Health.

But that said,Β there are more than a thousandΒ species of edible bugs, and not all of them are superfoods. β€œBecause of the wide variety of edible insect species, their nutritional value is highly variable,” ShethΒ explained. What’s more, she added, some bugsΒ come into contact with pesticides andΒ other chemicals, so it’s important to purchase themΒ from reliable sources.

If you’re interested in the nutritional benefitsΒ of bugsΒ but aren’t quite ready to swallow a spider, consider trying a productΒ made from insect flour,Β like cricket chips or cricket protein bars, suggests Sheth. As a judge in our cricket-flour taste test put it, when you compare ground up crickets to what’s in a hot dog, theyΒ don’t seem so bad.

Source: Health.com

For more information, feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900

By Dr. Alex Jimenez

El Paso Chiropractor and Back Specialist

Β  Β  Β  Β  Β Call Today!
Post Disclaimer

Professional Scope of Practice *

The information herein on "Angelina Jolie & Her Kids Eat Insects. That's Not A Bad Idea" is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.

Blog Information & Scope Discussions

Our information scope is limited to Chiropractic, musculoskeletal, acupuncture, physical medicines, wellness, contributing etiological viscerosomatic disturbances within clinical presentations, associated somatovisceral reflex clinical dynamics, subluxation complexes, sensitive health issues, and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions.

We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.*

Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, or contact us at 915-850-0900.

We are here to help you and your family.

Blessings

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN*, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) in Texas & New Mexico*
Texas DC License # TX5807, New Mexico DC License # NM-DC2182

Licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN*) in Florida
Florida License RN License # RN9617241 (Control No. 3558029)
Compact Status: Multi-State License: Authorized to Practice in 40 States*

Presently Matriculated: ICHS: MSN* FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner Program)

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN* CIFM*, IFMCP*, ATN*, CCST
My Digital Business Card

Recent Posts

Overcoming Exercise Fears: Tips for Starting Your Fitness Journey

"For individuals who want to exercise but have fears or concerns, can understanding what they… Read More

March 28, 2024

Relieve Back and Hip Pain with a Pillow Between the Legs

For individuals with back pain, can sleeping with a pillow between or under their knees… Read More

March 27, 2024

Unlock the Power of Peppermint: Natural Relief for Digestive Issues

For individuals dealing with digestive issues or bowel disorders, can adding peppermint to a nutrition… Read More

March 26, 2024

Eczema Relief: Exploring the Benefits of Acupuncture

For individuals dealing with eczema, can incorporating acupuncture into a treatment plan help manage and… Read More

March 25, 2024

Recognizing Whiplash: Signs and Symptoms Explained

Those experiencing neck pain, stiffness, headache, shoulder and back pain may suffer from a whiplash… Read More

March 22, 2024

The Health Benefits of Nopal: A Nutritious and Versatile Vegetable

Can incorporating nopal or prickly pear cactus into one's diet help individuals trying to lower… Read More

March 21, 2024