Why Do We Prefer Eating Aquarium Creatures Over Insects?
When considering why we do not eat insects for protein, it's crucial to understand the cultural, psychological, and evolutionary factors influencing our dietary choices. While insects can be a nutritious and sustainable source of protein, many people are averse to consuming them. This article explores the reasons why we prefer eating aquatic creatures over insects.
Culture and Psychological Factors
People often avoid insects due to cultural and psychological factors. The idea of creeps and crawls sliding down their throat is not palatable to many. According to a survey, a significant percentage of individuals rank insects among their least favorite food items. This aversion is often reinforced by upbringing and media representations that perpetuate the idea of exotic or unconventional foods as discomforting and unappealing.
Disgust and Aversion
Many insects, especially those that feed on waste or decaying matter, evoke a strong sense of disgust. For example, roaches that have fed on toilet waste or filth from kitchens are generally avoided. However, certain cultures do consume insects, sometimes even parts of the insect, such as the brain, head, eyes, stomach, and anus. Despite this, this practice is not common in Western cultures, where the primary concern is the innate disgust associated with feeding on such organisms.
Evolutionary and Dietary Preferences
Our species has a natural inclination towards consuming aquatic animals. This preference is rooted in our evolutionary history as aquatic apes. Our ancestors found refuge in rivers, swamps, lakes, and seas, avoiding large predators like lions, hyenas, and tigers. Over time, our diet evolved to include seafood such as fish, mussels, shrimps, and shellfish. This dietary shift is reflected in the prominence of aquatic crops, such as rice, in various regions of the world.
The availability and ease of catching aquatic creatures also played a significant role in the development of our dietary habits. Access to fish, mussels, and shrimps provided a reliable food source that required minimal effort compared to hunting smaller land animals. Furthermore, aquatic habitats provided a safer environment, as dangerous predators like crocodiles were avoided until humans developed methods to trap and consume them.
Limited Availability and Nutritional Challenges
Another reason why we do not commonly eat insects is the limited availability of certain insect species in large quantities. Many insect species, particularly larvae, are found in smaller numbers, making them an inefficient source of nutrition for entire human populations. Even if one tries to grow or attract insects using rotten food, the calories obtained from such insects would often be less than the energy expended in catching them.
For instance, an anteater consumes around 30,000 ants per day. Given human size and appetite, the notion of eating 100,000 ants daily would be overwhelmingly challenging and impractical. This factor, combined with the logistical and nutritional challenges of consuming insects, underscores why aquatic animals remain a more practical and palatable dietary choice for many individuals.
Overall, the preference for eating aquatic creatures over insects is a complex interplay of cultural, psychological, and evolutionary factors. While insects can be a valuable protein source, overcoming the aversion to eating them requires addressing these deeply ingrained preferences and understanding the history and logic behind our dietary choices.