In a controversial move, food writer Tiffany Leigh has decided to feed her 18–month–old baby cricket products and plans to introduce other creatures such as worms, ants, and grasshoppers in the future. This has sparked debate from both sides of the political spectrum, as some argue that this is an irresponsible decision, while others argue that it is a practical way to save money.
Leigh argues that her decision to add crickets into her baby‘s meals was motivated by practicality. “I wanted to cut down on our family‘s grocery bill,” Leigh said. She claims that she has managed to cut down the family‘s weekly grocery bill from $250 to $300 to about $150 to $200 due to supplementing traditionally expensive proteins like beef, chicken, and pork with cricket products.
However, some argue that this decision is irresponsible and dangerous. Republican Senator John Smith said, “We should not be encouraging parents to give their children something like crickets, which could be unsafe. This is a situation that could easily get out of hand and endanger the health of our children.”
“In the future, I have plans to incorporate more edible insects into our meals, such as ants, grasshoppers, and worms, which Kalami said are a fantastic source of protein and other key nutrients that babies need, such as iron and zinc,” Leigh wrote.
Others argue that there are more nutritious ways to share edible insects with babies. Pediatric dietician and nutritionist Venus Kalami said that “many insects are packed with key nutrients like high–quality protein, essential fatty acids, minerals like iron (some have more than beef) and zinc, vital B vitamins, and more.”
Leigh claims that she has had success with cricket puff snacks, as her baby enjoyed them. She plans to incorporate more edible insects into her baby’s meals in the future, such as ants, grasshoppers, and worms.
Cricket Powder is a thing. Google it. She's not wrong. Not what I would do, but there's no harm in it. More toxins these days in baby food. Let em eat the bugs.
— NameCantBeBlank (@MamaFrenchiest) April 25, 2023
