Vegetarian – Vegan – Ovo-lacto – Pescatarian – Entotarian?
Yup, its time to add another one, but just what is an entotarian?
Entotarianism – Abstaining from the consumption of animal flesh with the exception of insects and arachnids.
Entotarians can generally be considered vegetarians that choose to incorporate edible insects into their diet. This decision can be for social, health, religious, emotional, or environmental reasons. Adoption of entotarianism incorporates especially well with existing pescetarian (vegetarians that eat seafood) diets as insects are closely related Arthropod to shellfish like shrimp and lobster. Edible insects were even branded at one time as “land shrimp.”
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Why would a vegetarian consider conversion? That of course depends on your reasons for choosing a low or no animal diet in the first place. Having discussed entomophagy with several Hindu friends, those abstaining from meat for spiritual reasons consider insect lives to be equivalent to all others and therefore not an acceptable source of food. However, those driven by health and environmental motives may be well served by an entotarian lifestyle because edible insects are loaded with protein, vitamins and trace minerals while being an incredibly efficient to produce. Once more, insects and arachnids are so distantly related to humans, that the possibility of transmitting diseases, like Mad Cow, are extremely unlikely. Similarly, many pescetarians explain their choice with “you cant hug a fish;” they do not want to eat cute critters with which are much easier to empathize. Insects, however, are general not considered cute and cuddly and are thus fit for the dinner plate.
Bottom Line: Insects are a healthy, protein packed, sustainable and delicious food that we’re only beginning to explore in the West.
If your vegetarian of vegan diet is lacking,would you consider becoming an entotarian.
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