Crickets. Yum. They're Good for You.

You are probably aware that eating crickets is the new thing. True, crickets are still a novel food in America, but then, it wasn't too long ago that most of us hadn't really heard about kale. But two billion people across the globe eat insects. Would you?

I've spent a fair amount of time lately eating insects. Not because I'm truly entomophogous (you might more accurately call me a bug-eating-near-vegan), but because eating insects helps me make an important point about teaching kids to eat new foods.

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It's good for you.

Crickets, like many insects, are a terrific source of protein. In fact, they offer many of the same benefits as traditional sources of animal protein. Crickets contain essential amino acids, B vitamins, minerals and essentially fatty acids.

Have I convinced you yet? No? (Don't you want to grow up to be big and strong?)

What if I told you that crickets can make you, um, regular?

A new study shows that crickets are a good source of insoluble fiber. Like All-Bran cereal. Insoluble fiber has been associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer, diverticular disease, heart disease.

Ready to dig in?

Yum. They're good.

When prepared correctly crickets can be delicious. Cricket fiber, called chitin, comes from the exoskeleton or shell. That makes crickets crunchy. Think chips. You like those, don't you?

Not your idea of snack? Well, cricket powder can be added to your favorite smoothie. You won't even know it's there!

Just taste it, and if you don't like it you don't have to eat it.

Recently, during a training with a group of adults, I passed around a plate of edible insects and asked people to taste them. Most people begged off, and nothing I could say would change their minds.

Even watching those few colleagues and friends taste the bugs did nothing. (OK, one guy copped to taking a bite out of peer pressure, but he was the first to go and later said he wouldn't have taken the plunge if he had known others weren't going to too.)

And lately, I've taken to asking journalists on TV to "just taste it..." Most report being "too full."

So what's the takeaway?

Tasting crickets is hard and it takes tremendous courage. You know what's easier? Looking at crickets. Listening to them snap between two fingers. Taking a sniff. It's called sensory education and it's the only proven method for reducing picky eating.

Every time you ask your kids to try something new, even if it's something you think is normal, common, easy to eat, imagine you're asking them to eat crickets.

And remember, with familiarity comes comfort. (It took me awhile to get used to eating these things too.)