Could creepy-crawlies become part of the British diet?

However recent research published by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation suggests that bugs may be about to scuttle out of reality shows and into the Western diet.

According to the UN, insects are plentiful and rich sources of protein and a sustainable alternative to meat, especially as the rapidly expanding global population places such strain on farming, agriculture and over-fished oceans.

The report says wasps, beetles and other insects are underutilized food for people and livestock. It also points out that insects are already eaten by much of the world’s population and that the food industry in countries such as the UK could help to raise the status of insects as a food by including them in new recipes and adding bugs to restaurant menus.

Experts agree there are a variety of reasons for eating bugs. Nutritional therapist Sally Wisbey says: “Insects have lots of different health properties, for instance mealworms are high in protein. They can help stabilise blood sugars so are good for weight loss and maintaining a healthy diet. Crickets are low in calories but witchetty grubs, which are full of minerals such as magnesium, calcium and iron, are high in fat.”

Protein-rich grasshoppers are great for muscle gain but Sally says: “Caterpillars are the healthiest insect and an excellent choice for those seeking to lose weight since they are high in protein, low in calories and high in minerals, iron and B vitamins which improve our brain functions and help reduce cholesterol.”

So where can the fearless British gourmand find these new ingredients? A variety of online suppliers such as bugsdirectuk.com and edibleunique.com sell adventurous treats such as worm lollipops, toasted silkworm pupae and chocolate-covered ant wafers.

It also seems that a few brave eateries are already embracing the culture of eating insects, known as entomophagy.

The Mexican restaurant Wahaca recently added a dish of fried crickets and cheese to the menu. Meanwhile a spokesman for alternative London restaurant Archipelago says its love bug salad, a mixture of pan-fried locusts and crickets in a chilli and garlic marinade, is popular with diners.

Yet when it comes to fully integrating insects into our culinary lives, the restaurant’s head chef Daniel Creedon says we won’t be buying bags of crickets off supermarket shelves.

Instead he predicts scientists will extract the necessary protein from bugs and sell it as an anonymous-looking substitute for meat, or vegetable proteins such as soya.

Indeed the UN’s report does admit there is a major barrier to seeing insects go mainstream – consumer disgust.

So for now we’re still likely to see an insect as a pest rather than an appetising snack.