October 14th is National Chocolate Covered Insects Day

If you're looking for something to do today then I hope you don't have a weak stomach because it's National Chocolate Covered Insects Day!

Come on... you can do it!

Let's get right into celebrating National Chocolate Covered Insects Day!

Why is this a holiday?

Honestly, I really have no idea... Maybe it's because people like to be brave and munch on these hard-shelled sources of protein in front of their friends. Maybe people like to trick their friends into eating them. Or maybe people just need to realize that eating an insect isn't that bad at all, when it's covered in chocolate. But either way, this little treat often pops up into the minds of many and today is the day to do more than just think about it... it's time to eat some!

Did you know that there is an actual word for eating insects? It's called entomophagy and people are eating these little babies all over the world! In fact, only 20% of the world's nations opt out of this culinary act. There are over 1,000 different types of insects that end up in human stomachs, but crickets and grasshoppers might be the first insects that pop into your mind. Beetles, mealworms and caterpillars get eaten too though.

But why do people do it? Well, other than it being an interesting thing to eat, you can get a good source of protein, vitamins, minerals and fat out of eating insects. Want some calcium? Then pop some crickets in your mouth! Need some protein? Opt for some ants! Feeling a little low on iron? Swallow some termites! And you know, you might be able to skip that multivitamin if you can get your hands on a bunch of giant silkworm moth larvae.

So who's with me?

So, how can you celebrate?

Well, if you're lucky, you might have street vendors serving up chocolate-covered insects on the regular. And you might be able to find them in chocolate shops or novelty shops near you. So really, you just have to hunt a little bit if you want to find them locally. But of course, you can always find them online!

There is another way for you to get your treats though... catch them yourself! But if you're going to catch them yourself, then I recommend you look for your insects far away from any fields of crops or someone's garden. People use pesticides and herbicides and you don't want insects full of that crap! So make sure you're in a nice, natural area with no farming or gardening going on and make sure you know what type of insects are actually safe to eat. Then you just want to cook them up, cover them in chocolate and enjoy!

But come on... you have to have a little fun with them, don't you? How many people do you think you could trick into eating them and then get them to admit that it was good? Now how many of them do you think will try to hit you or chase after you when you tell them they just ate an insect? Yeah, you might just want to share them with others who actually want to find out what it's like to eat a chocolate covered insect!

Have a great day and enjoy your crunchables!