Exo makes a variety of snacks, including protein bars, whole roasted crickets and Paleo protein bites. Use our code SASSY10 at checkout to save some $$$!
A couple of month ago, Paul and I were driving down to the LA Fit Expo and we were imagining all the different types of vendors we thought might attend the show. I can’t even remember how it came up, but Paul brought up the topic of edible crickets. You heard me right…edible crickets! I’m not always the most adventurous food connoisseur and I went into a monologue about how gross it was to eat bugs.
Paul, always the pragmatist, assured me that crickets were a very sustainable source of protein and good for the environment. He went on to say that they are in fact a delicacy and that I shouldn’t judge a bug by it’s thorax.
As we walked into the Expo hall at the LA Convention Center, we were overwhelmed with crowds of people, thumping music and TONS of vendors. As we started to walk around and get our feel for what was going on, who did we run into…EXO Protein. You guessed it…they make snacks from cricket powder! I was hesitant to give it a try, but hey, when in Rome right?
I started sampling their protein bar in the Peanut Butter & Jelly flavor. I was pleasantly surprised! It tasted nothing like bugs! The next bar I tried was banana bread and it was delicious. They had other flavors too, such as cocoa nut and blueberry vanilla.
We struck up a conversation with one of the owners of Exo and he explained how crickets are widely consumed globally as a complete protein source that uses minimal resources. In fact, according to Exo’s research, crickets produce 1% of the greenhouse gases that cows produce. In addition, crickets contain all the essential amino acids and over twice as much iron as spinach. If 2 billion people on this planet eat insects on a daily basis (according to a study in 2013 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) [1] we thought it was worth giving them a try!
Before we left the booth, Paul asked if I was ready to try Exo’s Whole Roasted Crickets sample. Even after eating the delicious bars and enjoying learning about crickets as a complete protein source, I will admit, I was more than a little apprehensive. But I took a sample of the Sriacha flavored delicacy and went all in. And…they weren’t too bad. Crunchy and satisfying!
You might be thinking there is no way in hell you would ever eat anything made from crickets, but if you are willing to put aside any prior misconceptions about bugs (like I did!) and embrace your Bad Ass, Sassy side…give Exo protein bars or whole roasted crickets a try!
Paul and I were so impressed with this company and their outlook on nutrition and sustainability, that we decided to partner with them in one of our few brand affiliations. That said, you get the benefit of saving some money if you want to try them out. Use code SASSY10 at checkout (https://exoprotein.com/pages/shop) and then let us know what you think!
