Mealworms are nutritious insects that are high in protein
and fat. Mealworms and the darkling beetles are a great food source for Geckos,
Water Dragons, Bearded Dragons, Fish, Chickens, Birds and even people.
Mealworms can be eaten raw and alive, they can also be pan-fried, but
dry-roasting is often the tastiest and least recognizable way to eat them.
Dry Roasted Mealworms
Dry roasting is a good way to store excess mealworms. Dried
worms don’t take up much space and can last up to a year without being
refrigerated. Roasting removes the moisture from the insects while retaining
much of their protein and nutritional value.
Eating Dry Roasted Mealworms
Dry roasted mealworms can be salted or dipped in chocolate
and eaten as a snack, sprinkled on salads, and added to soup. They taste a lot
like peanuts. Since roasted worms are brittle, they can be ground and mixed
with flour when you bake muffins, pancakes, or bread. The different ways these
insects can be added to recipes is almost limitless.
How to Dry Roast mealworms
Place your live mealworms in a colander and toss and rinse
them under cool water. This is to remove any food and substrate from the worms.
Be sure to pick out any dead worms or pupae.
Pat the worms dry with paper towels, place them in a
container or plastic bag, and put them in the freezer for about fifteen
minutes. This will quickly kill the worms.
Spread the mealworms out evenly on a non stick cookie sheet.
If you are worried that the worms may stick, you can lightly grease the sheet.
Place the worms in an oven at 200 degrees and bake them for
one to two hours until they are dry and crispy. Some people do not like the
smell of baking worms and prefer to cook them outside on a gas grill set to a
low temperature.
Nutritional Values
These are the approximate values:
Live Mealworm Nutritional Values:
Protein: 20%
Fat: 13%
Fiber: 2%
Water: 62%
Dried Mealworm Nutritional Values:
Protein: 53%
Fat: 28%
Fiber: 6%
Water: 5%