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Insect Protein Bars On The Rise With Psychology-Based Marketing

(CBS SF) -- Insect protein could be a cutting-edge source of nutrition. But if the insect protein movement wants to win hearts and minds, it has to start with taste buds.

The bugs are killed in the freezer, washed and baked in the oven. Then they're milled into cricket flour, which is said to have a toasty, nutty and earthy flavor.

Greg Sewitz is one of the co-founders of the Exo protein bars.

He says the key is to get people to at least try it. That's why the wrapper has no pictures of crickets.

WANT TO TRY THE BAR? https://www.exoprotein.com/

"We did a lot of research into the psychology of disgust," Sewitz said. "And obviously it's kind of intuitive that you wouldn't want to put a picture of something people find gross on a food package as you're about to ask them to eat it."

Pound for pound, crickets have about as much protein as beef.

And cricket farms are much more sustainable and environmentally friendly, taking up a fraction of the resources of traditional livestock farms.

Chapul was the first cricket protein bar on the market and the company says the U.S. is behind when it comes to eating bugs.

"There's over 64 other countries that eat insects as part of their diet," said Lindsay Lapaugh, a nutritionist at Chapul. "So people that have traveled around the world don't look at it any kind of weird way."

Dr. Majorie Freedman is a nutritionist at San Jose State. She says feeding a growing planet of 7 billion people is going to take new thinking.

"We need to move away from our traditional way of thinking about food, that the only way you can get protein is by having a hamburger," Freedman said.

The crickets are laregely being marketed to the Paleo, gluten-free crowd.

"Really all the psychological aversion they have just disappears as soon as it goes in their mouth and they realize it's just a protein bar," Sewitz said.

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