Did you know that Mealworms are an excellent source of protein, not only for your pets but for you as well? Yes, I said it! There are several recipes out there for roasted mealworms or you could eat them live. No? Okay, I didn’t really think a whole lot of people were going to jump on that one. But, if I’ve piqued your interest, here is a list of animals that love mealworms, their nutritional values, and a recipe for roasted worms.

•  Omnivorous and Carnivorous Reptiles, like leopard geckos, skinks and monitors
•  Birds – Wild and domesticated, like Chickens and songbirds 
• Hedgehogs
• Rats and Gerbils
• Fish

Live Mealworm Nutritional Values
Protein: 20%
Fat: 13%
Fiber: 2%
Water: 62%

Dried Mealworm Nutritional Values
Protein: 53%
Fat: 28%
Fiber: 6%
Water: 5%

How to prepare roasted mealworms

1.     Rinse live mealworms with cool water to remove any debris or bedding.

2.     Pat worms dry and place clean worms into the freezer for 15 minutes. This will quickly kill them.

3.     Spread the mealworms onto a baking sheet and put into the oven.

4.     Bake your mealworms for approximately 1 hour or until crispy at 200 degrees depending on how many worms you are baking.

*If you do not like the smell of the mealworms as they are cooking you can use an outdoor grill to cook them.