People who are hesitant to try insect-based foods may enjoy the experience more than they expect—and can become more open to expanding their diets in the future, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, Psychology, and Economics, examined how consumers respond emotionally and physically to insect-based foods, which are increasingly being explored as a sustainable alternative to traditional animal protein sources. For example, the European Union officially recognized insects as a novel food source in 2018 and has approved several insect food sources since then. The lineup includes yellow mealworms, migratory locusts, house crickets and lesser mealworms sold frozen, dried or even powdered.

Lead author Andreia C. B. Ferreira, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Beira Interior in Portugal, and her colleagues wanted to find out more about how consumers might respond to these new options. To do so, they combined traditional surveys with neuroscience tools that measured participants' brain activity and heart rate while they sampled insect food products.

The study involved 38 adults in Portugal between the ages of 18 and 55 who had never tried insect-based foods before. Participants first completed a survey about their awareness and opinions of insect-based products. They then sampled both an insect protein bar and a cereal bar while researchers recorded their physiological responses using electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG).

The researchers expected participants to have low awareness of insect-based foods, prefer the cereal bar and show stronger physiological reactions to the insect-based product. Instead, the findings revealed that people were often more curious and receptive than expected.