# Is it safe to eat a worm? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 12, 2013, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-a-worm/660784 "2013-06-12T03:29:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-a-worm/660784/41 "2013-06-26T11:38:56Z")
> [@PatriotGrrrl](#): > > Here in NH, many convenience stores sell containers of worms. They’re usually kept in the beer cooler. Some have signs saying theirs are imported, though I don’t know what difference that makes. > > (They’re not meant for human consumption.) I’ve recently seen night crawlers for sale as fish bait that are treated with something to make them a fluorescent green color. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-a-worm/660784/42 "2013-06-26T12:13:51Z")
[Thread soundtrack!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDQHjYIojTs) Some great recipes in there too! ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-a-worm/660784/43 "2013-06-26T13:21:47Z")
> [@AngelSoft](#): > > Grasshoppers clearly weren’t possible so she just made a grasshopper pie, but the worms and squid weren’t so lucky. Fried grasshoppers and similar insects are among the offerings of one of the most exotic stores in Barcelona’s public markets (I think it’s in La Boquería). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-a-worm/660784/44 "2013-06-26T14:35:59Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Wrong kind of calories. In nutritional speak, a worm’s less than a single nutritional Calorie. 0.07, by those calculations. Diet food! 😃 > > (70 Calories is a small apple, or a couple of slices of American cheese.) Am I missing something, or is that article written incorrectly? Note: “\* 1 Calorie (capital C) used in nutrition = 1,000 Kcalories (Kcal)” and “.07 Cal/worm X 1,000 Kcal/Cal = 70 Kcal/worm.” A kilocalorie is one nutritional calorie, isn’t it, not 1000 kilocalories, as stated? 70 Kcals/worm would mean 70 nutritional calories. Plus, up top it says: “Cynthia’s educated estimate for an average worm having a dry weight of 33 mg is 0.7 nutritional calories.” Then it’s written: “Oops! Only 60% of the worm is protein. So, .124 X.60 = .07 Cal / worm.” WTF? We have .07 Cal/worm, .7 Cal/worm, and 70 Kcals per worm all in the same article. Am I misunderstanding something, or is that a complete mess of math and science? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-a-worm/660784/45 "2013-06-26T14:41:05Z")
Just so it’s easy, the link is [here](http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/robin/WormCalories.html). This is part of what I’m wondering about: > [@](#): > > Using the information I got off the nutritional label of a bottle of protein powder, I learned there are 3.75 Calories per gram of protein. I already knew this: > > - 1 Calorie (capital C) used in nutrition = 1,000 Kcalories (Kcal). > - 1 Kcal = 1 calorie > - A calorie (small c) equals the amount of energy (in the form of heat) needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of pure water one degree C (for example, from 14.5 C to 15.5C). Points 1 and 2 aren’t right, are they? I thought 1 Calorie = 1 kcal, and 1 kcal = 1000 cal. Or is “Kcal” something else other than “kcal”? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-a-worm/660784.md?page=2)