( CNN ) -- According to a recent U.N. report , insects could be a solution to some of the world 's food and health problems . They 're nutritious , eco-friendly and abundant . Many countries already consider them a staple part of their diets . So if we 're all to start consuming locusts and scorpions , we can start in Southeast Asia for guidance . They 're a common sight in Bangkok . Come nightfall , at any given outdoor market or busy road there will usually be at least one vendor with a pushcart loaded up with insect snacks , making many tourists squirm and others lick their lips . Maybe you 're in the mood for some fried crickets . Or perhaps it 's the pile of bamboo worms that has you salivating . These bug vendors serve up to a dozen varieties of insects , which are usually fried in vegetable oil then sprayed with soy sauce to add some zing . To locals , and some expats , these foods are not out of the ordinary -- they 're part of the many meals on offer . Though most tourists prefer to munch on bugs for the shock value and to try something different -- check me out on Facebook/Instagram , how crazy am I ? -- locals enjoy them for the flavor . `` Customers often like to eat fried insects while drinking beer , as a healthy and exotic replacement for popcorn or peanuts , '' one vendor says . More on Thailand 's fried bugs : A guide to Thailand 's edible insects . Similar markets and food carts exist throughout Asia and other parts of the world . Take some of the options at this Beijing night market -- fried scorpions , centipedes and locusts . Going back to that U.N. report , it says 2 billion people around the world consider insects a delicacy or even a dietary staple . Insects are generally high in nutritional value and beat out both meat and fish in protein content and quality . They 're also rich in fiber and healthy micronutrients including copper , iron , magnesium , phosphorus , selenium and zinc . This makes insects the ideal food of the future , the U.N. says -- not just for the above parts of the world but globally . They will help promote health , wealth and a better environment and go some way to addressing current and potential food shortages . Not only does chomping on a bamboo worm win you likes on Facebook , it helps save the world . Extra 'like . ' Read more about the U.N. report here , via eatocracy . We 've put together , in the above gallery , just a tiny entree-sized smorgasbord of some of the many insects eaten around the world . For those in the United States or visiting , this great eatcracy piece lists several insect servers . Who 's hungry ? Let us know your insect hits , and misses .
U.N. report argues more of us should eat insects . In places like Bangkok , eating things such as bamboo worms are the norm . Beijing 's popular Donghuamen Night Market has quite the range .