Looking to get swoll? Nas thinks you should use cricket flour to get there.
Bloomberg reports that the New York-based rapper has invested in Exo, a cricket protein bar company. The brand announced it raked in a four-million dollar round of Series A funding on Monday to bring the idea of cricket protein bars to the masses. By grinding up the insects into a flour, Exo hopes to branch out beyond the protein bar market and dive into the world of protein powders and shakes to provide customers with multiple ways to stay yolked.
The brand came from humble beginnings: co-founders Greg Sewitz and Gabi Lewis used to hand out samples of the snacks at Brown University keggers. As Bloomberg notes, each protein bar contains 40 crickets and produces more protein per gallon of water or pound of feed when compared to alternatives like beef, making it a sustainable choice way get your protein fix. Additionally, each cricket has been sourced from the U.S. and Canada and fed organic grains and filtered water.
But before you pass on the product because of its unconventional ingredient, Exo explains that 80% of the world is already snacking on bugs. Add a Michelin-starred chef crafting recipes into the mix and you probably won’t even noticed you’re eating insects.
Exo’s cricket flour-based bars come in a variety of both sweet and savory flavors, including Apple Cinnamon and Mediterranean. If you’re hoping to try the bars for yourself, you can cop a box from Exo’s website or from Whole Foods or Wegman’s.
[via Bloomberg]