Poop lettuce summer or not, many of us are not giving up on leafy greens—especially when they’re packed into a bowl filled with grains, lamb, and avocado all topped with a tasty sauce. It’s giving healthy luxury: Greece in a bowl.
It’s not giving infestation at all—except in one Chicago woman’s experience. TikToker @itsnyjea says she’s in her reinvention era, which promises transformation, like the humble caterpillar becoming a butterfly. But wings are supposed to be a metaphor, not lunch.
The TikToker knows how her video ends. But, since she posts food content, it is very plausible that her reaction as she stirs up her $25 Cava bowl is entirely authentic. She’s also added some text in her video: “Imagine being at Cava and the saxophones start screeeaaaming!”
Cava has roots in Mediterranean cooking. It is known for having healthier options, layered flavors, and fast-casual service. But the TikToker didn’t have that experience. Instead, she discovered something with legs in her meal.
An Unpleasant Ingredient
Mic clipped to her shirt, and headphones on, @itsnyjea is ready to deliver a meal review. But just as she’s going to take her first bite, her eyes get big and her mouth falls open. The camera cuts to a close-up of her dish. And a big part of a large flying insect (butterfly, moth, or dragonfly) is nestled into her greens. Now her video has gone viral, garnering over 1.9 million views on the social media platform.
Her reaction is stunned but discreet. She takes her food back up to the counter and informs Cava that there’s a bug in her food. “I was mixing it and saw this little antenna.” The employee offers to remake the dish free of charge. The TikToker accepts.
When she gets the remade meal back to her table, she pauses for a moment and then prays over it. “Heavenly father, I pray you bless this food, cover this food. Lord, I pray you cleanse and purify this food” she says.
She also says to the camera she thinks she should’ve gotten a refund. “I understand […] I just feel like this should be a free meal,” she adds.
Then she digs in, saying, “I tell you what, if it was a bug in that bite, it was a bug in that bite.”
How Many Bugs Does The Average Human Eat In A Lifetime?
No life is free from bugs or bug parts. That’s according to the site, How Things Work. Experts estimate the average person swallows about a pound or 2 each year. That excludes those cultures using any of the 1,500 edible insects as a part of their diet.
Most of the unwanted protein is from processed foods. As insects are an inevitable part of producing processed foods at scale, the FDA has guidelines on how many bug parts can be in certain foods. Orange juice can contain five fruit flies for every 8 ounces. Also, there can be up to “50 aphids, mites or thrips plus some caterpillar larvae in 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of frozen spinach,” reports How Things Work.
The good news is that bugs are really high in protein: Some are 80% protein by weight. Additionally, some caterpillars are more nutritious than lean beef or even fish, and raising insects for food is sustainable. Good if you’re bulking or a middle-aged woman.
If you’re concerned about nutrition and sustainability, crickets are a fantastic option. “A farm of 700 crickets can live in a 70-liter container compared to one cow that needs approximately one acre to graze,” said the site Earth.org. As a food that is quick to produce, it could be a part of a solution to global food shortages.
Is Anything Safe To Eat Right Now?
The internet is utterly appalled that the TikToker didn’t demand a refund. Instead, she gave Cava a second chance. But viewer @kaylandione identified a bigger problem: “We can’t eat s— no more…I’m tired. First diarrhea lettuce, now dragonfly tzatziki..get me outa here,” she wrote.
And the creator replied, “No for real, it’s ghetto in America.”
Other commenters, like @wolfie.x_x, lean into the awfulness, writing, “dragonfly tzaziki lmao.”
One woman just takes it as a personal reminder. “I really gotta start paying attention before I bite into food,” noted @dezzzi_xoxo.
But the top comment comes from Cava itself. “We’re so sorry you found this in your bowl and we’d like to look into this further and make it up to you [sad eyes emoji] We sent you a DM!”
BroBible reached out to @itsnyjea via email and TikTok direct message as well as to Cava via email. We will update this article if they get back to us.
@itsnyjea Mind you this cost $25 #saxaphone #cava #foodreviews