I heard that when pesticides were introduced to some areas of India it caused malnutrition. The myth was that everyone in the affected area was vegetarian, but had received a significant amount of animal proteins from the bugs, caterpillars, and other tiny animals that grew in the grain and became part of the food. When pesticides were introduced, the grain yields increased substantially but all the bugs disappeared, leading to more food, however it was food that lacked the proteins.

It would be interesting if grains produced with/without pesticides (and/or genetically engineered grains) could be tested for the amounts of animal proteins in the resulting food to gauge the veracity of the myth. Ideally they could be grown in a garden to control the insect content and then be tested.

First of all I have to question that parts of India are vegetarian. None of the Indians I have known are vegetarians and while I don't doubt that India has vegetarians is the practice not one of individuals and orders of monks and such?

The other problem is that indigenous people of that part of the world eat a whole rice product and not exclusively refined rice as is popular in much of the world. This sort of rice has a protein component.

I remember a story from a book written by a special forces medic who's unit was working with an indigenous fighting force of I believe Mung tribesmen. The native fighters were getting very sick but none of the US troops. Eventually, he discovered that it was because they refused to eat the C-rations that the US government supplied. Because of this the special forces had arranged to supply them with rice which was about all they were accustomed to eat while in the field. The rice they supplied was processed rice and contained none of the protein they got from the usual rice they ate. The problem was solved by supplying fish oil for them to use with there cooking.

Many Hindus do regard vegetarianism to be the Ideal diet. In part this is due to the principles of nonviolence and Karma.

But there are a number of different branches of Hinduism that hold different views on this, some are vegan, some Lacto vegetarians, others eat fish and some do eat Meat.

Then there are those people that are Indian and are from other relgions such as Muslims,Sikhs and Christian Sects, that would eat meat. But the UN`s FOA says 42 percent of Indians are Vegetarian, weither this is by choice or forced on them by circumstance is questionable, many families cannot affortd Meat.

It`s quite possible that those Indian people that you`ve met Sunfisher have a better lifestyle and income here than in their own country and are therefore able to afford meat, were before they couldn`t.

I suspect that Indian cooks are probably as fussy as any other when it comes to vermin in their food. As such, I don't imagine them turning a blind eye to insect infestation.

Most vegetarians I know would not consider bugs as vegetables.