When it comes to sweeteners, honey is a diet friendly, natural option. You don’t need as much of it as sugar to get the sweetness you desire, so any recipe in which you use it is often lower in calories. It’s natural and barely processed, which you can’t say about most sweeteners—even those marketed as “natural.” Raw honey is truly nature’s source for sweetening. Try it in your coffee or tea, or find your new favorite beverage. Learn why honey makes drinks healthier by reading below.
Benefits of Honey
Honey is a wonderful natural product. It’s rich in antioxidants, vitamins, enzymes, and even antibacterial and antiviral properties, which make it great for fighting off bad illnesses. Add honey to any drink, and you’re giving your immune system a beneficial boost.
One of the other great health benefits of adding honey to your drinks is its natural sweetness. This means you can eliminate processed sugars and artificial sweeteners and get a healthy sweetness instead.
Iced Green Tea with Honey
Green tea complements the taste of honey, and ice makes it all the more refreshing. For best results, dissolve the honey into the tea completely before you put the tea in the fridge. You’ll get all the benefits of raw honey as well as of green tea, including boosted metabolism. Just keep in mind that green tea contains about 30 to 50 mg of caffeine per serving. It can be as mild or as strong as a cup of black tea.
Fruit & Veggie Smoothies
Smoothies are healthy, but some contain sugary fruit juices and syrups. Try a smoothie made with frozen fruit, veggies, honey, and water. Fructose and glucose are what make honey sweet, and their sweetness is more flavorful in honey than in table sugar. You won’t need as much honey to get a sweet smoothie.
Honey Ginger Lemon Tea
Hot or cold, honey ginger lemon tea is one of the best healthy drinks with honey. Much like honey, ginger has anti-inflammatory effects. The tea is also loaded with antioxidants, which can fight free radicals in your body. All three—honey, ginger, and lemon—have antioxidant powers. The lemon’s vitamin C will also give your immune system a boost.
Natural Honey Sodas
Soda pop is a delicious treat every once and awhile, but many people avoid it because of the high sugar content, empty calories, and unnatural food additives and colorings. Make your own soda at home with honey so that you can control the sweetness and experiment with your favorite flavors. All you need is carbonated water, honey, and flavor extracts.
Mint Honey Lemonade
Honey and mint go great together. With the added tartness of lemon, they’ll make a great lemonade. Muddle mint leaves in the bottom of a cup or use mint extract in this refreshing beverage. Then, just add fresh lemon, water, and honey to taste.
