Healthy cooking with honey
Honey is a 100% natural sweetener that has a better nutritional profile than refined white sugar since it contains some vitamins and minerals, as well as antioxidants.
But even so, it is important to keep in mind that it is essentially pure sugar, so it is not a reduced calorie option, but rather a less refined option.
Honey contains very little amounts of a natural compound called hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF); the quality of the honey, the type of processing, and storage conditions affect how much of this compound is present in honey.
Unnecessarily heated, bad quality honey or “old” honey that has been stored for a very long time, can have higher contents of HMF. The problem is that, if ingested in larger amounts, the HMF can be toxic to our bodies, so it’s important to keep an eye when cooking or baking with honey.
It is not that you should not cook with honey, just that it is important to avoid cooking at very high temperatures and not to do it daily.
That being said, keeping good-quality honey in the pantry can be a good idea since it can be used for various preparations. It has an amazing flavor that goes well with just about anything, its hygroscopic nature makes it ideal for adding moisture to baked goods, and it gives a smooth texture to sauces and a golden color to meats or roasted vegetables.
Let’s see how can we use honey for healthy cooking.
You can have a flavor boost by adding raw honey to many of your daily meals and dishes.
There’s the old-time classic, adding honey to your hot beverages, but why not use it as a sweet drizzle on your desserts or maybe in your porridge or oatmeal.
You can also add a flavor twist to your smoothies, or salad dressing; and of course, you can use it as a spread on your favorite bagels or toast.
Honey can be added as a natural sweetener to all sorts of baked goods, like cookies, pound cakes, pastries, and even bread, it gives a more brownish color that’s enticing.
However, bear in mind that if the recipe calls for sugar and you want to substitute for honey, you cannot make a 1-to-1 switch, because honey adds more moisture to the mix.
As a general rule, you can substitute 1 cup of sugar for ½ to ¾ cup of honey. Additionally, you need to reduce the total liquid ingredients by ¼ cup for each cup of honey that you’re using, so you don’t end up with excess moisture in your batter.
If you’re into sweet & sour dishes, try using honey to glaze your roasted veggies, fish, or meats. Adding a splash of water and a drizzle of honey halfway through cooking will not only give your meal an amazing glossy look but you can have an intensely flavored dish to tempt even the most veggie-hater.
Do you like curries, casseroles, or stews? Give your dish a sweet touch and more creaminess by adding some honey to your pan when the dish is almost finished.
Different types of honey can give you different flavor profiles.
For instance, a lighter and smoother honey is ideal for dishes where you want to use honey as a sweetener, but without having a strong honey flavor.
On the other hand, a darker and more rich honey is perfect for adding to dishes where you want the honey flavor to stand out.
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