Spring is officially here, which means that the return of our favorite pollinator friends to gardens, orchards, groves, bogs, and fields are not far behind. While there are many types of pollinators – and all are vital to our ecosystem – honey bees are responsible for approximately 80 percent of insect pollination, pollinating 90 different crops. And since they are available throughout the growing season, honey bees are considered premier pollinators attributed with pollinating one-third of the global food supply, including many of the ingredients that contribute to a balanced and healthy diet.
With this in mind, the National Honey Board is partnering with nutrition and fitness expert Mitzi Dulan, RD, CSSD, America’s Nutrition Expert® to highlight the essential role honey bees play in our diet. From morning to night, there is not a meal that is not impacted by the work of honey bees – from granola on yogurt at breakfast, to fruit on ice cream for dessert, the fruits of these pollinators’ labor span your entire menu.
Dulan celebrates the hard work of honey bees through the creation of nine new recipes that focus on whole food nutrition, feature honey, and highlight honey bee-pollinated ingredients as the star of the dish.
“I love using honey as my go to sweetener as it is an all-natural ingredient that is also good for the planet,” says Dulan.
Honey is also an ingredient that spans the entire menu, as showcased by Dulan’s first four recipes. Begin your day with a bowl of yogurt topped with crunchy Honey Almond Coconut Granola, brighten up your lunch routine with a crisp and fresh Avocado Strawberry Spinach Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing, power up your afternoon with sweet and nutty Honey Coconut Macadamia Nut + Cherry Bars, and bring it all back to the dinner table with a side of Honey Glazed Radishes with Sunflower Seeds.
Check out all of Mitzi’s recipes below, and for tips on how to make picky eating a thing of the past, click here.
