This new year, focus on what’s better for you: 3 recipes that include honey and why it’s important

Everyone knows that the new year is the most popular time to focus on yourself. It is a time to realign with your wellness goals, career aspirations, social life and more. Many people focus on improving their nutrition and eating habits in the new year, and finding one core ingredient to incorporate into meals is a great solution to achieve that goal.

Whether you add it to a soothing cup of warm tea, or incorporate on a cheese board for that added boost of flavor, honey is that one pantry staple that is both good for you and the ecosystem at large. Honey is also extremely versatile, and the ways one can incorporate it as they whip up a dish in the kitchen are unmatched. It can be a key ingredient in any meal at any point in the day.

The National Honey Board is sharing three easy-to-make recipes for everyone to add to their diets this new year and beyond:

1. For breakfast: Polenta with Berry Preserves and Honey Toasted Walnuts

What better way to kick-start your day than with a good breakfast? Since honey is a natural source of carbohydrates, providing 17 grams per tablespoon, it is a great source of natural energy. So if you are about to go on a morning run, or have a to-do list that seems to be a mile long, spend some time to sit down and eat a hearty breakfast, like this honey breakfast polenta with berry preserves and honey toasted walnuts.

Research also shows that honey is a natural source of a wide array of nutrients, including trace amounts of 7 vitamins and 11 minerals, 5 antioxidants, and 17 amino acids.

2. For a snack or light lunch: Watermelon Salad with Whipped Feta

The versatility of honey is unmatched, which means it can be incorporated into your diet in a variety of manners — from honeycombs to liquid honey and more. There are also a wide range of honey varieties, with more than 3,000 unique types of honey found throughout the world, leading the way to creativity when it comes to meal prep.

Try this watermelon salad recipe which incorporates two forms of honey — liquid honey and honeycomb! Not only is this recipe proven to be delicious, but it is also a great meal choice for those who choose to follow the Mediterranean Diet, of which honey is a key component.

3. For dinner: Honey Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta with Kale and Lemon Sauce

Honey bees are one of the most crucial components of our food ecosystem. Aside from the honey they help to produce, they are responsible for more than a third of the foods we enjoy each and every day. Without them, so many of our core ingredients would cease to exist, such as the tomatoes, kale, lemon, and garlic in this delicious pasta recipe.

By purchasing and incorporating honey into meals such as this one, you are directly supporting the beekeepers that care for the honey bees, helping make the production of much of our food supply possible.

It is clear that honey is an all-natural sweetener that has many benefits, both for individuals themselves and the greater good. It is also clear that honey can be incorporated into your diet in a multitude of ways. Be sure to check out some more recipes to add to your New Year meal plan at honey.com/recipes.