Anaïs Allahoum
If you’ve been wondering if honey is OK on a Mediterranean diet, we’re here to answer your question. This blog post will discuss why honey may or may not be appropriate to eat while following this diet. We’ll also provide information about the different types of honey and their nutritional content.
Honey & the Mediterranean Diet
Honey has been used as a dietary supplement for thousands of years. It’s most often found in Mediterranean cuisine and can be used as a sweetener for tea or coffee. It is also sometimes added to cereals, yogurt, breads, or other baked goods.
Honey & Nutritional Value
When honey is eaten alone, it provides only a small amount of nutrition per serving. It only contains a little over 10 calories and no vitamin, mineral, or other essential nutrients.
Hoy it has been used as a sweetener (as opposed to sugar) in the Mediterranean diet. The fact that honey is often served with meals can provide additional nutrients in the form of potassium, calcium, and other minerals. However, this isn’t always the case – It can also be consumed as a sweetener on its own.
Honey has also been used as a medicinal product to treat things like stomach ulcers. This is due to the natural antibacterial properties that make it act as a sort of natural antibiotic when consumed.
Honey’s Effect on Weight
In the Mediterranean diet, honey was often consumed by people who wanted to lose weight. Since honey is a natural sweetener, it helps to keep sweet cravings under control. In fact, there are even studies showing that honey can help you lose weight!
An article published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition states that there is a noticeable difference between how much weight people lose when they consume honey versus sugar. While the average weight loss while using sugar was 6.2 pounds over a 12 week period, people who used honey lost an average of 9.1 pounds.
This is because honey does not negatively affect blood sugar levels like table sugar can. Plus, it also helps to keep hunger at bay and promotes a healthy digestive system.
With all of this information in mind, we believe that honey on the Mediterranean diet can be considered “OK”, as long as it is used in moderation and does not cause problems for your blood sugar or digestive health.
What Kind of Honey Should You Purchase?
When purchasing honey, it’s important to purchase organic, raw honey from a local source. This way, you’ll be sure to be getting the highest quality honey possible. Also, make sure that you read a product’s nutrition label to find out what types of ingredients are included with your particular brand.
The Bottom Line
Ultimately, honey is a good option for sweetening your food on the Mediterranean diet as long as you purchase organic raw honey in small amounts. Remember to use honey sparingly since it’s still sugar, and it can increase your blood sugar levels if consumed in large amounts.
Honey can be a safe product to consume while following the Mediterranean diet. However, if you want to start eating a Mediterranean diet or just want some guidance on how to follow this particular eating style, check out the Simple Greek Nutrition Plan.
