1. Plan your meals ahead

Eating well is a great way to feel healthy and strong, so the best thing you can do is plan your meals ahead of time. If you can, plan your meals for the next couple of weeks in advance to ensure that you have a variety of dishes to choose from. This will ensure that you have something nutritious and filling to eat every day, making it less likely that you’ll skip meals or eat unhealthy snacks between meals. If you don’t have the time or motivation to plan ahead, at least plan your meals a few days ahead of time to ensure that you aren’t stuck with nothing to eat that day.

2. Cook in batches

Eating healthy is a great way to feel great and stay healthy, but it’s can also be quite expensive. If you’re looking to save money & time while also eating well, try cooking in batches. This will allow you to save money by making one large batch of healthy meals instead of buying individual ingredients. Side note – pick a recipe you like and eat quite often, not a new one – in case it doesn’t turn out the way it suits you. Not only you can make a bulk prep for several same-dish meals, but you can prepare the batches of ingredients you use frequently without sacrificing much taste. Sautee & pre-fry onions and freeze them in air-tight bags for up to a few months will save you time chopping and cooking when you’re short on time.

3. Always keep something in the freezer

When you’re planning your meals, make sure that you always have some type of protein that can be transformed into a healthy meal, such as a chicken or fish or vegetarian alternative in the freezer. This will guarantee that you have something healthy to eat, even if you’re short on time. If you’re looking to save money, consider buying a large pack of sausages in bulk to save money. You can also make your own meatballs or burgers with these meat or meat substitutes and add them to a filling casserole for a tasty, healthy meal. Combining something pre-made (either by yourself or from the store) with a freshly cooked part of the meal is a great time saver and still a healthy way!

4. Don’t go shopping without a list

Whether you’re buying fresh or frozen produce or anything else for your meals, make sure that you have it all written down and take it with you to the shop or market. This will prevent you from forgetting something important and prevent you from buying unnecessary items. To save time while shopping, try to buy all of your groceries at once for around a week time instead of buying them every day. Doing weekly shopping for your groceries will also force you to think and plan ahead what you gonna cook & eat thru the week.

5. Buy seasonal produce

Eating fresh and healthy food is a great way to feel great, but it can also be very expensive. To save money while eating well, consider buying seasonal produce, particularly produce that is in season for a shorter period of time, such as strawberries in spring and apricots and cherries in early summer. Not only that products in season are available at better price, but they also taste better and highly likely come from nearby area.

6. Season and marinate ahead

Cooking healthy meals is a great way to go to maintain your body healthy. Some delicious foods can require a lot of prep time, but if you can prepare the first steps of tomorrow’s meal a night before – like seasoning your food (or meat) and marinating it, you can have something very yummy without too much effort. Also, healthy breakfast options like “overnight” oats take very little time in preparing but require rest and soak overnight.

7. Get creative with leftovers

Leftovers aren’t just for those who don’t have enough time to cook, they’re also a great way to save money and get creative with your cooking. Most meals will have some leftover ingredients that you can use in other recipes, such as vegetables or herbs that have been left in the pan while you were cooking the main meal. Alternatively, you can cook with these ingredients to create a new type of dish that you would normally have bought from a store. Having leftover rice? Nothing better than Asian stir-fried rice the next day. Leftover pasta? You can make a delicious pasta salad as a whole meal or side dish next day.

8. Opt-in for meal kit delivery service

If you’re looking to save time while cooking healthy meals, consider opting for meal kit delivery. This could help to reduce the amount of time that you spend in the kitchen and shopping and make it easier for you to eat well on a tight budget. Many of these services can also help to keep you on track with your diet, as they’ll often include recipes and nutrition information that are designed to be balanced and healthy for your body. To save money while getting healthier, consider subscribing to these types of services, which can be a great way to boost your daily nutrition. If you like cooking pick an option for meal kit, or for the busy weeks ahead you can subscribe to already-made meals.

When it comes to cooking healthy meals, there are a number of ways in which you can save time while still enjoying and respecting the quality of the food that you’re eating. The best way to go about this is to plan ahead as much as possible. Think about what you’ll eat on any given day and what ingredients you’ll need, then plan ahead and make sure that you have the right ingredients on hand. When you’re ready to cook your meal, keep the preparation steps as simple as possible. You can also make one or more types of meals ahead of time and then just reheat them whenever you’re ready to eat. Doing all of this will allow you to save money, while also eating well and getting in the habit of preparing and eating healthy meals on a regular basis.

The post How To Save Time Cooking Healthy Meals At Home: 8 Tips to Get You Started appeared first on Food Converter.

Meal kits are a great way to enjoy freshly-cooked meals without the hassle. You can try new recipes, learn how to cook new foods, and get delicious ingredients delivered right to your door.

What is a Meal Kit Delivery?

A meal kit is a subscription-based service that delivers ready-to-cook meals to consumers’ front doors. Each meal kit contains all the ingredients needed to make a meal, as well as detailed instructions on how to prepare it. The food delivery service has been popularized by services like Blue Apron and HelloFresh in recent years, but there are also dozens of smaller competitors offering their own take on the concept.

While most companies offer weekly or monthly subscription plans, some will let you purchase individual boxes when you need them. Meal kits can be ordered online or through an app (if your provider offers one), so there’s no need to fight traffic just for cooking instructions!

Non-Stressful Cooking with Meal Kits

A meal kit delivery service or meal ready service delivers the exact ingredients needed to make a set of meals, making it easier for consumers to cook. It’s ideal for people who don’t have time to plan or visit the grocery store but still want variety in their meals. The kits are delivered straight to your door, so you don’t have any hassle with going out and buying everything yourself. You don’t need much more than a knife and cutting board, as most meal kits come with containers, bags and other supplies like cooking oil and spices already included within them! You might even get a pre-cut vegetables, and that will shorten your meal prep even more.

Consumers can avoid food waste and save time by ordering from meal kit services, as they will only get delivered whats needed for their specific recipes.

It’s no secret that meal kits are becoming more and more popular, with services like Blue Apron, HelloFresh, and Plated all offering easy-to-make recipes that don’t require much fussing. The convenience of having the ingredients shipped to you saves time and avoids food waste—and it also saves money!

While this might seem like a great deal on the surface (and it is), there are some things to consider before signing up for a service like this. Many meal kit services offer limited options for dietary needs such as vegetarianism or veganism (or any other dietary restriction). If you’re looking to incorporate healthier foods into your diet without making drastic changes in your routine, then ordering from these services might not be the best choice for you.

Available for Different Dietary Requirements

Some meal kits also offer vegetarian and vegan options alongside traditional meat and pasta dishes. Don’t worry if you’re not a vegetarian or vegan, though; these meals can be made with meat, fish, or vegetables. They’re not just for vegetarians and vegans!

Try Something New Every Day

They’re a fantastic way to learn new recipes and try out a new cuisine. They’re also an excellent alternative for those who want to reduce their grocery bills, but don’t have the time or energy to prepare meals from scratch.

Meal kits come with all of the ingredients necessary for each meal, as well as any additional items like sauces, spices, or utensils. Since everything is pre-packaged together in one box or bag, you can simply follow the recipe cards that come with your kit and put together delicious meals in no time! If you’re feeling adventurous, try making two different types of entrees at once: one vegetarian option and one featuring meat or seafood; both will still be delicious when combined into one meal later on in the week!

You never know whether everyone else will like what’s on the menu as much as you do. With a meal kit, everyone gets their own food preferences satisfied.

• You might be really good at cooking and want to try out new recipes in your own kitchen, but sometimes it’s nice to get some help from professional chefs and have someone else do all of the work for you.
• A meal kit is perfect when you don’t have time to shop or cook because it has all of the ingredients needed for your recipe already picked out for you.
• Comes in very handy, if you sometimes lack imagination on what to cook, but you still like yummy meals!

Suitable for Everyone

Meal kits are great for anyone who has ever wanted to cook but doesn’t have time or just plain hates grocery shopping or wants to enjoy diverse meals.

They’re also perfect for people who want to try new things, as well as folks who like to cook and can’t find recipes they’re looking for anywhere else.

Even if you’re a seasoned chef, meal kits can help take your cooking skills up a notch. Meal-kit recipes tend to be very straightforward, which means they’re ideal if you want to improve your execution but don’t feel quite ready yet for more complex dishes.

Conclusion

Meal kits are a great way to get your feet wet with cooking without having to invest too much time or money into it. They’re also handy if you have food allergies or intolerances that make it difficult for you to find certain ingredients at the grocery store.

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What is fructose intolerance?

Those suffering from fructose intolerance are unable to process fructose. As such, they experience symptoms like cramps, bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.

There are different types of fructose intolerance:

• Fructose malabsorption, a type of food sensitivity that prevents you from digesting fructose. Also, it can lead to sensitivities to fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs).
• Essential fructosuria, a recessive disorder in which you lack a liver enzyme responsible for breaking down fructose.
• Hereditary fructose intolerance, a severe type of fructose intolerance characterized by insufficient activity of fructose-1-phosphate aldolase, an enzyme responsible for digesting fructose.

Which are the high fructose fruits?

Dried fruits

Removing water from fruits concentrates their nutrients and boosts their natural fructose content. Indeed, plenty of dried fruits come with vital fructose and fiber combination, like it is the case with plums. Still, half a cup of dried fruits comes with 55 grams of fructose, which is why it should be consumed with caution.

Mangoes

Mangoes are the highest fructose fruits on the market. An average mango has around 30 grams of fructose. Also, they represent a good source of dietary fibers, vitamins C and A.

Grapes

No matter if you opt for green or red grapes, you should know that only one cup feeds your body 25 grams of fructose. Also, grapes are considered the best fructose and fiber combination.

Pears

An average pear can offer between 18 and 20 grams of fructose. And pears are rich in vitamin C and fibers, too.

Which are the low fructose fruits?

Strawberries

Strawberries contain very little sugar. Studies show that eight average-sized strawberries have only 8 grams of sugar. Besides, they are the best source of vitamin C.

Blackberries

Similar to strawberries, berries offer around 4 grams of sugar per 100 grams, along with fibers and proteins. Also, berries are rich in antioxidants, which can help your body fight free radical damage.

Lemons

Lemons or limes are great as in-between meal snacks due to their high content of vitamin C and low content of sugar. Only one lemon has 2 grams of sugar, making it the best replacement for carbonated beverages.

Avocados

Did you know that avocados are almost sugar-free? Well, they represent the best source of fiber and healthy fats, with little to no fructose.

Is there any difference between fructose and glucose combination?

Fructose and glucose are sugars or monosaccharides. The body absorbs them quickly, but fructose can lead to many negative health effects. Anyhow, experts say that limiting your intake of added sugar is more than necessary, no matter the type you use. 

What is the effect of fructose on exercise?

Studies show that eating foods like canned fruit, candy, or sweetened yogurt feeds your body high content of fructose, which can lead to diabetes and obesity. Also, high amounts of fructose in the body can increase bad cholesterol. It is believed that exercising regularly can diminish the side effects of fructose. But it is best to limit your fructose intake if you have fructose intolerance. 

The bottom line

No matter if you have or not fructose intolerance, it is always best to consume foods with caution. The high fructose and low fructose fruits mentioned above should be part of a healthy meal plan. Also, to keep up your health, it is highly recommended to follow an exercise routine. 

The post Fructose Intolerance: Your Top List of High and Low Fructose Fruits appeared first on Food Converter.

Soy milk, coconut or cashew kefir can turn out to be a healthy alternative to the store-bought kefir. And did you know there is a simple recipe to making kefir at home? The secret to success is choosing a brand for your ingredients that distributes less processed soy milk, coconut, or cashew. In this article, you will discover how to make kefir at home and how it can benefit your health!

Why should you make kefir at home?

Making kefir at home from veggie milk can boost your health and feed your body the necessary nutrients. Some of the benefits of homemade kefir include:

• It prevents sugar cravings
• It helps digestion and nutrient absorption
• It tonifies the intestines and flattens the abdomen
• Kefir is considered probiotic and it’s good for your gut
• It balances your energy levels

How can you use veggie milk kefir?

The best part about making kefir at home is that you can use it for several purposes, such as:

• You can use it instead of sour cream or as a topping for your favorite dishes.
• You can add it to smoothies.
• You can use it to make homemade ice cream.
• Add it to your cereal or oatmeal.
• You can use it to replace a wide array of dairy products.

How to make kefir at home from veggie milk

Making kefir with nut, soy or coconut milk at home is becoming popular, and it’s not difficult. Kefir grains do require some care though. This signifies that when you get the grains, you need to sit them in a full fat cow or goat milk for around 24 hours. This process feeds the grains and allows them to thrive and offer the best homemade kefir. Also, it would be best if you soak your grains three times before moving on to the next step.

After you complete the initial soaking process, you should sit the grains in nut milk or coconut milk for another 24 to 48 hours. Afterward, you can sieve them as instructed and soak them again in full-fat milk. 

Note: I’ve done it several times using kefir starter and have put it directly in veggie milk and it worked just fine. It took some time to find which brand works well, especially if you prefer the thick and dense texture. Some just do better than others. Pay special attention to the fat (more is better), and use brands with fewer additives and processing. It worked just fine for me.

To make kefir at home, you will need:

1. Milk kefir grains or kefir starter.
2. Veggie milk: Fresh homemade, canned, or boxed. We recommend avoiding brands with additives and sweeteners as they can be hard on the kefir grains (guar gum seems to do just fine). Go with full fat rather than a fat-free version.
3. Clean jar and non-metal spoon.

With these ingredients, you can follow the instructions:

1. Add the milk kefir grains in milk of your choice and stir with a non-metal spoon.
2. Cover with a towel and let the jar with kefir culture on the counter to ferment between 12 to 35 hours. Regular room temperature will do the best. If it’s colder it might need more time.
3. After fermentation is done, you can store the homemade veggie kefir in the fridge for a week. The kefir will still be active and grow/ferment, just that in the fridge it will be way slower
4. You can reuse the kefir for your next batch – you’ll need around 1 dl (half a cup) of your “old” kefir and simply mix it with fresh milk of your choice and let it ferment again.

I personally prefer to have more “yogurt” aka dense texture of kefir and not as liquidy. Different brands do differently. I’ve tried experimenting by adding some (pea-mix) protein powder, but there was no difference.

If you live in Spain or Portugal those are the brands that seem to work well for me – Yosoy soy milk, Almendrola Almond milk (regular and unsweetened both seem to do good):

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Are you looking for a no kneading bread recipe? Well, you should know that making long-fermented bread might be the best solution for you. No matter if you opt for little yeast or sourdough starter, you will manage to bake yummy bread. Up next, we’ve shared our insights on long-fermented bread and how to cook it with little to no hassle.

What is sourdough or long-fermented bread?

Sourdough bread is one of the oldest recipes for bread. It is believed to be healthier and tastier than traditional bread. Overall, a long-fermented bread is an old form of bread leavening. It requires a mix of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria, rather than baker’s yeast.

Also, sourdough bread is considered one of the healthiest bread recipes due to the numerous potential health benefits:

• It is easier to digest, as fermentation is longer.
• It might better digestion and gut health.
• It is more nutritious than any store-bought bread, as it has a high content of antioxidants and essential nutrients.

How to make long-fermented bread at home

A long fermentation bread takes between 8 to 15 hours to make. It requires no kneading, and you will need a little yeast or sourdough starter. The best recipe for making long-fermented bread goes as follows.

#1 Making a natural yeast starter

Use one cup of flour and one cup of water. Add the ingredients in a wide-mouthed glass jar, mix them, and cover with a natural fiber cloth. Make sure jar or container is big enough as the starter is ready when it doubles in size. Leave at room temperature for 4 to 8 days. After a day or two, you’ll notice some bubbles. When the starter is ready, it will be crusty, wrinkled, and moist. Also, it won’t bounce back if you poke it. You can keep the starter in the fridge and keep on feeding it once a week. Here is a detailed recipe how to make sourdough starter.

#2 Making long-fermented bread

For long-fermented bread you can either use your own starter, or just a teaspoon of yeast. Any flour will do! It’s not that much work, but you need to leave the bread on the kitchen counter to ferment … How much flour and water you need it highly depends on flour type, but in general make in more liquidy as the “regular bread”.

Let’s say around 3 cups of flour (0.5 kg ~ 1lb) and 1.5-2 cups of water, ¾ teaspoons of sea salt, and follow the steps:

1. Mix the starter/yeast with salt and water and gradually add the flour.
2. Mix the ingredients until they get smooth – you can use a wooden spoon, no need to touch the dough and do not knead it!
3. Put the dough in a bowl and cover it. Leave it to ferment for 8-12h – nothing wrong if you’re late, you can leave it to ferment longer (all the way up to 24h). The dough will rise, make sure the bowl is big enough.

You’ll notice bubbles within few hours…

4. When the dough has risen, turn on the oven at 220 ºC/425 F, and put in the tray you gonna use it for baking. We need the tray to be hot! Preferably the glass or ceramics one with the cover, but if you don’t have it, others will do too.
5. Meanwhile, take some flour and take the dough out from the bowl and shape it into bread. Remember, do not knead!

6. Let the bread rise a bit more until the oven is hot.
7. Take the hot tray out from the oven (be careful) and put the dough there. You don’t need to use fat or baking paper since the tray it’s hot the bread won’t stick to it.
8. Bake for 30 mins with lid cover at 220 ºC/425 F.
9. After 30 mins take the lid off, and bake for another 20-30 mins (depending on the flour) at 200 ºC/ 390 F.

Long-fermented bread from full wheat and buckwheat flour

It is typical for this bread to have a crack on the top, crunchy crust and soft inner part. The crust is harder just after baking if you prefer it softer wrap the bread into cloth just after baking.

The bottom line

Sourdough and long-fermented bread is the best alternative to conventional bread. It is more nutritious and more comfortable to digest, being the perfect option for anyone. Long fermented bread is easy to make, and it doesn’t require much work (fermentation aside And the best part about it is simply yummy and your kitchen will smell amazing!

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Why grow sprouts at home?

Sprouts are germinated and soaked seeds, grains, or nuts. These are rich in beneficial amino acids, vitamins, and enzymes. And the best part about sprouting at home is that they are simple to grow straight in your kitchen. Make your own garden in a jar!

Some of them like lentils or chia you can just pick from your shelf, while other you’ll need to get seeds from the store. Make sure you buy organic or those that are not ment to be for “massive” gardening as those might be treated with some chemicals – you definitely don’t want that on your plate.

Some of the seeds you can use to grow sprouts are:

• Alfalfa
• Broccoli Seeds
• Red Clover Seeds
• Lentils
• Mung Beans
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Sunflower Seeds
• Chia Seeds

What do you need to grow sprouts at home?

Sprouting is a simple and straightforward process. You will need equipment created for such purposes, such as sprouting trays. Also, you will require:

• A wide-mouth quart-size clean and sterile jar
• A sprouting lid or cheesecloth and a rubber band
• A box or bowl to aid the jar stand upside-down
• Organic sprouting seeds for the best results

Some of the seeds and sprouts are more demanding than another. Most of them will grow well in a big jar. Make sure the jar is clean, and before sprouting in them, make them sterile (oven at around 200 ºC for 20 mins will do good). It’s easy for mold to start growing, and you’ll have to throw all the batch away …

How to grow sprouts

Soak your seeds overnight

Firstly, soak sprout seeds overnight – or at around 6-8h. Make sure you position the sprouting screen in place and screw on the canning ring. Add around two cups of non-chlorinated water. Afterward, swirl the seeds, drain and cover with an extra 2 to 4 cups of water. 

Rinse and drain seeds

In the morning, drain the water and rinse and swirl again. As soon as you make sure your seeds are drained well, put them in a bowl, and allow the jar to lay upside down. 

Keep on Washing them 2x Day

It is highly recommended to pour water through screens at least two times per day (morning and evening). Swirl, and drain well after returning the seeds in your bowl. Each day your sprouts will grow more! This process can take between 3 to 7 days, depending on the seeds. 

Store sprouts

When you feel like your sprouts reached the perfect greenness and length, you can store them in the refrigerator. It is best to store them as dry as possible. Overall, sprouts last up to five days if drain adequately. 

Enjoying sprouts

Sprouts are best served on sandwiches, mixed with greens as a salad, or as a soup topping. 

What are the benefits of growing sprouts?

Sprouts are a superfood, which you can quickly grow straight in your kitchen. And the best part about sprouting is that they have numerous health benefits. Some of these include:

• A boost in digestive and metabolic processes, as sprouts are rich in dietary fibers.
• An increase in blood flow due to the high content of iron and copper.
• A losing weight ally, as sprouts can inhibit the release of a hunger hormone called ghrelin.
• An increase in the immune response, as sprouts are rich in anti-inflammatory compounds and vitamin C.
• Improvement in eye health due to the rich content of antioxidants and vitamin A.
• A decrease in skin problems due to the high levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

The bottom line

Sprouting at home can be both fun and useful. All you have to do is get the equipment mentioned above and start taking care of the seeds. Keep in mind that the risk of cross-contamination in sprouts is slightly high. The living enzymes might turn out to be dangerous for health if you don’t clean your hands and jars. You can avoid such issues by purchasing organic nuts, grains, and seeds for sprouting. 

The post Growing Sprouts at Home: Here’s Your Beginner Guide! appeared first on Food Converter.

It offers many health benefits that are much better and more significant than refined artificial sugar or any other synthetic sweetener. Despite this, however, care should be taken when it comes to eating honey since it also contains glucose and fructose just like refined sugar. Both honey and sugar can have negative impacts on blood sugar levels in your blood and should, therefore, be avoided by people struggling with keeping their blood sugar levels within the required healthy range.

Therefore, here are ten facts and benefits about honey that probably you haven’t know:

1. Treatment of the hair and skin

Honey is widely employed during treatment of the skin and is known to work wonders with burns, cuts, and infections on the skin. When mixed with milk and consumed regularly, it controls the aging process by getting rid of wrinkles, skin cells that are dead, etc. It also contains humectant compounds which help in moisturizing your skin. Mixing honey with lemon helps to improve the glow of your skin and for treating acne.

It also contains vital nutrients like minerals and vitamins which are excellent for dealing with hair issues like dandruff, hair fall, broken hair, and unhealthy hair.

2. Utilized for weight loss

It contributes to helping users to lose excess weight naturally by enhancing metabolism processes. When used in combination with lime, green tea, cinnamon, and water, precious bee nectar helps to control unwarranted weight gain.

3. Sound health

Honey is considered a good source of nutrients that are vital for the overall health of the human body. However, caution should be exercised to avoid side effects as a result of excessive use.

4. Energy food

It is an energy booster, thanks to the presence of fructose and glucose. These sugar molecules are not combined – as they are in refined white sugar – but are separated. This makes the glucose to act as an instant energy resource.

5. Digestion aid

It reduces gas, bloating, and constipation. It is also very rich in friendly bacteria which aids digestion and reduces allergies. Your immune system can also be enhanced when you use honey.

6. Helps kids to sleep peacefully

Several studies have shown that honey improves the quality of sleep in kids. As observed by parents during the tests, it reduced coughing spasms in children during the night, thereby helping them to sleep peacefully.

7. Precious since mid age

Honey was considered a high-valued commodity by the Germans as far back as the 11th century. It was so precious that the aristocrats in Germany forced poor peasants to pay them using honey as currency. It was in high demand back then since it was the right ingredient to making beers to taste sweet.

8. Boost your memory

It contains memory-boosting antioxidants.

9. Good for your eyes

Is known to have a relaxing and soothing effect on the eyes.

10. It can kill off some internal parasites

Several parasites always find their way into the human body and cause ill health. When honey is mixed equally with water and vinegar and then consumed, the parasites are killed off immediately.

The post 10 Surprising Facts and Benefits about Honey appeared first on Food Converter.

Without much ado, let’s dive in:

1. “Honey-carrying”

Honey bees are scientifically known as Apis mellifer, and this stands for ‘honey-carrying, bee.’ They are excellent pollinators of flowers, vegetables, and fruits, thus helping plants to grow and environmentally friendly as well. They do this by transferring fertilizing powder or pollen between the male and female parts of flowers and this transmission helps plants to grow their seeds and fruits at the end of the day.

2. Living in a colony

Honeybees live in colonies or hives and are divided into three types:

• Drones – These are male honeybees whose sole purpose is to mate with the queen. Hundreds live in each colony or hive during spring and summer seasons. But when winter arrives, the hive enters survival mode and the drones are driven out.
• Workers – They are females and their major purpose is to search for nectar and pollen from flowers. They are also responsible for building and protecting the beehive. Workers can also use their wings to circulate and clean the air. They are the ones that most people see outside the hive flying up and down.
• Queen – This is the bee that is in charge of the hive and her only job is to lay eggs. These eggs are the next generation of bees in the hive. The queen is also known to emit chemicals that direct the activities of the other honeybees.

3. Making the new queen

When the queen bee dies, workers create a new queen. They do this by picking out a young larva and feed it with what is referred to as ‘royal jelly’ which is special food. Royal jelly helps the larva to mature into a fertile or productive queen.

4. Magic food – superfood

Honey, that sweet substance produced by those amazing insects contains several nutrients which are vital for sustaining life. These are vitamins, enzymes, minerals, and water. What makes honey unique among other foods is that it is the only food that naturally contains an antioxidant that is known to improve brain function and is known as ‘pinocembrin.’

5. Speedy creatures

They fly at impressive speeds of about 25 kilometers per hour and their wings beat the air approximately 200 times per second, which is quite astounding.

6. The queen bee

The busiest time of the year for the queen is during summer and that is when she lays about 2,500 eggs every day. She can live for about five years.

7. A short life of working bees

The worker honeybee can only live for about five to six weeks during which she produces a small dollop of honey, about one-twelfth of a teaspoon.

8. Excellent sense of smell

The honey bee has a remarkable sense of smell, thanks to the 170 odorant receptors they possess. They use these odorant receptors for communication within the hive as well as to identify or distinguish different types of flowers when foraging for food. They also possess ten receptors for taste.

9. Dangerous “women”

Only female honeybees sting; the males don’t.

10. The royal jelly food

The only difference between queen bees and worker bees is that the latter receives additional rations of ‘royal jelly’ but they share the same genes.

The post Astonishing Facts about Bees appeared first on Food Converter.

The honey-making process begins with the bees visiting flowers, especially when spring arrives. Bees sit on flowers and collect nectar – that is the sweet juice that is produced by different blooming flowers. When the need to gather nectar arises, bees tend to remain as close as possible to the hive and are known not to exceed a radius of 4 miles.

Bees gather nectar by making use of their tongue and creating a sucking action. This way, all the nectar in the flower is extracted and mixed with an enzyme that is secreted by glands in the mouth of the bees. After this process, the mixture is stored in the stomach of the honeybee. In case you don’t know, bees have two stomachs; the honey stomach and the food stomach.

As soon as the honey stomach is filled to its brim with the nectar mixture, the bees fly back to the beehive where they transfer the nectar mixture to other bees – i.e. the worker bees – via their mouths.

The worker bees continue the process of making honey by chewing the nectar mixture collected from the foragers for about thirty minutes. At the end of thirty minutes, a worker bee that has already chewed the nectar mixture passes it to another worker bee. So the chewing goes ahead, and the exchange from one worker bee to another continues until the nectar turns into thick and uniform syrup known as honey.

As soon as this transformation is made, the bees turn their attention to storing the honey. Honeycomb cells – which in reality are not cells – are jars created using wax. This is where all the newly produced honey is stored.

The honey is still wet when stored in the honeycomb; the bees get to work drying their cache of honey using their wings. This process also enhances the quality of the honey by making it stickier. Once the honey becomes dry and ready, the honeybees seal off the honeycomb cells or jars using a lid created with wax. Bees do this to protect the honey from contaminants in the air.

This task is tedious, and one would expect that it would produce a considerable amount of honey. But the opposite is the case as about eight honeybees can only provide just one teaspoon of honey throughout their lifetimes.

Bees make honey so that food can be readily accessible by everyone in the colony. The location also has an impact on how much honey is produced; in the southern part of the United States, a hive can survive on about 40 pounds of honey. But in the northern part of the country, honey that weighs up to 90 pounds is needed for the colony to survive in winter.

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These are the benefits of eating raw honeycomb

• Protection of the liver – Honeycombs contains antioxidants that protect the liver. When a study was conducted to find out how active beeswax alcohol is when consumed by people with fatty liver, it was observed that honeycombs helped to improve the symptoms of fatty liver and normalize liver function.
• Glucose metabolism – The body relies heavily on glucose for energy which makes it vital for sound health. The waxy alcohols present in honeycombs promote glucose metabolism and also help to bring down insulin levels. They also reduce the markers for insulin resistance since the latter can lead to type 2 diabetes and other related health issues.
• Good cholesterol – The fatty alcohols found in honeycombs help in lowering bad cholesterol significantly and raising the amounts of good cholesterol in the body.

You can eat raw and natural honeycomb in several ways each of which is outlined below:

• Honeycombs are natural products, and you can eat them using your fingers. Children and adults alike always enjoy licking honey that oozes from their fingers.
• You can eat raw honey by serving it up with seasonal fruits on a platter. You can even consume this delicious natural product with homemade, organic or gourmet cheeses.
• You can also eat raw honey by merely spreading it on an English muffin, fresh bread or warm buttered toast.
• Simply bite in the honeycomb and enjoy chewing it, just like a chewing gum. You can swallow it or simply spit out what stays in our mouth at the end.
• Variety, they say, is the spice of life. There is nothing wrong with topping your fresh salad with several chunks of raw honeycomb along with goat’s cheese.
• You can also stir raw honeycomb into vanilla ice-cream as it makes a tasty dessert.
• Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day, and you can liven it up by stirring chopped up raw honeycombs into Greek yogurt and blend them.
• Eating fresh, mashed honeycomb with runny brie, and a baguette is also another delicacy you should try.

A lot of people make the mistake of storing raw honeycomb in the refrigerator. But the best way to preserve the taste, as well as its antibiotic properties, is to store it at room temperature. Honeycomb is nearly always one hundred percent edible, though it depends on how long you store it.

In conclusion, if you were averse to eating raw and natural honey, the benefits outlined above, as well as the numerous suggestions about how you can enjoy this nutrient-rich gift of nature, should be more than enough to win you over. You can – and indeed, you should – enjoy the health-giving goodness of raw honeycomb at any time it pleases your fancy.

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