Veg School: What's the deal with honey?

(getty images)

       “You don’t eat honey, either?  Why?”  You may say, exasperated by yet another part of veganism you don’t understand.

         A simple explanation is that honey is an animal product.  Cue a flash refresher course in Vegan 101:
The term vegan was coined by Donald Watson in 1944 and was defined as follows:   Veganism is a way of living which excludes all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, the animal kingdom, and includes a reverence for life. It applies to the practice of living on the products of the plant kingdom to the exclusion of flesh, fish, fowl, eggs, honey, animal milk and its derivatives, and encourages the use of alternatives for all commodities derived wholly or in part from animals (Stepaniak).

     Here is the somewhat longer- 5th-grade-science-report-type explanation about why vegans do not eat honey:

        Bees make honey for themselves.  They travel thousands of miles, visiting millions of flowers to collect nectar to store in their hives (this example, by the way, only makes about a pound of honey).  They store the honey in their hives so they have food for the winter months.
       And guess how they “make it"--- bees swallow nectar into their crop, regurgitate it, add enzymes (spit), chew, swallow and repeat many times. Then they spread it around the hive.  Sounds yummy, right?  Well, for them it is, because honey contains small amounts of fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals that their bodies need to survive the cold months, when little or no nectar is available to them. Besides family germs don't count.
       Yes, sometimes the bees do produce more honey than they can eat, but they work very hard making and storing  it for themselves (and it's bee vomit) and they do not ask to have some of the following things happen to them.  These are some common occurrences of the honey industry:

• Cutting the wings off of the queen bee is common practice in the honey industry.   This prevents her from leaving the hive.

• Queen bees are often artificially inseminated. Queen bees usually live up to 5 years, however most commercial beekeepers replace them every two years.  Replacing them means killing them.  Many backyard beekeepers also kill their queens.

• Larger operations harvest (steal) all of the bees fall honey leaving them none to get through the winter months.  These companies replace the honey with an inexpensive sugar substitute or corn syrup.  Lots of nutrients there.

• Some honey operations located in colder climates will burn all of their bee hives, killing all of the bees inside to reduce costs over the winter.  Bees are also harmed or killed by haphazard handling.

Other bee products (from Why Honey is Not Vegan*)

• Bee venom is obtained when the bee stings someone or something. The bee dies if she stings someone.
• Bee pollen is pollen collected by bees in sacs on their legs. It also contains some nectar and bee saliva. It is popular because humans cannot collect such a wide variety of pollen.
• Royal jelly is the nutritious food (for bees) fed only to the queen. It literally makes workers into queens.
• Beeswax is secreted by bees to build their hives.
• Propolis is plant resin collected by bees and mixed with enzymes. It is used around the hive as glue and as an antiseptic.
• Bee brood are bees that are not fully developed. Not even vegetarian.

Once again there are substitutes for honey and other bee products.  Agave nectar is a great sub for honey, it can be used in baking , cooking, and in hot and cold drinks as a sweetener.  There is also brown rice syrup, molasses, fruit syrups and maple syrup.  There are beeswax-free products on the market, like lip balm and candles, which often contain beeswax.
Here are some other resources if you would like to expand your knowledge about these hardworking and magnificent creatures:
Bees        Honey

*The information from this post came mostly from this site.

Unconventional Thai Lettuce Wraps

       I was on the treadmill the other day thinking about PF Changs Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps.  I do most of my thinking on the treadmill and half of my recipe composing while running and walking too. The other half is usually while I am sleeping.  I don't know how many times I have woken up in the middle of the night to scribble down a recipe that I dreamed up.

       Well, I wasn't sure exactly what was in the lettuce wraps at PF Changs besides tofu and a wonderful garlicky-salty flavor, and I didn't feel like Googling anything or using tofu, because the bowl of leftover lentils I had in the fridge was calling to me.  So I decided to make a Thai lettuce wrap with lentils.  

     They came out good with the ingredients I had on hand (did I mention it snowed that morning and I didn't feel like going out either, hey I went on the treadmill...don't judge me.)  I think they are very photogenic and  filling with the fiber-rich lentils and veggies.  And very garlicky and salty.  Just what I was in the mood for. 

   So while they aren't really anything like the PF Changs version, they were satisfying and I will definitely make them again. I had them for lunch, but they would make a great appetizer too. Chopped up water chestnuts would probably be a nice addition.

Lentil Lettuce Wraps

2-3 Tbsp canola oil

1 cup red pepper, diced up small

1 small onion, diced up small

2-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cup cooked lentils

3 Tbsp tamari

2 tsp rice vinegar

1 1/2 tsp agave

Saute the pepper and onion in a non-stick pan for about 5 minutes, medium-high heat.  Add garlic and cook about 2-3 minutes more.  Add lentils, tamari, vinegar and agave.  Stir and cook until everything is heated through, just a couple minutes.

Wash up some lettuce leaves of your choosing--I used red leaf-- and wrap up and eat.

Smooth(ie) Sisters

Pumpkin Banana
Smoothie

Jessica and I didn't want to waste any time before doing a collaborative project, so we held hands and jumped in feet first to bring you our favorite quick, easy and painless breakfast smoothies!

We like smoothies because they are simple, great way to pack in some nutrients on the go.  And you don't have to "know how to cook" to make one.

You can tell a lot about a person from the smoothie they drink.  Ours say that we are beautiful and compassionate and healthy.

Jessica's

I feel like I'm starting the day right with this shake. I have to give credit where it's due- I found this recipe originally on Budget Bytes , a great resource for healthy eating on a budget.

Ok, here's my morning shake:

Pumpkin Banana Smoothie (for two)

2 bananas
2 cups vanilla soy milk
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 tbsp agave (I am swapping out honey in favor of agave to make this truly vegan)
2 tsp cinnamon

Mix all the ingredients together in a blender and voila! Awesome and different breakfast smoothie. Enjoy!

Nicole's

My smoothie is a bit of a fiber-overload, but it stays with you for a long time, so this is great when you know your next meal will be awhile off.  Mine serves one and is very thick you can add some extra soy milk to thin it down a bit.  I also use Vegan Rice Protein Powder (pictured) in all of my smoothies.  It is a straight-forward protein with no crazy anti-oxidants that give you the shakes.

Oatmeal-Banana-Flax
Smoothie

Oatmeal-Banana-Flax Smoothie

1 1/2 cup soy milk

1/2 cup oats

1 banana

1 heaping Tbsp Vegan Rice Protein-Vanilla

1 Tbsp milled flax seed

1 tsp agave

You can just throw it in a blender and wiz it up.  I use a stick blender in a 4 cup measuring cup. I think it is less clean up.  I hate doing dishes.