Honey: the ancient, cure-all, sticky stuff that lasts forever in pantries. Luckily, it tastes good, too. Honey is antibacterial, contains antioxidants, and can heal burns. Pretty powerful for the cutest packaging ever, huh? Here are five things to do with honey that you've never thought of before.
Food
Use it as a topping!
Honey is naturally sweet and a healthier alternative to white sugar. For an added punch, drizzle some honey and lime juice over fresh fruit, or over Greek yogurt. Substituting brown sugar for honey as a topping for hot oatmeal will cut back on sweetness and calories.
Use it in salad dressing!
DIY salad dressing is cheaper, healthier, and tastier. You always need a little sugar in homemade salad dressings to balance out the vinegar’s acidity and bring out all the other flavors. White sugar in store-bought salad dressings is a hidden nutritional disaster, but adding a few teaspoons of honey will save you calories without compromising taste.
Drink it!
Adding honey to tea when you’re sick is nothing new, but stirring some in to warm milk and sprinkling cinnamon over will become your best friend the next time you catch a cold.
Beauty
Put it in your hair!
Try this banana-and-honey hair mask from Allure for smooth, silky hair. Bananas are packed with Vitamin B-6 which promotes hair growth and don’t leave your fingers a sticky mess.
Put it on your face!
If Sephora can charge $56 for their “honey potion,” you can make your own with $6 SueBee. Add a tablespoon of honey to a small bowl with any combination of ingredients you like. A couple dashes of turmeric will help acne scars, rolled oats (used to make oatmeal) are a natural exfoliator, and yogurt helps even skin tone.