Honey: The Most Authentic Paleo Treat

Now that we’re in full swing of the holiday season 2013, “What’s the best sweetener?”, a commonly asked question all year long, becomes one I receive even more often, when blog readers and clients plan their festive gatherings and want to take a True Paleo approach.

I hesitate in responding because part of my work with clients is rethinking the need to sweeten anything in the first place.  

We don’t actually  need to eat sweet things, we just want to eat them, for a variety of different reasons.  

For some, it’s a learned habit that every meal finishes with a treat of some description.  For others, that craving for something sweet is actually a blood sugar crash occurring either due to not having eaten enough earlier in the day, not making sure your macro nutrients were balanced or not timing your food properly with regard to exercise.

Now, with the advent of packaged Paleo brownies, recipes for Paleo cakes and websites devoted to Paleo cookies popping up all over the place, we’re fooling ourselves into thinking that these treats, simply because they may not contain gluten or white sugar, are actually really healthy options.

Sadly, they’re not.

They’re simply a perhaps slightly less inflammatory version of Standard American Diet treats, but only by a little.

But, wait!  Is there no room on Paleo for the occasional treat for a special occasion, such as one we might encounter right about now during this festive time of year?

Absolutely.

But why take the approach of having to remodel a baked, processed food item rather than going by what our Paleo ancestors did when they wanted the rare treat?

Enter honey.

Yesterday, at my Paleo Thanksgiving meal, I had the opportunity to taste fresh, local wild honey which was served on top of seasonal berries.

Wow.

Admittedly, I’m not much of a sugar fan, so I don’t often go for something like a spoon of honey as a treat, but I must say, this was quite devine.

When you’re planning that next treat, perhaps for part of your offering at your holiday table this coming month, consider this simple treat.  No modifications, alterations or Paleo-izations required.

Drizzle a little on freshly baked apples, a bowl of fresh berries or stirred into some homemade spiced cider.

Once again, another example of how nature provides us the best flavors without any work needed from us!