Extension > Family > Farm to School > Minnesota Toolkit for School Foodservice > Using Food > Using Honey
Using Honey
School Lunch Menu Examples Using Honey
Sweet & Sour Popcorn Chicken | Honey of a Cornbread | Chicken Nugget
Menu Example 1: Sweet and Sour Popcorn Chicken
Sweet and Sour Popcorn Chicken Featuring Locally Produced Honey |
Fresh Cut Pineapple Cubes |
Food Component and Menu Item |
GRADES |
GRADES |
OPTIONAL |
|---|---|---|---|
Meat or Meat Alternate: Chicken Nuggets |
2 ounces |
2 ounces |
1 ½ ounces |
Vegetable: Steamed Vegetable Blend |
¼ to ½ cup |
½ cup |
¼ to ½ cup |
Fruit: Fresh Cut Pineapple |
¼ to ½ cup |
½ cup |
¼ to ½ cup |
Grains/Bread: Steamed Brown Rice |
12 servings per week – minimum of 1 serving per day |
15 servings per week – minimum of 1 serving per day |
10 servings per week – minimum of 1 serving per day |
Milk: As Beverage |
8 fluid ounces |
8 fluid ounces |
8 fluid ounces |
Menu Example 2: Honey of a Cornbread and Wholegrain Cornbread
Vegetable Chili Featuring Locally Grown Navy Beans and Bulgur |
"Honey of a Cornbread," or regular cornbread made with |
Food Component and Menu Item |
GRADES |
GRADES |
OPTIONAL |
|---|---|---|---|
Meat or Meat Alternate: Vegetable Chili (6 oz.) |
2 ounces |
2 ounces |
1 ½ ounces |
Vegetable: Fresh California Blend |
¼ to ½ cup |
½ cup |
¼ to ½ cup |
Fruit: Sliced Strawberries and |
¼ to ½ cup |
½ cup |
¼ to ½ cup |
Grains/Bread: Cornbread with Honey (1 piece = 1 Servings) |
12 servings per week – minimum of 1 serving per day |
15 servings per week – minimum of 1 serving per day |
10 servings per week – minimum of 1 serving per day |
Milk: As Beverage |
8 fluid ounces |
8 fluid ounces |
8 fluid ounces |
Menu Example 3: Chicken Nugget
Chicken Nugget with Locally Produced Honey and BBQ Sauce |
Chilled Peach Sauce |
Food Component and Menu Item |
GRADES |
GRADES |
OPTIONAL |
|---|---|---|---|
Meat or Meat Alternate: Chicken Nuggets |
2 ounces |
2 ounces |
1 ½ ounces |
Vegetable: Seasoned Peas and Carrots |
¼ to ½ cup |
½ cup |
¼ to ½ cup |
Fruit: Chilled Peach Sauce |
¼ to ½ cup |
½ cup |
¼ to ½ cup |
Grains/Bread: Wild Rice Blend
(1/2 cup = 1 Serving) |
12 servings per week – minimum of 1 serving per day |
15 servings per week – minimum of 1 serving per day |
10 servings per week – minimum of 1 serving per day |
Milk: As Beverage |
8 fluid ounces |
8 fluid ounces |
8 fluid ounces |
- One study showed that buckwheat honey was an effective alternative to a dextromethorphan (DM) cough syrup for children ages 2 to 18. The Food and Drug Administration now recommends that children under 6 should not receive over-the-counter cough medicines.
- People with mild glucose intolerance – mild diabetes or pre-diabetes – may tolerate honey better than either glucose or sucrose (table sugar).
- Substituting honey for sugar may lead to better blood sugar control by the body. Honey is a mixture of sugars, with about a 1:1 ratio of fructose to glucose. This is the ideal ratio for optimum storage of glycogen, the form of sugar in which energy is stored in the liver and in muscle cells. Stored glycogen keeps the body functioning between meals and while sleeping.
- Honey is a more concentrated form of sugar than white sugar and tastes sweeter to human taste buds than sugar, so you need to use less of it to achieve the same sweetness. About 3/4 cup of honey replaces one cup of sugar.
Sources:
World's Healthiest Foods, www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=96
Nutrition Data, www.nutritiondata.com/
Contact Farm to School Extension: 
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