Many people are aware of the fact that vegans do not eat any animal products like eggs, dairy, or meat. Nor, do they wear any types of clothing made of animal-based fabrics, especially cosmetics tested on animals, leather or wool materials. Yet, there are many people who are not aware of how honey fits into their vegan lifestyle. Specifically, when responding to questions like, is honey vegan?

First off, it is important for everyone to know that vegans’ main goal and objective is to minimize animal cruelty and exploitation. Therefore, it is not only what they believe but what they live by daily. Because honey comes from bees, which is an insect, the question is whether or not it is considered to be a part of the animal kingdom.

With that said, here is what everyone should know about how honey fits into veganism.

Most vegans do not consume honey as a part of their diet. On the other hand, some vegans that eat plant-based diets do consume honey regularly. And, here’s the rationale between the two groups of vegans.

Why most Vegans do not Consume Honey

Even though honey is not grouped into the classification of animal-based products, some vegans are against the exploitation of bees and the practices that commercial bee farmers use. This is normally because vegans do not see any differences between animal farming and bee farming.

For instance, commercial bee farmers may use unethical farming practices to increase the population of bees. In some cases, this may mean replacing the queen bee to feed a bee hive. Here are some of the options that they may employ to feed bees.

• Feed the bee hive carbohydrate and protein supplements
• Give bees substances that contain antibiotics or synthetic chemicals

Whatever the method or technique used, many vegans are opting out of eating honey and honey by-products to stop the exploitation of these bee hives from happening. For instance, here are a few of the most commonly known products that some vegans avoid altogether.

• Bee pollen
• Honey Combs
• Royal Jelly
• Propolis

Alternative Options to Eating Honey — Vegan Substitute for Honey

As you can see there are many different reasons why some vegans do not consume honey. However, it does not stop them from wanting to replace the sweetness of honey with a substitute.

Therefore, here are some of the alternative vegan eat honey choices that they may eat instead.

Maple Syrup

Maple syrup is produced from the sap of the maple tree. It is normally a great all natural substitute because it is packed with vitamins, minerals and more than 20 antioxidants.

Barley Malt Syrup

Similar to the flavor of black strap syrup, this sweetener is golden in color that comes from barley that is sprouted.

Brown Rice or Malt Syrup

Brown rice Is described as a dark thick color that has been from exposed brown rice.

Bee Free Honee

A sweetener that is composed of fresh lemon, sugar, and apples. Most people say that this alternative actually looks and feels just like honey.

Date Syrup

Extracted from cooked dates or from dates boiled in water.

Black Strapped Molasses

Molasses that is rich in calcium and iron. Created from sugar juice that is boiled at least 3 times.

Top Reasons why Honey is Not Vegan

By definition, honey is not considered to be a part of the vegan diet. This is primarily because honey is produced by a processes listed below.

• Partially digested nectar is taken back to the hive to be regurgitated
• Beeswax honeycomb is sealed by the worker bees
• The storage of the beeswax helps bees to survive throughout the winter season
• Small drops of the nectar are used to make the honey
• Queen bees and their bees in the hive use these tiny drops during their period of hibernation.
• Bee Keepers rob the hives of these supplies before the winter months

Some vegans will not consume any honey in the dishes that they make. In fact, some vegan activists may protest about bee keeping practices that do not involve taking care of the bee’s health properly.

Vegans are against all Forms of commercial exploitation

Most vegans are against every form of commercial exploitation that affects the health of animals. Therefore, the honey that comes from bee hives is not excluded from the list of non-consumables. This is also why sweetener substitutes like maple syrup are being used as alternatives today.

Even though this is true, it is also important to note that there other common practices used outside of commercially based methods.

So, for those of you who are interested, here is what you need to know about organic and natural practices that many beekeepers still use today. These sustainable processes are known as animal friendly.

Which Vegans Eat Honey

Do vegans eat honey? Not all vegans eat the same diet. In fact, some vegans will add honey to the dishes that they prepare for themselves and others. You can also tell the difference between people that do eat honey and those that do not.

For instance, people who eat honey are called beegans. And, interestingly enough, this is the group that does not exclude any of the following bee-derived products.

• Honey
• Bee pollen
• Mead
• Propolis
• Royal jelly
• Beeswax

Conclusion

When you do your research, you will most likely find a large host of information on topics like veganism online. And, you will have an opportunity to learn what vegans eat on their diets.

In many cases, vegans eliminate a variety of different items from their food choices. Some of the most commonly known and notable are meats, dairy, and eggs. This is because these foods have been linked to issues like animal exploitation.

Therefore, when people ask questions like, is honey vegan, they may receive more than one response. This is often because some vegans eat honey, while others do not.

The people that do not eat honey are those that do not want to consume animals that have been exploited. Others may eat honey, especially if the processes that they practice are organic or all natural.