Plants that flower, especially native varieties, should be easy for you to get your hands on. Simply ask for those grown in your particular region. Native flowering plants won’t be difficult to grow either at your location because of their suitability to the local climatic and geographical conditions.

Honey bees love a variety of flower species because they are flat, open, and tubular in structure. Therefore, The flower shapes make it easy for bees to enter and ensure that pollen brushes on their bodies. They also have bright colors and exotic scents, which are particularly appealing to the honey bee. They love purple, blue, and yellow flowers the most.

It won’t be difficult to find or grow flowering plant species because they can thrive in most living conditions. You can check out the local nursery to see what varieties are available. A website such as Native Plant Finder could be a useful guide in figuring out which flowering plants native to your region perfect for attracting pollinators.

Great options for some of the best flowers that attract bees include:

Bees indeed love sweet nectar, but they’re suckers for mint too! It does not matter which variety of mint it is: catnip, apple mint, chocolate mint, spearmint, or even peppermint – bees love them all. You don’t want to go overboard with mint, so plant them around your flowering species. You'll also taste the difference if you’re lucky enough to have local honey bees.

Another good reason to grow these bee plants is that they’re fairly easy to maintain. They’re also a multi-purpose culinary herb, meaning you can use them for cooking purposes.

This aromatic herb can be used to add flavor to several beverages and pack a punch in dessert recipes. Don’t shy away from growing mint varieties (even lemon balm, which technically falls in the mint family) because of the benefits they hold for both you and your bees!

Apart from mint, other herb varieties such as borage, thyme, and rosemary deserve a mention of their own. Rosemary is a bee favorite because of the differently colored flowers it has to offer in the spring season. There are several different types of rosemary herbs, all attracting bees equally well.

Certain vegetable species produce different male and female flowers that bees can help pollinate when they come to gather nectar. This is true for vegetables like pumpkins, melons, squashes, and cucumbers which develop long vines as they grow, sprouting flowers as they do so that bees can be drawn to them for pollination.

Bees also enjoy flowers produced by vegetables such as onions, cauliflower, and chives. You could maintain a vegetable garden that is also bee-friendly, one in which you can grow regular kitchen-use greens.

Bees enjoy the flowers of almost every fruit tree because of the steady supply of nectar that they have to offer. Choose fruit trees that produce a lot of flowers, and have variety in fruit trees as well.

For the summer, apple and cherry trees make for a big hit with bees because of the large colorful blossoms. In fall, you can grow plum and peach trees that bloom later but are attractive to your little bee friends.

No list of bee favorites is complete without the mention of the iconic calendula flower. The flower is noticeable from afar due to its vivid orange and yellow appearance, making it more attractive to bees.

It produces nectar and pollen, which interests bees and gives off a good scent. Plus, it’s great for your garden’s aesthetics because the plant is quite appealing. Additionally, calendula is a very low-maintenance plant, and while it enjoys mild climates the most, it will also go through some harsh winters.

The plant will also grow itself because it is a self-seeding variety – so you don’t have to worry about growing bunches every season.

For a long time, homeopathic medicine has used Calendula, and it has pharmaceutical properties as well. This edible plant makes calendula tea, calendula shortbread cookies, and calendula cupcake sprinkles. Planting these in your bee-friendly garden can yield benefits for both of you.

One of the most sustainable foods we consume is leafy greens. Leafy greens are vegetables we consume often because it is one of the best environmentally friendly foods with lots of nutrients. There are different types of leafy vegetables. 

They are lettuce, spinach, kale, cabbage, and Bok Choy. Other leafy vegetables include broccoli, watercress, arugula, radicchio, and microgreens. Leafy greens are rich in Vitamins A, C, E, and K. Vegetables like broccoli, bok choy, and mustard contain B vitamins and potassium. Leafy vegetables are rich in carotenoids and antioxidants that protect the cells and block cancer cells in their early stages. They also have high quantities of fiber, iron, magnesium, and calcium. 

Leafy vegetables are the most sought-after food in the food system because they have low quantities of carbohydrates, sodium, and cholesterol. Consuming these vegetables protects human health from heart disease, stroke, and cancer. The high levels of B vitamins improve your heart health and prevent certain congenital disabilities. 

Osteoporosis is a bone disease that occurs when bone mineral density and mass are reduced. It also refers to the change in the structure and strength of the bone. Vitamin K helps protect the bones in the body from osteoporosis and prevents the occurrence of inflammatory diseases.

The fresh produce helps reduce bloating and relieve stress. Consuming any of the leafy vegetables supports your gut health and immune system. These are sustainable foods to include in your diet to ensure you're eating sustainably. Green vegetables are a staple in vegan diets.

Fruits are one of the most sustainable foods. You can include them in plant-based diets or meat-based meals. Although fruits have high nutritional value, some have a negative environmental impact. Some fruits like avocado, pineapples, peaches, bananas, and strawberries need enormous amounts of water to grow. They also have a high carbon footprint and use chemical pesticides that harm soil health.

You can eat sustainably by purchasing fruits grown in your local community. These fresh fruits didn't go through the rigors of transportation, thus reducing their environmental footprint. Also, buying fruits grown locally helps us eat seasonally. Some fruits only grow during the summer or fall season. We refer to these fruits as seasonal fruits. 

Another reason to include locally grown fruits in your sustainable food list is the high quality of nutrients they provide. Local fruits have more nutrients because the transit period between harvest and your table or freezer is minimal. Their nutrient value is still intact and barely reduced. Seasonal produce imported from another country loses some nutrients, if not all, because of the long time it spends on trucks and distribution centers.

Also, consuming organic fruits grown in local communities supports the economy. Local farmers reinvest the money into the community to grow more fruits. You can converse with local farmers and learn about their sustainable agriculture practices. Overall, consuming fruits grown in local communities is safe and healthy.

Edible mushrooms are one of the most sustainable foods in the food chain. Some examples of edible mushrooms are oyster, button, crimini, shiitake, maitake, and morel mushrooms. They are rich in proteins, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds.

Mushrooms are sustainable foods because they help us recycle waste. For instance, oyster mushrooms can grow on waste products like recyclable paper, coffee waste, cotton seed hulls, cocoa hulls, and banana leaves.

Shiitake mushrooms grow on wood, wood products, and wood waste. We advise you to add mushrooms to your diet if you want to eat sustainably because they have a higher yield return than other vegetables. For instance, you can harvest oyster mushrooms within a month of cultivation.

Also, cultivating mushrooms is not overly expensive. You can build a mushroom-growing house with cost-effective materials on a small parcel of land. Mushroom beds are stacked vertically in growing facilities to harvest more mushrooms. Farmers can get 7.1 pounds of mushrooms per square foot. Also, mushrooms use minimal water and energy for growth.

In the sustainable food system, mushrooms are a great source4 of plant-based protein. They also contain B vitamins, C, copper, potassium, niacin, calcium, and zinc. These nutrients improve heart health. Potassium regulates blood pressure, reducing the risk of high blood pressure.

Figs are soft fruits with thin skin. The skin can be purple or green, but the flesh is red. Figs are one of the most sustainable foods because you can eat every part of the fruit, including the bark. They also contain essential nutrients needed by the human body. 

These nutrients are fat, carbohydrates, calories, riboflavin, potassium, vitamin B6, Vitamin K, magnesium, and thiamine. The nutrient content in fresh figs is different from that of dry figs. For instance, dry figs are rich in calories and sugar. Eating figs improves digestive health.

They have fiber, which helps soften or add bulk to stools, reducing constipation. Research shows figs reduce pain and bloating in the digestive system.

Figs fit right into the sustainable food system because they have a low environmental impact on land and water. It is mainly because of the minimal use of fertilizers and pesticides. Figs also have a minimal carbon footprint. Fig trees contribute to the environment by providing habitats and food for various animals. They also help stabilize the soil and control emotions.

Mussels, known as clams,  are freshwater organisms with two hard external shells. The edible part of mussels contains 80% water, 9-13% protein, 0-2% fat, and 1-7% glycogen. Some people eat them raw, while others like them lightly cooked.

Mussels have a positive environmental impact that makes them sustainable. Their ecological role in the environment earned them the name of ecosystem engineers. They modify an aquatic habitat to make it more suitable for them6. They also provide nutrients for marine plants, invertebrates, and fish. 

They consume organic matter from water columns and process it to build their body and strength before excreting. Their excretion is food for invertebrates, fish, and other marine organisms. Furthermore, the mussel's shell is a substrate for algae and insect larvae to attach to.