Honey vs Sugar in my morning Oatmeal

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Replies

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    honey has sugar in it ...they are one in the same..

    use whatever fits into your goals for the day.
  • kampshoff
    kampshoff Posts: 133 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Keep in mind that 90% of commercial honey isn't even real honey anymore though... so unless you buy the local stuff, it's probably the same.

    My Target-brand honey, which is decidedly not local, is labeled "Pure Honey" and apparently doesn't even need an ingredients list because it is labeled as such. No CS, HF or otherwise, in there, as far as I can tell.

    Is Target lying to me? (I would have bought the local stuff, but it was all gone...)
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    kampshoff wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Keep in mind that 90% of commercial honey isn't even real honey anymore though... so unless you buy the local stuff, it's probably the same.

    My Target-brand honey, which is decidedly not local, is labeled "Pure Honey" and apparently doesn't even need an ingredients list because it is labeled as such. No CS, HF or otherwise, in there, as far as I can tell.

    Is Target lying to me? (I would have bought the local stuff, but it was all gone...)

    "Pure" according to the u.s. gov means the food has one ingredient. Most likely your honey is all honey and nothing else.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Keep in mind that 90% of commercial honey isn't even real honey anymore though... so unless you buy the local stuff, it's probably the same.

    I call humbug.
    http://www.beekeeping.com/articles/us/honey_quality.htm
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Raw honey will have some nutrients that granulated white sugar does not have ....

    Yeah, and it may also be contaminated with botulism.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    It does help to know the beekeeper. My local honey guy has deals with farmers and places his hives in various orchards and fields to help the farmers get a better fertilization rate. The honey guy then knows where his bees have been and the honey takes on the flavor of the pollen they have been collecting. My favorite is his pumpkin honey which has a slight pumpkin taste to it. Also his chokecherry honey which is a touch sweet-sour. If his bees have been all over or he can't distinguish the pollen, it goes under the generic heading "wildflower" which is the majority of what his bees produce.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited April 2015
    However, 1.5 tsp of sugar is 3g and 1.5 tsp of honey is 10.5g, so the actual amount of micro nutrients you are receiving is negligible.

    This is what I see as the key point. It makes no difference.

    Personally, I prefer it with just berries or bananas and without any sweetener. (The fruit adds more calories than some sugar would, but I like bigger breakfasts anyway.) If I'm going to add something with a little sweetener my personal choice currently is a vanilla whey protein (and the berries), which has the added benefit of, well, protein.
  • OldHobo
    OldHobo Posts: 647 Member
    Well...

    ...


    So, yes, honey is significantly healthier for you than granulated sugar.

    However, 1.5 tsp of sugar is 3g and 1.5 tsp of honey is 10.5g, so the actual amount of micro nutrients you are receiving is negligible.

    Source: http://nutritiondata.self.com/

    Thanks for the nutritional comparison.

    Weight to volume comparison is incorrect.
    1.5 teaspoons honey weighs 10.62 grams.
    1.5 teaspoons granulated sugar weighs 6.75 grams.

    Honey is a little heavier than sugar but not 3 1/2 times heavier.
  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,301 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Keep in mind that 90% of commercial honey isn't even real honey anymore though... so unless you buy the local stuff, it's probably the same.

    90%?!? Did you find a pink moon beam beside this stat?!? 90 percent?!? IDK seems unrealistic.

  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,301 Member
    OP--sorry--honey for me. Tastes better in oatmeal IMO. But maybe you'll like both.
  • Sarasmaintaining
    Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Keep in mind that 90% of commercial honey isn't even real honey anymore though... so unless you buy the local stuff, it's probably the same.

    This. I find local honey in the summer, at an insane price, and I always buy one container as a treat because I like the taste of it. But that's all it is-a taste preference thing.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Keep in mind that 90% of commercial honey isn't even real honey anymore though... so unless you buy the local stuff, it's probably the same.

    This. I find local honey in the summer, at an insane price, and I always buy one container as a treat because I like the taste of it. But that's all it is-a taste preference thing.

    Really? I get it for about $8 a pint. I don't use it much (not a huge fan of the taste but I do use it in my whole wheat bread) so a pint lasts me all year.

  • Sarasmaintaining
    Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
    earlnabby wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Keep in mind that 90% of commercial honey isn't even real honey anymore though... so unless you buy the local stuff, it's probably the same.

    This. I find local honey in the summer, at an insane price, and I always buy one container as a treat because I like the taste of it. But that's all it is-a taste preference thing.

    Really? I get it for about $8 a pint. I don't use it much (not a huge fan of the taste but I do use it in my whole wheat bread) so a pint lasts me all year.

    Last year I think I spent $12 for a small container of local, raw honey and it did not last long lol.
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    jgnatca wrote: »
    Raw honey will have some nutrients that granulated white sugar does not have ....

    Yeah, and it may also be contaminated with botulism.

    If you read the article, it says it can only have an effect on infants.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    jgnatca wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Keep in mind that 90% of commercial honey isn't even real honey anymore though... so unless you buy the local stuff, it's probably the same.

    I call humbug.
    http://www.beekeeping.com/articles/us/honey_quality.htm

    That's a European article.

    This is a couple years old but heck

    http://www.naturalnews.com/040520_honey_supermarkets_counterfeit_food.html
  • FunkyTobias
    FunkyTobias Posts: 1,776 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    jgnatca wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Keep in mind that 90% of commercial honey isn't even real honey anymore though... so unless you buy the local stuff, it's probably the same.

    I call humbug.
    http://www.beekeeping.com/articles/us/honey_quality.htm

    That's a European article.

    This is a couple years old but heck

    http://www.naturalnews.com/040520_honey_supermarkets_counterfeit_food.html

    LOL@NaturalNews.

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    edited April 2015
    Francl27 wrote: »
    jgnatca wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Keep in mind that 90% of commercial honey isn't even real honey anymore though... so unless you buy the local stuff, it's probably the same.

    I call humbug.
    http://www.beekeeping.com/articles/us/honey_quality.htm

    That's a European article.

    This is a couple years old but heck

    http://www.naturalnews.com/040520_honey_supermarkets_counterfeit_food.html

    LOL@NaturalNews.

    Haha well, yeah. I know. But it was based on other articles from other sources, so there's that.

    I would love to find a more recent article though.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    jgnatca wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Keep in mind that 90% of commercial honey isn't even real honey anymore though... so unless you buy the local stuff, it's probably the same.

    I call humbug.
    http://www.beekeeping.com/articles/us/honey_quality.htm

    That's a European article.

    This is a couple years old but heck

    http://www.naturalnews.com/040520_honey_supermarkets_counterfeit_food.html

    Then there is this: npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2011/11/25/142659547/relax-folks-it-really-is-honey-after-all

  • FunkyTobias
    FunkyTobias Posts: 1,776 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    jgnatca wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Keep in mind that 90% of commercial honey isn't even real honey anymore though... so unless you buy the local stuff, it's probably the same.

    I call humbug.
    http://www.beekeeping.com/articles/us/honey_quality.htm

    That's a European article.

    This is a couple years old but heck

    http://www.naturalnews.com/040520_honey_supermarkets_counterfeit_food.html

    LOL@NaturalNews.

    Haha well, yeah. I know. But it was based on other articles from other sources, so there's that.
    .

    None of them reputable.




  • Sweets1954
    Sweets1954 Posts: 507 Member
    Personally I prefer honey over sugar just because I think it tastes better. If I use sugar I will use brown sugar for the same reason. Maple syrup is another good sweetener option. I also use honey in my tea. There are also more trace minerals in honey that sugar doesn't have but I don't think it's a deciding factor.
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
    I tried using honey for my tea but wasn't really satisfied. I prefer brown sugar for flavor.

    I do keep some honey around for recipes and for homemade scrubs.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    I tried using honey for my tea but wasn't really satisfied. I prefer brown sugar for flavor.

    I do keep some honey around for recipes and for homemade scrubs.

    I prefer demerara sugar which is in between. Brown sugar is too strongly flavored for tea, as is honey, but the demerara gives a little extra richness compared to table sugar.

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    earlnabby wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    jgnatca wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Keep in mind that 90% of commercial honey isn't even real honey anymore though... so unless you buy the local stuff, it's probably the same.

    I call humbug.
    http://www.beekeeping.com/articles/us/honey_quality.htm

    That's a European article.

    This is a couple years old but heck

    http://www.naturalnews.com/040520_honey_supermarkets_counterfeit_food.html

    Then there is this: npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2011/11/25/142659547/relax-folks-it-really-is-honey-after-all

    Ok well that would be nice. I wish there were more reputable links though, it's hard to know what to believe...
  • Sarasmaintaining
    Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
    I tried using honey for my tea but wasn't really satisfied. I prefer brown sugar for flavor.

    I do keep some honey around for recipes and for homemade scrubs.

    Oooh, I never thought to use brown sugar in my tea, going to try that next time :)
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    earlnabby wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    jgnatca wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Keep in mind that 90% of commercial honey isn't even real honey anymore though... so unless you buy the local stuff, it's probably the same.

    I call humbug.
    http://www.beekeeping.com/articles/us/honey_quality.htm

    That's a European article.

    This is a couple years old but heck

    http://www.naturalnews.com/040520_honey_supermarkets_counterfeit_food.html

    Then there is this: npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2011/11/25/142659547/relax-folks-it-really-is-honey-after-all

    Ok well that would be nice. I wish there were more reputable links though, it's hard to know what to believe...

    Considering it was a direct rebuttal to the "Food Safety News" article claiming that grocery store honey isn't really honey and, to quote from the article "We talked to honey companies, academic experts, and one of the world's top honey laboratories in Germany. The closer we looked, the more misleading the story in Food Safety News seemed" it seems to have a little more authority than the original article.

  • FluffySandwich
    FluffySandwich Posts: 1,293 Member
    I prefer honey for the taste :yum: Maple syrup (not the fake kind!) is also really good in oatmeal.
  • CoffeeNBooze
    CoffeeNBooze Posts: 966 Member
    I prefer brown sugar. I put two tablespoons in my oatmeal the other day and it was great. I don't think I'd like honey as much. It's up to you; I don't consider one better than the other. Depends on your goals. If you are simply trying to lose weight just monitor your calories for the day as usual!
  • kindrabbit
    kindrabbit Posts: 837 Member
    edited April 2015
    I use agave nectar. I always assumed it was healthier that white sugar. I'm going to look into it in more detail now.

    Eta I compared 8g of each. 26 cals in nectar compared to 28 in the honey. 6.2g carbs in nectar compared to 8g in honey.

    For the record I love golden syrup in my oats but not enough to use so many calories.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    I use agave nectar. I always assumed it was healthier that white sugar. I'm going to look into it in more detail now.

    Eta I compared 8g of each. 26 cals in nectar compared to 28 in the honey. 6.2g carbs in nectar compared to 8g in honey.

    For the record I love golden syrup in my oats but not enough to use so many calories.

    Agave nectar has a profile similar to HFCS, just a little higher in fructose.