Honey as a sweetner in small amounts

KatTad77

I love honey as a sweetner and I feel its better than regular sugar or artificial sweetner. As anything it's all about moderation. I usually use 1tsp in my oatmeal. However when researching this experts I have read fall into two categories. Those you feel that you should avoid honey when trying to lose weight and some who feel a small amount is actually good and provides needed vitamins. How do you guys feel? Is it okay to use honey in small amounts? Thank you.

cmh308

It's fine in any amount that fits a balanced diet and meets your caloric needs. Just like using sugar or artificial sweeteners. Your body doesn't know the difference between them.

livingleanlivingclean

Honey is sugar - 1tsp is going to provide little to no micronutrient benefit compared to table sugar. Use what you prefer, or what works best in the preparation it's being used in.

urloved33

love honey

KatTad77

livingleanlivingclean wrote: »

Honey is sugar - 1tsp is going to provide little to no micronutrient benefit compared to table sugar. Use what you prefer, or what works best in the preparation it's being used in.

Yeah, this is what I was thinking as well but I have become someone who researches everything I eat now. I am not entirely sure if that's good or bad.

rsclause

I just heard this about honey. You need to buy local honey because the bees use local pollen. Eating the honey helps reduce the allergic reaction to pollen by exposing you to it. I decided to give it a try when I can find a good source. It's worth a shot.

livingleanlivingclean

KatTad77 wrote: »

livingleanlivingclean wrote: »

Honey is sugar - 1tsp is going to provide little to no micronutrient benefit compared to table sugar. Use what you prefer, or what works best in the preparation it's being used in.

Yeah, this is what I was thinking as well but I have become someone who researches everything I eat now. I am not entirely sure if that's good or bad.

IMO (from experience), stressing over every little thing you eat isn't good...

jgnatca

I disagree with both “experts”. Honey is a carb like any other. Make sure it fits in your overall plan. Honey is almost 40% fructose which means you can use less for the same sweetness.

The proportion of micronutrient isn’t worth counting.

KatTad77

rsclause wrote: »

I just heard this about honey. You need to buy local honey because the bees use local pollen. Eating the honey helps reduce the allergic reaction to pollen by exposing you to it. I decided to give it a try when I can find a good source. It's worth a shot.

Yeah I just moved from Texas to California and I was told by one of my producers to take one tsp of honey from a local area for about a month and my allergy should be better.

J72FIT

Sugar is sugar, use what you like...

workinonit1956

If you like it and it fits in your calories, why not:). I love a bit of it on Greek yogurt.

MonkeyMel21

It's great! Get local honey and it'll help with some outdoor allergies as well

missysippy930

Sure, use it and fit it into your calories for the day.
All foods in moderation.

KatTad77

Thanks guys!! I love peanut butter and honey together but I haven't been doing it lately because I fear it may turn on a switch in my brain that is better not turned on if I want to lose weight but with the pbfit I just found I may go back to allowing myself a tablespoon of pbfit and teaspoon of honey on occasion as a treat.

NovusDies

KatTad77 wrote: »

Yeah, this is what I was thinking as well but I have become someone who researches everything I eat now. I am not entirely sure if that's good or bad.

As long as you use common sense because for all the positive information out there you will find plenty of negative and then disregard the outlandish claims. Yes, historically honey was once used on wounds in battles but that was before modern medicine and it doesn't give it crazy powers. I am not sure about the local honey and allergy thing. I have heard it a million times. It might be true, it might be an old wife's tale, or both.

I generally only research food when I am looking for inspiration to either try something new or remember an old item I haven't had in awhile to put on the grocery list. I might look for food lists high fiber or high in a certain micronutrient. Lately I have eaten more dishes that feature parsnips but I am about ready to give those a break. I don't obsess over any of it and I might look for ideas once or twice a month tops.

amusedmonkey

Yeah, this is what I was thinking as well but I have become someone who researches everything I eat now. I am not entirely sure if that's good or bad. [/quote]

That's unnecessary. No food, and I mean none, will affect your diet negatively without context. No food will affect it positively without context either (no, kale will not make your diet magically work). Honey is bad if you eat jars of it and can't stop, honey is good if the amount you eat fits into a balanced diet. Honey is bad if you're allergic to it, honey is good if it makes your food taste better. It's all about context.

Researching everything you put in your mouth will accomplish nothing but make you confused, afraid, compelled to eat things you don't like, and overall uncomfortable with your diet. The best thing you can do for dieting is to normalize food. Don't sensationalize it or be afraid of it. The less you stress about your eating the more likely you are to acquire good eating habits. Living in fear of food is no way to live, and it only strengthens the negative mental connections around food.

Do you know how many thin people eat honey? Do you know how many thin people eat pizza, ice cream, cookies, kale, carbs, fat, gluten, and whatever the hell they want? The only thing they have in common is that they don't overeat consistently, although they may overeat occasionally. Specific foods mean nothing out of context.

ETA: as to your original question, neither of the opinions you've been reading is correct. You don't need to avoid honey, and it doesn't provide any meaningful amount of vitamins unless you're eating jars of it.

LadyElectron

I think honey is a great sweetener because it is flavorful and you don’t need much of it, and local raw or whipped honey is a special treat to me because it is even more flavorful!

When you’re talking about benefits and safety of foods, i think its great to do your own research but it’s also really important not to get hung up on the small stuff (like a few teaspoons of honey, here and there). Especially since most of us ignore the big stuff that really can be bad for you. for example, over consumption of alcohol is frequently linked to cancer and other problems, but people will happily drink tons wine with their organic kale salads, or ignore food safety rules and eat food that’s been left out at room temperature for hours even though that puts you at risk for food poisoning (which really does kill a lot of people every year, albeit usually the very young and very old). Or we forget that one of the simplest and easiest ways for most people to cut calorie consumption is to simply eat more veggies! Good luck!

ccrdragon

Other than being a sweetener, the vitamins and minerals found in honey are greatly over-hyped:

Amounts per 1 tbsp (21g)

Calorie Information
Amounts Per Selected Serving%DV
Calories63.8(267 kJ)3%
From Carbohydrate63.6(266 kJ)
From Fat0.0(0.0 kJ)
From Protein0.2(0.8 kJ)
From Alcohol0.0(0.0 kJ)
Carbohydrates
Amounts Per Selected Serving%DV
Total Carbohydrate17.3g6%
Dietary Fiber0.0g0%
Starch~
Sugars17.2g

Fats & Fatty Acids
Amounts Per Selected Serving%DV
Total Fat0.0g0%

Protein & Amino Acids
Amounts Per Selected Serving%DV
Protein 0.1g0%

Vitamins
Amounts Per Selected Serving%DV
Vitamin A 0.0IU0%
Vitamin C 0.1mg0%
Vitamin D ~ ~
Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol) 0.0mg0%
Vitamin K 0.0mcg0%
Thiamin 0.0mg0%
Riboflavin 0.0mg0%
Niacin 0.0mg0%
Vitamin B6 0.0mg0%
Folate 0.4mcg0%
Vitamin B12 0.0mcg0%
Pantothenic Acid 0.0mg0%
Choline 0.5mg
Betaine 0.4mg

Minerals
Amounts Per Selected Serving%DV
Calcium 1.3mg0%
Iron 0.1mg0%
Magnesium 0.4mg0%
Phosphorus 0.8mg0%
Potassium 10.9mg0%
Sodium 0.8mg0%
Zinc 0.0mg0%
Copper 0.0mg0%
Manganese 0.0mg1%
Selenium 0.2mcg0%
Fluoride 1.5mcg

Other
Amounts Per Selected Serving%DV
Alcohol 0.0g
Water 3.6g
Ash 0.0g
Caffeine 0.0mg
Theobromine 0.0mg

dsboohead

Use it but log the calories.

dsboohead

Honey 1tbsp is 60 cal.

kimny72

Log it. Will you stay in your calorie goal? Then it's fine. If you can't, it's not.
Whether you use table sugar, local honey, or non-GMO angel-tear-infused agave syrup, it has calories and calories is all that matters for weight loss. I'm no doctor or dietician, so the affects on your health may or may not be a different issue. From most of what I've heard, the health benefits of honey are murky and anecdotal, and the nutrition is in relatively trace amounts. I think it tastes better in tea though!

Lounmoun

Use what you prefer and log the calories.
I use honey and regular sugar in cooking.

paperpudding

I like honey - as a sweetener, only use it occasionally in teas.

But I do like it on toast or crumpets and sometimes in recipes like honeyed chicken.

ninjamere1

I love honey. I use local wildflower honey because the flavor is much stronger so I can use less. I get it at small local owned stores or farmers markets. Seems expensive at $10-12 a jar until you realize how long it can last.

WholeFoods4Lyfe

I use local raw honey in my tea and on the rare occasion that I bake.