Honey as a sweetner in small amounts

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KatTad77
KatTad77 Posts: 39 Member
edited May 2018 in Food and Nutrition
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.
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Replies

  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,325 Member
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    <3 love honey <3
  • KatTad77
    KatTad77 Posts: 39 Member
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    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
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
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    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.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    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
    KatTad77 Posts: 39 Member
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    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.
  • workinonit1956
    workinonit1956 Posts: 1,043 Member
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    If you like it and it fits in your calories, why not:). I love a bit of it on Greek yogurt.
  • MonkeyMel21
    MonkeyMel21 Posts: 2,388 Member
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    It's great! Get local honey and it'll help with some outdoor allergies as well :)
  • missysippy930
    missysippy930 Posts: 2,577 Member
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    Sure, use it and fit it into your calories for the day.
    All foods in moderation.
  • KatTad77
    KatTad77 Posts: 39 Member
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    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
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    edited May 2018
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    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.
  • LadyElectron
    LadyElectron Posts: 43 Member
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    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
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,365 Member
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    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
    dsboohead Posts: 1,900 Member
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    Use it but log the calories.
  • dsboohead
    dsboohead Posts: 1,900 Member
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    Honey 1tbsp is 60 cal.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
    edited May 2018
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    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!

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