Were you wondering which to choose--honey vs white sugar vs brown sugar? “Well, it’s natural,” you might say, “so it must be better.”
Let’s take a look and compare.
| Honey | White Sugar | Brown Sugar |
Calories per teaspoon | 22 | 16 | 17 |
Chemical makeup | mostly fructose and glucose | sucrose | sucrose |
What it becomes in your body | glucose | glucose | glucose |
What else is in it | very small amounts of vitamins and minerals | nothing | Molasses, very small amounts of minerals |
If you are aiming for the lowest calories, white sugar is the one, but the difference in calories per teaspoon between the three options is so little, I don't think that makes any difference to health. The amount of vitamins and minerals in honey and brown sugar are so small, that they frankly add an insignificant amount to what you eat in a day. If your goal is to eat more vitamins and minerals, have a fruit or vegetable as a snack, as honey and brown sugar are not good sources of those.
If you are wondering what to add to your tea or coffee, I would suggest choosing whichever one you like best. Although they differ slightly in calories and vitamins, in the scheme of things, a 6 calorie difference and a few micrograms of minerals is not going to alter much.
Good nutrition is not going to come from choosing honey or table sugar or brown sugar. Good nutrition involves an attitude you have when making food choices the entire day. Honey vs white sugar vs brown sugar--they are all similar enough!