I can resist everything except temptation.

Oscar Wilde

Sweet taste is a temptation many yield to. Discover the way to turn it into something not completely unhealthy!

Some people love their coffee or tea to be sweet. Since we know that sugar is not our best friend, it’s good to know what kind of sweetener to use for your drink: natural sugars, natural sweeteners, or maybe even artificial sweeteners (so called non-nutritive sweeteners). Many people try to avoid artificial sweeteners, as they have a bad reputation. They still prefer sugar. But is sugar the best choice? Have a look at the chart below, which shows a comparison of sugar and natural sweeteners that are typically used to sweeten coffee or tea.

All nutrient values per 20g (5 teaspoonful).

Nutrients	unit	Sucrose	Honey	Maple syrup
Water	g	0	3.42	6.48
Energy	Kcal	77	61	52
Protein	g	0	0.06	0.01
Total lipid	g	0	0	0.01
Carbohydrate	g	20	16.48	13.41
Fiber	g	0	0	0
Sugars total	g	19.96	16.42	12.09
Calcium	mg	0	1	20
Iron	mg	0.01	0.08	0.02
Magnesium	mg	0	0	4
Phosphorus	mg	0	1	0
Potassium	mg	0	10	42
Sodium	mg	0	1	2
Zinc	mg	0	0.04	0.29
Vitamin C	mg	0	0.1	0
Vitamin B1	mg	0	0	0.013
Vitamin B2	mg	0	0.008	0.254
Vitamin B3	mg	0.004	0.024	0.016
Vitamin B6	mg	0	0.005	0
Folate DFE	µg	0	0	0
Vitamin B12	µg	0	0	0
Vitamin A, RAE	µg	0	0	0
Vitamin A, IU	IU	0	0	0
Vitamin E	mg	0	0	0
Vitamin D (D2+D3)	µg	0	0	0
Vitamin D	IU	0	0	0
Vitamin K	µg	0	0	0
Fatty acids, total saturated	g	0	0	0.001
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	g	0	0	0.002
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	g	0	0	0.003
Cholesterol	mg	0	0	0
Caffeine	mg	0	0	0

Source: ndb.nal.usda.gov

Source: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/

The glycemic indexes of sucrose, honey, and maple syrup are all very similar. However, the variety of nutrients in honey and maple syrup makes them a much better choice (to use in moderation).