You can stop feeling guilty about using refined sugar

Honey, maple syrup and table sugar aren’t exactly the same, but they’re all mostly sugar. And whether that sugar comes from a “natural” or refined source, your body still processes it as sugar [1-4].

You may have heard that honey and maple syrup are better choices because they contain vitamins, minerals and other beneficial compounds. And technically, they do. But the amounts you get from the small quantities typically used in a recipe are minimal. They’re not a meaningful source of nutrition [2-4].

What about blood sugar? The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food can raise your blood sugar. Honey and maple syrup generally have a slightly lower GI than table sugar. A lower GI can be useful in some contexts, including for people managing diabetes. But the difference between these sugar sources is small, and it’s only one piece of the puzzle. What you eat with them and how much you eat also matters [1-3,5-7].

So, should you use honey, maple syrup or table sugar?

Honestly, choose based on taste, texture and price. Maple syrup can add a lovely flavour. Honey can change the texture of a recipe. And table sugar is often much cheaper.

There’s no need to spend more money on a sweetener because you think it makes your baking healthier [1].

Using refined sugar in your muffins doesn’t mean you’ve made a “bad” choice. Sometimes, sugar is just sugar, and that’s okay. ❤️