At first glance, that can feel disappointing. Honey has become shorthand for wholesome eating in a way white sugar never has.<\/p>\n
But that doesn\u2019t mean honey belongs in the nutritional sin bin.<\/p>\n
Sekula says honey can absolutely have a place in healthy eating \u2013 particularly when used to add flavour to otherwise nourishing foods such as natural yoghurt, porridge, dressings or roasted vegetables.<\/p>\n
The overall quality and composition of what you\u2019re eating matters more than whether the sweetener came from a sugar packet or a hive.<\/p>\n
So \u2026 is honey healthier than sugar?<\/p>\n
This is where many of us may need a slight recalibration.<\/p>\n
Most people assume swapping sugar for honey automatically improves a recipe. But, nutritionally, the difference is smaller than many of us think.<\/p>\n
Honey does contain small amounts of naturally occurring compounds, particularly in darker or less processed varieties, but your body still processes it as a source of sugar.<\/p>\n
Dietitian NZ\u2019s Lily Henderson notes that honey is classified as a free sugar \u2013 the same category that includes sugars added to packaged foods and drinks, as well as sugars naturally present in syrups and fruit juice.<\/p>\n
That doesn\u2019t mean there\u2019s no reason to choose it.<\/p>\n
Honey brings flavour, aroma and texture in a way white sugar doesn\u2019t. It can also make nutritious foods more enjoyable to eat.<\/p>\n
But replacing sugar with honey alone is unlikely to dramatically change the nutritional profile of a recipe.<\/p>\n
If your homemade snack is packed with oats, nuts, seeds, chickpeas or fruit, those ingredients are probably doing more of the nutritional heavy lifting than the honey.<\/p>\n
Honey may deserve slightly more credit when it comes to enjoyment.<\/p>\n
Food choices rarely happen in isolation. A drizzle of honey over plain yoghurt, oats or fruit may encourage someone to eat a more satisfying breakfast. Honey can add flavour, moisture and texture to cooking in a way that makes whole foods more appealing.<\/p>\n
If replacing refined sugar with honey means cooking more at home, eating more foods based around whole ingredients or enjoying healthier meals without feeling deprived, that may still be a positive shift overall.<\/p>\n
The key distinction is that the benefit is likely coming from the overall eating pattern \u2013 not because honey itself becomes a nutritional free pass.<\/p>\n
Honey’s flavour can make both sweet and savoury dishes sing. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
What do all the honey labels mean?<\/p>\n
Many honey labels sound more meaningful than they really are.<\/p>\n
Creamed honey isn\u2019t cream added to honey \u2013 it\u2019s simply honey that has been controlled during crystallisation to create a smooth, spreadable texture.<\/p>\n
Runny honey is more fluid, depending on the floral source and processing.<\/p>\n
Raw honey undergoes less processing and heating, but Henderson says the nutritional differences compared with standard supermarket honey are unlikely to be significant for most people.<\/p>\n
Monofloral honeys come mainly from one floral source (such as m\u0101nuka), while multifloral honeys are blended across multiple sources.<\/p>\n
For everyday eating, these differences are more about flavour, texture and price than nutrition. In other words: choose based on taste and intended use rather than assuming one style is automatically healthier.<\/p>\n
A honey bee pollinating a kiwifruit flower. Photo \/ Jody Mitchell<\/p>\n
Why does m\u0101nuka cost so much?<\/p>\n
If there\u2019s one category capable of causing decision paralysis, it\u2019s m\u0101nuka honey.<\/a><\/p>\n Prices can be astronomical \u2013 a jar of NZ\u2019s M\u0101nuka South honey was selling for \u00a32000 ($4600) in April at London luxury department store Harrod\u2019s. The pricetag wasn\u2019t only because of the jar\u2019s contents, however; it came in handcrafted wooden cases with Italian leather linings and 18-carat antique gold detailing.<\/p>\n