Food Fight: Agave vs. Honey

This is going to be our toughest food fight yet! Two natural sweeteners pitted against each other – it’s a very difficult decision.

Agave

Most agave nectar is produced from the blue agave plant grown in desert regions like the hilly areas in Mexico. The syrup is extracted from the "honey water" found at core of the plant, filtered, heated and then processed to make it into thicker nectar you see at the store. This makes agave a good sweetener for vegans (who don't eat honey).

Agave nectar has a dark amber color, but has a more neutral flavor than honey. One tablespoon of the sweetener has about 60 calories compared to about 45 and 60 in the same amount of granulated sugar and honey, respectively. It’s 1 ½ times sweeter than sugar and so you can use less of it. Agave easily dissolves in cold liquids like smoothies and iced tea and can be used to replace granulated sugar in baked products (see instructions below). Many food manufacturers also use agave nectar in products like energy drinks and bars because of its light flavor and over-hyped
nutritional benefits.  Read More ›

10 Honey Sweetened Recipes

Honey is nature's choice to sweeten up any dish, to keep your baked goods moist and flavorful, and to provide an energy boost at work or during exercise. Honey is also easy to work with. When baking, replace each cup of sugar with 3/4 cup of honey, lower the oven temperature 25 degrees Fahrenheit, and reduce liquids about 2 tablespoons for each cup of honey you use. When used in moderation, honey is a great way to enhance your cooking and achieve your personal health goals. Try these 10 honey sweetened recipes from Sparkpeople today!

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