We are on a mission to make sweet foods healthy. Every now and then they need a little boost of sweetness! But we try to stay away from “empty calories,” or calories that provide no nutrition outside of energy. They have no vitamins, minerals, protein, etc. So what can we do? Main Squeeze uses honey and maple syrup as added sugars. This is because all sweeteners are not created equal.

Table sugar’s list of chemical compounds includes… sucrose (aka sugar). So all the body can take from that is calories to feed us energy. But our bodies need more than energy to run. They need protein, vitamins, minerals, and countless other compounds to run smoothly. So we use two things that have a little more to offer.

Honey is made up of much more than sugar. It has proteins, including amino acids and enzymes, which are necessary to maintain our muscles. They also have flavonoids and polyphenols, compounds that help fight inflammation. There are also many compounds that make honey antimicrobial. Lastly, raw honey contains all nine water-soluble vitamins! So if you are vegan but still eat honey, this is a great way to get you vitamin B12.

Maple syrup has a lower glycemic index, so its sugar enters the bloodstream slower than both table sugar and honey. It is also high in antioxidants and nine minerals, allowing our cells to stay in tip-top shape. In addition, maple syrup has anticancer properties, with one study showing dark color maple syrup inhibits gut cancer cell growth.

With every ingredient in each product, we not only want to feed our bodies but nourish them. By using either of these sweeteners instead of conventional sugar in select drinks, we have done just that.