Children love sweets, there's no doubt. Sugar ends up in every food these days, processed, bleached, and highly glycemic—which means that they spike blood sugar, cause extreme hyper energy moments and low crashes, and increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease. But enjoying food is important for children, to create a healthy relationship with what they eat. Besides, complaints about a snack that they really don't want to eat can be exhausting.

So it's important to find ways to brighten their food, to make it interesting and delicious, and to stay healthy. Cutting processed sugars out of their diets can feel stifling, expensive, and lower your options when trying to cook. Organic raw honey is a sustainable alternative, a healthier sweetener, and a tasty snack.

What are the downsides of other sweeteners?

As already mentioned, high glycemic foods like white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and even refined grains like white bread can lead to poor energy regulation and increase health risks. Most children love soda, but the high fructose corn syrup is terrible for digestion, teeth health, and blood sugar. Cane sugar is moderately better, but it's still processed, and so it runs into the same problems. Could the answer lie in sugar replacements?

Aspartame, like the sweetener in Diet Coke, is a popular sugar replacement. It seems like it's a no-risk perfect sweetener, without the downsides of sugar. But the taste is a particular one, and it can still spike insulin levels as the body is fooled into thinking that sugar is being digested. This affects blood sugar levels anyway—and besides, what do you do when you need sugar for a baked good? What about a sticky sweet glaze on some chicken?

What are the benefits of Raw Honey?

Raw honey is a simple carbohydrate, which means that the body processes it quickly and easily. This leads to an increase of energy and without moderation can lead to a sugar crash. But instead of bleached, unhealthy sugars that carry no nutritional value, raw honey is rich in antioxidants, digestive enzymes, and complex flavor that helps develop a taste palette.

Raw honey is also an immune-system booster, it helps to fight off colds and sore throats, and it's not as sweet as cane sugar or corn syrup. This means that it helps children expect less-sweet foods, which can help regulate their diet and avoid conflict.

What are ways to use Raw Honey for kids?

It can be daunting to think of another snack for the little ones, to keep mealtimes interesting and filling. Thankfully, we have many recipes that you can check out, and here are a few more ideas to get you started:

• Raw Honey in tea to fight colds and flu. Stir in a spoonful of Heavenly Organics Raw Honey with a hot mug of green tea for a delicious, time-tested home remedy. Lemon goes a long way!
• A tasty nut-butter dip. A dollop of honey in a bowl of peanut or almond butter can sweeten it up while carrying those healthy antioxidants. It makes a great dip of apple slices, celery sticks, or any other fruit and veggie.
• Smoothies. Kids love a sweet drink, and a berry smoothie can be a great way to sneak in antioxidants, healthy fats, fiber, and protein. Raw honey is a great sweetener with blueberries and strawberries, and add some oats for a thicker texture and some fiber!
• Salad dressing. Kids can despise anything green, but with a tasty dressing on some vegetables, they can learn to love a healthy veggie bowl. Try some raw honey with mustard, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil for a tasty dressing that will make them ask for seconds!