Honey vs sugar: which is healthier?

They are about equally nutrient-dense: honey scores 0/100 and sugar 1/100, so pick by your goal. Both can be part of a healthy diet; the table below shows where each one is stronger. Source: USDA FoodData Central.

Honey

0/100Low nutrient density

304 kcal per 100 g. 1 tbsp: 21 g

Sugar

1/100Low nutrient density

387 kcal per 100 g. 1 tsp: 4.2 g

Which to pick for your goal

Fewer caloriesHoney304 vs 387 kcal per 100 g
More proteinAbout even0.3 vs 0 g per 100 g
More fiberAbout even0.2 vs 0 g per 100 g
Less sugarHoney82 vs 100 g per 100 g
More potassiumHoney52 vs 2 mg per 100 g
Less saturated fatAbout even0 vs 0 g per 100 g

Nutrition side by side

Per 100 g and per typical portion. Bold marks the better value for each row.
Nutrient	Honey, 100 g	Sugar, 100 g	Honey, 21 g	Sugar, 4.2 g
Calories	304 kcal	387 kcal	64 kcal	16 kcal
Protein	0.3 g	0 g	<0.1 g	0 g
Carbohydrates	82 g	100 g	17 g	4.2 g
Sugars	82 g	100 g	17 g	4.2 g
Fiber	0.2 g	0 g	<0.1 g	0 g
Fat	0 g	0 g	0 g	0 g
Saturated fat	0 g	0 g	0 g	0 g
Vitamin C	0.5 mg	0 mg	0.1 mg	0 mg
Vitamin A	0 µg	0 µg	0 µg	0 µg
Potassium	52 mg	2 mg	11 mg	<0.1 mg
Iron	0.4 mg	<0.1 mg	<0.1 mg	<0.1 mg
Calcium	6 mg	1 mg	1.3 mg	<0.1 mg
Magnesium	2 mg	0 mg	0.4 mg	0 mg
Sodium	4 mg	1 mg	0.8 mg	<0.1 mg

Last updated October 8, 2026. Scores use the HowHealthyIs Score method.

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