Photo: Tammy Green / Flickr

A cup of steaming coffee or tea can be really great early in the morning, or any time of day for that matter. If you are the type of person who loves your drinks sweet then you probably find your sugar intake is way over the recommended daily allowance. The refined sugar added to drinks and snacks can be stored as fat and supports tooth decay. Swap out your sugar for other products while still satisfying your cravings for something sweet.

Honey

Honey has been used as a natural sweetener since ancient Egyptian days and its goodness is still undisputed – if used in moderation. Honey contains plenty of antioxidants which can help to prevent cancer, and it also has natural antibiotic properties. It tastes great in tea or black coffee and it can even be used as a replacement to sugar in some of your favourite recipes. If you’re using honey instead of sugar in recipes make sure you alter the liquid ingredients within the recipe, though, as honey will change the consistency of your dish.

Spices

If you are using sugar to help with the taste of strong coffee consider swapping it out for some spices. Spices may not give you that sweet tang that sugar does but they add another dimension of flavour to your morning cup of coffee. Nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla or cocoa are all great in coffee and they can be mixed together a cup of coffee that smells and tastes delicious.

Artificial sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners are easy to find at your local supermarket and are commonly used. Artificial sweeteners can be a great substitute to sugar for diabetics and they contain almost no calories, making the perfect sugar replacement for someone on a diet. Artificial sweeteners are sweeter than normal sugars and so are used in a lot of products such as biscuits, jams and chewing gum.

Tags: coffee, tea