Unlike sugar - which has the nutritional benefits of Styrofoam - and chemical-spiked artificial sweeteners, honey does your body good while taking the edge off your tea. For starters, the antioxidant-rich elixir protects your heart, and despite packing more kilojoules than sugar (88 per teaspoon versus 67), honey's unlikely to expand your waistline: a recent study by Mashhad University of Medical Science, Iran, found that overweight or obese patients who received a 70g dose of honey every day for a month lowered both their total and LDL cholesterol, while they maintained or even lost weight. And preliminary research says honey may improve memory and reduce anxiety. Need a pre-workout snack? This liquid gold may also boost athletic performance. Experts have yet to pinpoint how much of the bee by-product will bring the most benefits, but Dr Nicola Starkey, a senior lecturer at the University of Waikato, New Zealand, recommends using honey anytime you would normally go for sugar, sweeteners or syrups like fake maple syrup.

What honey to eat when

EAT THIS Honeycomb
ON THAT Apples or cheese

This hexagonal block is the purest form of honey.
Pair it with apples or serve it with a cheese platter, says honey goo-ru Ted Dennard, owner of the US-based Savannah Bee Company.
Buy it Australian Organic Honey Company Honeycomb Whole, $13.95, abundantorganics.com.au.

EAT THIS Varietal honey
ON THAT Pancakes

Honey's flavour hinges on the flowers the bees have been nicking nectar from. Clover honey has a light flavour, buckwheat is more savoury and red chilli honey is well, hot. We love raspberry honey in place of maple syrup on a short stack.
Buy it Thehoneyfarm.com.au has over 50 types of honey to choose from.

EAT THIS Creamed honey
ON THAT English muffins and scones

When honey crystallises, it morphs from syrupy to buttery, making it the perfect (fat-free) spread for all those nooks and crannies, says Dennard.
Buy it Capilano Creamed Honey, $5.55, from just about any supermarket, anywhere.

EAT THIS Raw honey
ON THAT Sweet potatoes

Sounds like a weird idea, but it's a lot healthier than smothering them in butter or (ew) duck fat.
Buy it Pure Harvest Organic Raw Honey, $8.06, from your local supermarket.