Agave Nectar is bad for me???

[suzytee]

I had never tried agave nectar till after my Whole 30. I read so many times on this site that folks were using it and it is in some recipes. NOW I discover that it's horrible for us and as bad as HFCS. I guess it's back to honey for me when I do want a little sweetener. I read that coconut syrup is healthy as well. Any comments on that?

[missmary]

big picture? none of these are healthy for you. that sweet taste is really designed for special occasions, so when the special occasion comes, you can choose whichever one you like best without a lot of worry. Are there moderately better choices? yes, but if you are only consuming these rarely, that distinction matters less. Coconut syrup is pretty highly processed. I don't know how it compares to Agave (which is very very high fructose) but I wouldn't guess that it is good.

Personally, when I use sweetener (like in my christmas truffles or Dad's birthday cake--not every day or even every week) I chose either real maple syrup or local honey, mainly because I like the taste, but also because having something closer to natural (and containing at least a little real nutrition) appeals to me. Other than those occasions, I get my sweetness from fruit. Ok, from fruit and also a tiny bit of cane sugar in a very occasional piece of soy-free, dairy-free chocolate. because: chocolate.