About this session
The sweetener aisle has become surprisingly complicated. Alongside ordinary sugar are honey, maple syrup, agave, coconut sugar, date syrup, stevia, monk fruit, erythritol, xylitol, allulose and products that combine several sweeteners in one packet.
This session helps participants understand what these products actually are and how they behave in real food and drinks.
The group compares taste, sweetness, calories where relevant, texture, cooking performance, cost, labels and practical uses across familiar examples such as coffee, yogurt, porridge, smoothies, sauces and baking.
Participants also explore an important distinction: a sweetener can come from a plant or be marketed as "natural" and still contribute sugars to the diet.
Honey, maple syrup, agave, coconut sugar and date syrup therefore need to be understood as different ingredients with different flavors and properties, not automatic nutritional upgrades.
The session finishes with practical tasting, comparison and substitution skills so participants can decide when ordinary sugar works perfectly well, when another sweetener offers a useful advantage, and how to avoid buying expensive alternatives simply because the packaging sounds healthier.
What your people take away
- Understand the major types of sugar alternatives and how they differ
- Compare honey, maple syrup, dates, agave, coconut sugar and other caloric sweeteners
- Understand stevia, monk fruit, sugar alcohols and other high-intensity or lower-calorie alternatives
- Choose sweeteners for drinks, breakfast foods, smoothies, sauces and baking
- Read sweetener labels and recognize blends, marketing claims and unfamiliar names
- Build a practical approach to sweetness that works for taste, budget and everyday eating
Shared with you
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- What each length covers, 30 minutes to full day
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What each length covers
30 minutes
30 Minutes — Key Points: Put the Sweeteners Side by SideA focused 30-minute session on three key points from Put the Sweeteners Side by Side: compare sugar, honey & maple syrup, try dates & date-based sweeteners and explore agave & coconut sugar.
- Compare sugar, honey & maple syrup
- Try dates & date-based sweeteners
- Explore agave & coconut sugar
Covers 3 of 4 points in Put the Sweeteners Side by Side.
60 minutes
60 Minutes — Compare the SweetenersParticipants work through familiar sweeteners side by side and explore what actually changes when ordinary sugar is replaced with honey, maple syrup, dates, stevia, monk fruit or other alternatives.
- Module 1 — Put the Sweeteners Side by Side
- Live Q&A
Covers 1 of 4 parts: Put the Sweeteners Side by Side.
90 minutes
90 Minutes — Taste, Labels & Everyday UseThe extended session adds label reading, high-intensity sweeteners, sugar alcohols, practical substitutions and common products that combine several types of sweetener.
- Module 1 — Put the Sweeteners Side by Side
- Module 2 — Understand Modern Sugar Alternatives
- Live Q&A
Covers 2 of 4 parts: Put the Sweeteners Side by Side and Understand Modern Sugar Alternatives.
3 hours
Covers 3 of 4 parts: Put the Sweeteners Side by Side, Understand Modern Sugar Alternatives and Use Sweeteners in Real Food & Drinks.
Full day
Half-Day — Sugar Alternatives WorkshopParticipants work through all four modules using tasting comparisons, product labels, drink and breakfast experiments, recipe examples and practical substitution exercises.
- Module 1 — Put the Sweeteners Side by Side
- Module 2 — Understand Modern Sugar Alternatives
- Module 3 — Use Sweeteners in Real Food & Drinks
- Module 4 — Shop Smarter for Sugar Alternatives
- Sweetener Comparison Guide
- Sweetener Label Decoder
- Kitchen Substitution Guide
- Personal Sweetener Shortlist
- Live Q&A
Covers all 4 parts.
Also available as a 4-week program, for change that lasts. Ask us about it.
What’s covered
Put the Sweeteners Side by Side
Every length- Compare sugar, honey & maple syrupParticipants compare familiar table sugar with honey and maple syrup for flavor, sweetness, texture and common uses.
- Try dates & date-based sweetenersWhole dates, date paste and date syrup are compared in foods such as porridge, smoothies, yogurt and simple recipes.
- Explore agave & coconut sugarAgave and coconut sugar are examined alongside the claims commonly used to market them.
- Run a taste comparisonSmall samples or familiar food examples are used to compare sweetness intensity and flavor.
Understand Modern Sugar Alternatives
90 minutes and longer- Meet steviaParticipants explore how stevia-based sweeteners can provide considerable sweetness in very small amounts.
- Explore monk fruitMonk fruit sweeteners are examined through examples of drinks, packets and blended products where available locally.
- Compare sugar alcoholsXylitol, erythritol and other sugar alcohols are introduced through products such as gum, confectionery, protein products and reduced-sugar foods.
- Understand allulose & emerging optionsAllulose and other newer alternatives are discussed where they are sold and permitted locally.
Use Sweeteners in Real Food & Drinks
3 hours and longer- Sweeten coffee & teaSugar, honey, syrups, stevia and other tabletop alternatives are compared in hot drinks.
- Adjust porridge, yogurt & breakfastsFruit, dates, honey, maple syrup and other additions are used to explore different ways of adding sweetness to breakfast foods.
- Build a better smoothieBanana, mango, berries, dates and other ingredients are used to demonstrate how smoothie sweetness changes as ingredients and proportions change.
- Work through a baking swapA familiar baked recipe is used to demonstrate why replacing granulated sugar with a liquid or high-intensity sweetener can change moisture, volume, browning and texture.
Shop Smarter for Sugar Alternatives
Full day only- Turn over the "natural" productParticipants examine products marketed with words such as natural, raw, pure or plant-based and check the ingredient and nutrition information.
- Find the sweetener blendTabletop sweeteners, reduced-sugar products, protein foods, drinks and snacks are checked for combinations of sugar, syrups, stevia, monk fruit or sugar alcohols.
- Compare price with purposeA simple cost comparison looks at ordinary sugar, honey, maple syrup, dates and specialist alternatives.
- Build your personal sweetener shortlistThe session ends with participants choosing a small number of options for the foods and drinks they actually use.
How booking works
- Book online. Create a free Workbliss profile, then pay with session credits, by card or by invoice.
- Pick a date. Choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or book now and set the date later.
- Choose your expert. Within 3 working days, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date.
- We deliver it. Your expert is briefed on your people and goals, then runs the session live online or at your site.
Questions about Sugar Alternatives: Natural Sweeteners Explained
How long is Sugar Alternatives: Natural Sweeteners Explained?
Sugar Alternatives: Natural Sweeteners Explained runs as 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, 3 hours or full day. You choose the length when you book. A 30-minute session covers three key points from Put the Sweeteners Side by Side: compare sugar, honey & maple syrup, try dates & date-based sweeteners and explore agave & coconut sugar. A 60-minute session covers Put the Sweeteners Side by Side in full, with a live Q&A. A 90-minute session adds Understand Modern Sugar Alternatives. A 3-hour session adds Use Sweeteners in Real Food & Drinks. A full-day session adds Shop Smarter for Sugar Alternatives. It is also available as a 4-week program.
Can Sugar Alternatives: Natural Sweeteners Explained be delivered online or in person?
Yes, both. It runs live online, so every office can join at the same time, or in person at your site, in any country.
How do we book Sugar Alternatives: Natural Sweeteners Explained?
Create a free Workbliss profile with your work email, then open Sugar Alternatives: Natural Sweeteners Explained to see the price for each length and book it. You can pay with session credits, by card or by invoice, and choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or set it later.
Who leads the session?
A vetted Workbliss expert, briefed on your people, culture and goals before the session. After you book, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date within 3 working days, so you can choose who leads it.
Can it be tailored to our company?
Yes. Every session is shaped around your goals, your people and the benefits you already offer, and delivered by experts in your people’s languages.