Despite what Canada’s told you, maple syrup can do more than just soak your pancakes in sticky, magic sauce. The nectar of the dessert Gods packs a solid amount of nutrients that can benefit you in the long run and its versatility makes it an ingredient you should have on deck at all times.

Just make sure you get the good stuff, none of that “pancake syrup” or “breakfast syrup” business — they’re flavored with high fructose corn syrup. Bona fide maple syrup is labeled as “maple” syrup, which gets its natural flavor from the tree’s starch converting to sugar that rises into the sap during spring.

Still need convincing? Here are 8 delicious reasons maple syrup is good for you unbelievers:

It’s basically Canada’s ketchup and goes on literally everything… like Maple Syrup Soaked Wings

On S’mores…

On vegetables, sweet, syrup glazed vegetables.

 _____

Science agrees that maple syrup is actually good for you. Just a 1/4 cup packs Manganese, Zinc and Calcium.

Honey, agave syrup and sugar got nothin’ on maple syrup when it comes to nutrients:

_____

Maple sugaring is sustainable — sap harvesting doesn’t hurt the tree and studies show that tapped trees live just as long.

_____

And you can hate everything in the world but you can’t hate maple syrup.

Data/Infographic from PureCanadaMaple + MNN