I’m sure by now you’ve seen the chocolate bunnies out in full force. Along with the jelly beans, peeps and chocolate eggs, with just about every filling imaginable, Easter is one of the biggest the sugar soaked holidays, coming in close second to Halloween. That kind of temptation can be hard to aviod, especially for the little ones. So it is up to you to make healthy choices to keep you on track and out of the Easter candy.
But how do you navigate all of those fabulous Easter traditions without sub-coming to sugary treats? I’m here to help!
The Easter Basket
When I was younger, waking up to find my basket on Easter morning was a thrill close to finding presents under the Christmas tree. The biggest difference? By 10 am on Easter morning I would have eaten more sugar and chocolate than one should consume in a week.
Just because you set out baskets for your children on Easter, doesn’t mean they need to be filled to the brim with Easter candy. After all, who said that Easter baskets had to be filled with sugary snacks? Why not mix things up and give the kids something to do or play with. No need to waste money on trinkets that will float around the house for a few weeks and inevitably be tossed in the junk drawer or landfill, instead pick out a few things.
A few ideas include:
- A book – whether it’s the latest mystery novel or a comic, you can never go wrong with a fun age appropriate book
- A journal or coloring book – bring out a little creativity with a special journal, sketch pad or coloring book
- A swimsuit or bucket and shovel – summer is right around the corner, get them excited with a new swimsuit or bucket they can use at the beach.
- Small toys – no need to go overboard, but a matchbox car or polly pocket (are those still around) would have won the Easter bunny major points in my house
- Stickers – a personal favorite, my grandma always used to include fun scrap-booking accessories like stickers and markers in my Easter basket
- A kite – or other active toys are a great idea to get kids outside and moving, think jump ropes, balls, bats, Frisbees, bubbles and even sidewalk chalk!
- Puzzles – fun for the whole family
- Jewelry – a cute pair of studs or a dainty necklace is a small, but thoughtful gift
If you still want to add something sweet, some great ideas include dark chocolates, crystallized ginger, packages of nuts, dried fruits, and other candies with natural ingredients.
The Egg Hunt
I distinctly remember the time I climbed the tree in my grandmother’s backyard to retrieve the golden egg hidden high up in the branches. I was thrilled, not only because I beat the boys, but because I got an entire over-sized chocolate egg to myself!
Instead of filling the Easter eggs with chocolate and candy, find smaller trinkets of varying value to stuff inside of the eggs. Some ideas include a few coins or bills, legos, small pieces of jewelry, a piece of dark chocolate or a movie ticket. Or, better yet, fill each egg with the pieces to a puzzle so that when all of the eggs are collected the family can enjoy putting the pieces together!
If you want to skip filling the eggs all together, why not decorate some plastic eggs as a family the week before and hide those instead?
Easter Dinner
A big Easter dinner has been a tradition in my family for as long as I can remember. We would all gather together around a long table piled high with turkey, mashed potatoes, corn and biscuits – not very paleo huh?
Well with just a few small tweaks and a little extra planning, turning this “traditional” Easter dinner into a paleo feast that everyone will enjoy can be pretty easy. Gather around a large bird, my personal favorite is a mushroom butter roasted turkey, and then pile on the vegetables, I opt for mashed cauliflower and oven roasted broccoli. Round out the meal with grain free rolls and finish with a sweet treat like this raw cashew cheesecake.