“Portion control is a key component to the Easter candy dilemma,” said Roberta Anding, a registered dietitian with Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital. “Consider the following; instead of a large Easter basket full of candy, use the miniature versions of Easter favorite such as jelly beans. Then, put two or three miniature jelly beans in the plastic eggs. “
Anding offers the following tips to help Easter be a healthier holiday:
- Hide eggs throughout your yard or home. Racing to find the eggs helps encourage physical activity.
- Create Easter games that include physical activity. “Try jelly bean races, where the children have to run as fast as they can with jelly beans on a spoon,” Anding said. “The team that gets the most jelly beans in the jar wins.”
- Purchase a smaller chocolate Easter bunny.
- Put non-candy items in the Easter basket. “I used to give favorite movies, stickers and small toys,” Anding said. “The basket is full, but the candy treats are limited.”
- Since candy is a prominent feature of the Easter basket, use fresh fruit as the Easter dinner dessert. It reduces the overall sugar for the day.