Happy Easter! Time to celebrate renewal, the beauty of God's creations, our faith and, yes, for most of us celebrating, a time for Easter baskets filled with treats! This year, encourage everyone in your house to take it easy on those edible treats.
It can be tempting to adults and kids to sample all the chocolates, jelly beans, Peeps and other candies today, adorned in all their pretty springtime wrappings.
Of course, moderation is key. Go ahead and allow yourself or your kids to sample a few treats today if you wish. However, just remember a few tips to help prevent overeating and practice food safety:
+ Be mindful when you are eating. Appreciate the delicious flavors in each bite. This means eating
slowly, rather than at a rapid speed. It will help you have a better relationship with food and not feel guilty after eating a few of your favorite treats.
+ Portion your treats. Think about the days to come and aim to eat a little each day. Make little baggies to help with portioning.
+ If there is a treat in your (or your kid's) basket that is not your favorite, do not eat it! Just because it is in the basket does not mean you or your kid has to eat it.
+ If there are treats lingering around the house after a few days, consider giving them away or throwing them in the trash. This is especially important if you struggle with binge eating. Consider if your kids' leftover candies may trigger you to binge on them. If so, make a plan for yourself to avoid binging. This may include tossing leftovers.
+ If there are hardboiled eggs in your Easter basket, consider food safety. The cooked eggs are only fresh up to two hours at room temperature. Same goes for Easter egg hunts — total hiding and hunting time should not exceed two hours. If it is hot outside, it is even less time. Additionally, do not eat cracked eggs.
+ Consider the nutritional content of your treats. Peeps have about 32 or more calories and no fat per treat (the calories primarily come from sugar). Reese's peanut butter eggs have 90 calories, 9 grams of carbs, 5 grams of fat and 2 grams of protein (half the calories come from fat). One small jelly bean has about 4 calories and 1 gram of carbs (all the calories come from carbs). Cadbury crème eggs contain 170 calories, 28 grams of carbs, 6 grams of fat and 2 grams of protein (32 percent of the calories are from fat and 69 percent are from carbs). Cadbury mini eggs (12 pieces) contain 190 calories, 28 grams of carbs, 8 grams of fat and 2 grams of protein (38 percent of the calories are from fat and 50 percent are from carbs).
+ Consider eating the higher quality candies with no artificial ingredients for better nutrition and improved flavor instead of the cheap, artificial ones.
+ Enjoy.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement