Tips for creating a healthier Easter basket this year.
Halloween gets a bad rap for being the candy-filled holiday, but after all the school parties, egg hunts, and big baskets, Easter is overloaded with sugar too. But if the Easter Bunny adds in some toys, books, and games to the mix, kids can have all the Easter fun and you can dial back the sugar. Here are some registered dietitian-approved tips for creating a healthier basket this year.
- Get creative with those plastic eggs - Fill your own eggs with sugar-free goodies like stickers, erasers, rings, temporary tattoos and tiny toys. Kids will be excited by the surprise and they’ll have something to play with later.
- Make the biggest item in the basket a toy - Instead of that enormous chocolate bunny, get a special toy that your kid can get active playing with it later, like a kite, a soccer ball, or pool toys.
- Choose candy wisely - It can get a little overwhelming in the Easter candy aisles, but be smart about the candy you get your kids. Pick a few of their favorites and go for dark chocolate with nuts, if your kids are into it, because it packs more nutrition power from the antioxidants and protein.
- Skip the candy for babies - The American Heart Association warns against introducing kids under two to added sugar, so give little ones a stuffed bunny, some bubbles, and cute books in their baskets instead of candy.
Source: The Toronto Star