How to do Easter the healthy way

How to do Easter the healthy way

Whether Easter is a religious celebration or an excuse to eat chocolate for you, there is no need to let the Easter festivities get you off track from your health goals.

In our home, the focus is soundly on spending quality time with family and enjoying yummy food. Each year I create an Easter scavenger hunt where the kids and cousins have to work together to solve clues, do puzzles, create art work, and complete activities until they find their way to the grand Easter gift. These gifts are different depending on the age and family. Some receive a book, others some clothing and, as they get older, an Easter egg.

It can be hard to navigate your way through the supermarket aisles during the months leading into Easter, and avoid the marketing and hype around it. There is a ridiculous amount of chocolate available with all sorts of sugars, colours, flavours and additives that are easy to put into the shopping bag, especially when shopping with your little ones! Luckily, we are so spoilt for choice these days with good quality chocolate available in most shops and online, that it is easy to make healthy Easter choices for your family with just a little bit of organisation, and knowing where to go.

To avoid the conventional chocolate route, another Wood family tradition we have is making our own Easter chocolate. It’s much cheaper and healthier to make your own and as your kids get old enough they will love learning and participating in the process. We have Easter molds to make the chocolate into appropriately festive shapes, and it’s so nice to be able to enjoy some chocolate, with the peace of mind that you know exactly what’s in it. Homemade dark chocolate is very rich, and when it’s not laden with sugar, you don’t need much to feel satisfied. Here is a homemade chocolate recipe from our talented Mona Vale nutritionist, Kerryn Odell, that is very satisfying.

If you are not up to making chocolates, then try an Easter cake or cupcakes. I’m sharing with you one of my fave cakes to make at Easter which was inspired by the Merrymaker Sisters (they have great recipes and a recipe APP to check out if you haven’t already!). Tucking into a shared dessert can be a lovely way to share the Easter spirit, and provide a respite for those who are overwhelmed by the amount of chocolate often available.

Remember not to neglect other aspects of your health around the Easter long weekend. Drink lots of water, eat some ‘proper’ chocolate, laugh, rest and enjoy your time off. Gently incorporate some movement – such as a family walk, or run around with the kids in the backyard, to help manage energy levels. Focus on health, fun and adventures rather than crazy amounts of chocolate highs and the inevitable lows that come with it.

Author: Kate Wood

Kate has represented Australia as an 800m runner, winning five Australian titles and competing on the international stage. She also lectured track & field at the Australian College of Physical Education. After being forced into an early retirement due to injury, Kate turned to helping others with their health and wellness, with a special focus on families, pre-conception, pregnancy and paediatrics.

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