WASHINGTON 鈥� It could be argued that as a good聽holiday for candy, Easter is second only to Halloween.
Think of it: All those Cadbury eggs, Reese鈥檚 peanut butter eggs, those Whoppers that are shaped like (again) eggs …
And yes 鈥斅爀ven Peeps.
The list goes on. It is indeed an extra-wonderful time for candy consumers. One could make a candy omelet with all the ovo-cocoa offerings.
But let鈥檚 face it: Moderation is tough, and people should shovel only so many pounds of egg-shaped chocolate into their faces this time of year.
The internet, bless it, has some great takes on how to celebrate the season without overworking your pancreas.
Edible options
Let’s start with enjoying聽real eggs instead.
(Wait. Don’t walk away. Give it a chance.)
Granted, they are not sweet at all. But they are聽technically 1) oval and 2) eggs. What’s more, they have nutritional value.
But how does one host a righteous egg hunt when it can take forever to聽hard-boil two dozen to three dozen eggs in a pot? Easy. Just . Put them in muffin tins, and cook at 350 degrees for about a half-hour. You can literally cook dozens of eggs at once while you’re watch just one episode of “House Hunters.”
If you have any eggs left over, you can also go for a sweet take on a聽holiday breakfast: . If you聽don’t like Betty Crocker’s recipe, you can try . Or .
Another edible option good for brunch and dinner is the ,聽a twist on the baked roll 鈥� literally.
Another bakeable, huntable option is the . Simply take the multiple pieces of the cookie and put each in a hollow plastic egg.
And don’t forget colorful fruit, said聽Andrea Goergen, bariatric dietitian at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and owner of .聽Apples, mandarin oranges or red bananas are good options聽that can be聽even better when you include nut butter packets.
Plastic egg alternatives and more
Those plastic eggs (or an ) are quite handy聽for keeping the candy to a minimum. Just load them up with something more nutritious 鈥� or something that is devoid of calories altogether.
“Putting together a fun Easter basket doesn鈥檛 have to be all about edible treats,” Goergen聽said.
“Add fun nonfood items to Easter baskets like plastic eggs with small toys, jewelry, or coins inside; stickers; crayons, coloring books or notebooks; sunglasses and more to keep kids entertained without the cavity-inducing sweets,” she said.
See the gallery above for some healthier alternatives. (A few are edible. Others not so much.)
Get crafty
Indeed, celebrating this time of year doesn’t require indulging your sweet tooth … or even your appetite.
You can indulge your creative side instead.聽Decorate eggs made of or . Or make fizzy , which you can use even after the April showers have given way to July humidity.
There are myriad ways that you can get crafty this time of year. And it’s easy to get the entire family involved. and are full of great ideas.
(One mother, for instance, had a for making unique Easter cards.)
