Easter is a fun time for kids, and we would never want to change that. The Easter egg hunt is so exciting and eating chocolate is an integral part of the day. But enjoying the Easter celebration and keeping tabs on your child’s intake of sugar needs to be easier. The reality is, that kids can consume their daily sugar intake in just a couple of eggs.
Easter is not usually associated with the phrase ‘sugar-free’, so it may be a new concept, but it can be achieved so easily and so deliciously! If you can’t go all in, then simply replace a few of the sugary items with some sugar free versions. If you accept the fact that the kids are going to eat chocolate today…all…day…long, then you can work around that and help minimise the highs and lows caused by sugar overload.
Start the day right!
If you want to keep the traditional chocolate Easter Eggs, then make sure your family has a great protein-based, sugar-free breakfast to start the day on the right path.
Sugar-Free Breakfast Ideas
Blueberry Coconut Pancakes – with egg, spelt flour and coconut, served with yoghurt makes a really healthy, delicious start to the day.
Yoghurt Parfait – add a crumble of crushed sugar-free cookies, and freshly chopped fruit and nuts for a delicious breakfast everyone will enjoy.
Breakfast Muffins – a sugar-free breakfast muffin packed with protein is a great addition to a cooked meal and can be just as filling.
Stay Hydrated
Throughout the day, make sure everyone is drinking plenty of water. Not soda, not juice, not cordial…. water! Drinking plenty of water helps keep the cravings in check. We know now just how much sugar is in store bought cool drinks and fruit juices.
Switch the sugar when you bake!
If you are baking this Easter, replace the sugar with an all-natural sugar free sweetener like Perfect Sweet™ xylitol, or Slim Sweet™ Monk Fruit Sweetener. Both can be used in place of sugar, both taste great, neither have any nasty aftertaste and no-one will know the difference! These sweeteners do not raise blood sugar and won’t cause the nasty sugar spike associated with eating sugar laden foods.
Recipes that you can easily replace the sugar:
Fruit Tea Jelly – makes a great end of meal and gives the kids a sugar free treat before the chocolate onslaught!
Gingerbread recipe, Iced in Easter shapes – fun snack throughout the day
Marshmallow – make into Easter shapes or a Rocky Road.
Flourless Raspberry Muffins – delicious for breakfast or just a snack.
Lemon Yoghurt Cake – any cake made from scratch – you can replace the sugar!
Chocolate Brownies – need we say more?
Eat 3 Healthy Meals
Don’t let anyone skip a meal today, by eating 3 healthy, sugar free meals with increased protein content, you are already ahead of the game. Bellies will be full, nutrition is up, and no extra sugar has been added. By offering nutrient dense meals, the kids will feel fuller for longer, their blood sugar levels will be more stable, with less mood swings caused by just eating a load of chocolate eggs.
Take as much unnecessary sugar out of the day as possible and the chocolate eggs will have less impact, keeping you and your family much happier and healthier at this special time.
Timing
Make the Easter egg hunt after a meal. Make sure the kids have eaten their meal and had a glass of water, then, let them enjoy their hunt. There will always be room for a chocolate egg or 2 but you do not have to constantly watch them, because you know they have eaten well first.
SUGAR-FREE EASTER
If you are up for the challenge, you can make delicious sugar-free easter eggs, sugar-free marshmallow bunnies, a sugar-free Lamington nest to fill with the eggs and bunnies, there are plenty of options.
We have a FREE Easter recipe eBOOK for everyone to download and enjoy! If you don’t have time to make your own sugar-free chocolate, we recommend using a high-quality 80% chocolate, like Lindt.
Get as close as you can to Sugar-Free, do your best and then……just have fun and enjoy your day!
Happy Easter everyone!
Image is by Jennifer Burk at Unsplash