Let’s face it: chocolate is delicious, but you definitely wouldn’t describe it as a health food. That doesn’t mean you have to forego treats altogether this Easter. Here are three ways to indulge this without feeling guilty.
1. Choose chocolate wisely
It’s probably not realistic to abstain from chocolate altogether. So when choosing your chocolate – or putting in your order with the Easter bunny – opt for dark chocolate. A good quality dark chocolate of 70% cocoa or more may even have health benefits.
Look for a short ingredients list starting with cocoa solids, cocoa butter, and a small amount of sugar. Avoid products including palm sugar, trans fats, butter, milk and margarine. Buying hollow eggs or bunnies (rather than the solid ones) can also help reduce your intake.
2. Other treats
Start your day with a nice healthy breakfast like eggs, goat’s cheese and avocado on wholegrain toast. This combination of high-protein, good fats and fibre should keep you feeling full and stabilise your blood sugar, which can make sweet treats easier to resist.
As the day wears on, indulge in some of the healthier traditional Easter foods – put together a fresh seafood feast accompanied with a range of salads. If you can’t do without hot cross buns, make your own healthier version. Note that some medical conditions may not allow or the intake of some of these foods or you may need to limit your
intake.
3. Hop to it
Getting out and about can help distract you from the chocolate bunny in the kitchen and remind you what it will take to work it off. Even just some light, fun exercise will do the trick. Consider setting up an Easter egg hunt in the backyard, holding egg and spoon races, or an egg throwing and catching competition.
So while they say life is like a box of chocolates, ‘you never know what you’re gonna get’, you can still make an educated choice this Easter for you and your family.
From our family at HPartners to yours, have a wonderful and safe Easter.