Holidays involve way too much candy and too many sweets. But what's an Easter basket without jelly beans, chocolate bunnies, and candy eggs? A lot healthier. With one in three kids overweight or obese, says KidsHealth, it's time to rethink our sweets craze. I've been dieting and lost 96 pounds by substituting sweets with healthy alternatives. Here are good-for-you Easter treat and snack recipes. Easter Fruit basket. Who says the Easter bunny must deliver candy? Why not fill it with juicy red strawberries, plump blueberries and blueberries, succulent green grapes, golden mango, yellow bananas, jolly oranges and cheery apples? Toss in a few 70-percent cacao (good for you) dark chocolate Easter candies. But you don't have to with this festive fruit rainbow. Or omit candy and give toys.
Cantaloupe, honeydew or watermelon basket. To carve melon into a basket, make two cuts down halfway into melon lengthwise, a about two inches apart. This is the handle. Continue around to meet at the other side of the handle, to carve out a little under one quarter, on each side. Use a melon baller to remove melon or a knife to cut in chunks. Clean out the rest to form the basket. Mix melon balls or chunks with other melon balls. Add pineapple, mandarin oranges, grapes, strawberries, mango cubes, blueberries. Or whatever fruit you like in your fruit salad.
Hunny Bunny Cookies. Skip chocolate Easter bunnies and make healthier bunny cookies. Mix half cup butter or light margarine, half cup of honey or blue agave syrup, two cups whole grain flour, one teaspoon baking soda and half teaspoon cinnamon. Roll out and cut like sugar cookies. For bunny shape, cut circle head and two small ovals for ears. Blend peanut butter, nonfat yogurt and honey for frosting. Or blend coconut sugar, yogurt and light butter for white icing. Decorate with raisin eyes, pretzel stick whiskers, raspberry or cherry nose and apple pieces for buck teeth.
Happy Bunny Basket. What would the Easter bunny like in his basket? Veggies! Make a bunny-friendly Easter basket by filling a salad bowl with lettuce and your favorite vegetable toppings: carrots, radishes, zucchini, tomatoes, broccoli, sprouts and, of course hard-boiled Easter eggs!
Sure it might not substitute for a candy-filled basket, but kids will love eating what the Easter Bunny eats!
Easter Egg-stravaganza. After dying hard-boiled eggs, return them to the fridge to keep fresh. Use in these yummy treats.
--Angel eggs (like deviled eggs only better!) Cut egg in half. Carefully remove yolk. Mash with celery seed, pepper, horseradish mustard, dill pickle relish and light mayonnaise. Refill yolk cavity. Sprinkle on dill and paprika.
--Healthy bunny-wiches: Spread Laughing Cow light cream cheese on slice of rye bread. Tint some cream cheese pink with berry, grape or beet juice. Cut cooked egg in half lengthwise. Remove yolk. Cut semi-circles from base of whites. Fill yolk cavity with pink cream cheese and place on bread for ears. Place cut off bits on bottom for paws (make little slits for toes). Slice yolk. Place olive slice in center of slice for eyes. Use grape tomato for nose, matchstick carrots whiskers and almonds or pumpkin seeds for teeth.
Our kids are very healthy and none has weight problems. They loved these fun Easter candy alternatives as much as sugary treats!
