5 ways to make Easter healthier

Everyone knows that Easter is the greatest holiday to indulge in endless amounts of chocolate but these 5 ways to make Easter healthier from Harriet Emily will stop you piling on the pounds!

While chocolate is great for our taste buds, it’s not so great for our bodies. Trying to keep healthy around this holiday can feel like a real struggle at times, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Although surrounded by temptation, these 5 ways to make Easter healthier will allow you to keep your cravings happy, but also keep your health in weight in check!

1. Dark vs. Light
If you’re planning on spending your Easter weekend with a belly full of chocolate, then pick your treats wisely. As much as I am partial to the odd square of creamy white chocolate, many of us can be tricked into thinking any form of cocoa has health benefits, when it’s mostly just packed with sugar. However, to indulge with less guilt, choose a quality dark chocolate that’s at least 70%, so you can gain some benefit from its antioxidants!

2. Quality over quantity
One year I think I managed to eat 10 whole Easter eggs – nothing could defeat my sweet tooth! It’s far too easy to get carried away by the cheap temptation surrounding us. However, I’ve now realised quality is far better than quantity. This year, treat yourself and try spending extra on just one special egg. Doing this will make you appreciate it much more as a treat, as well as tasting far better than the sugar-packed cheap versions. I particularly like eggs from Hotel Chocolat and Charbonnel et Walker.

3. Keep Moving
It may be a seriously long weekend but that doesn’t mean you need to be slothing on the sofa the whole time. Aside from enjoying the food, Easter is also a perfect time to get moving. Being together as a family means that you can all go out and enjoy a long country walk, or even arrange an Easter egg hunt if you’re with young children. This way you can burn off those extra calories or even make extra room in your stomach for later!

4. Swap sugar for savoury
It can be far too easy to forget about the existence of savoury food at this time. However, Easter is filled with amazing menus and recipes to try and celebrate with. Aside from participating in egg hunts, don’t forget to spend time with your family over a delicious roast. Celebrating the holiday doesn’t have to mean over-indulgence, as you can safely prepare a feast for all by serving up a simple meal served with lots of succulent roasted vegetables.

5. Get baking
As a time for spending with family, nothing beats a weekend preparing a simnel cake with your loved ones, or whipping up a batch of fluffy hot cross buns. By baking your own versions instead of buying ready made, you can decide what ingredients go into your bakes. Try making smaller batches of cakes, or swapping sugar for less refined alternatives like xylitol or stevia. This way you can enjoy the baking process, as well as being more aware of what you’re eating.