Easter is a time to enjoy delicious home cooked feasts, Easter egg hunts, hot cross buns, fun craft ideas and to simply spend time together as a family. It is also a time where many people and children easily overindulge, especially when the focus is on chocolate. Whether you go away on holidays or stay at home it is important to remember that eating, enjoying and sharing good food (yes, even chocolate) with friends during the Easter break is part of normal eating, even for children. The key is balance and moderation.
We’ve put together our top tips we want to share with you to try and encourage a healthy balance this Easter. It doesn’t have to be all about chocolate…despite what the kids might be thinking.
Eggs are a very nutritious addition to your children’s diets. Oh, and we’re talking about real eggs not chocolate eggs by the way. They are high in protein, contain at least 11 different vitamins and minerals as well as health promoting omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. Try this delicious recipe for Yoghurt & Broccoli Quiche. Or for breakfast over the long weekend before too much chocolate is consumed, try scrambled eggs for breakfast or soft-boiled eggs with toast soldiers. You can also just simply get crafty and decorate hard-boiled eggs as non-edible gifts for the family.
Fish on a Friday
Never is there ever a better time to enjoy fish and seafood then on Good Friday. Another nutritious addition to your children’s diets, fish is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids important for brain development and a happy, healthy heart. A few family fish favourites include tuna and vegetable patties, homemade crumbed fish fingers or fish pie.
Make your own hot cross buns
Cooking with your kids has many benefits (more than you would have ever thought!) including family bonding, safety, patience, mathematical concepts, vocabulary, nutrition, fine motor skills and lots more… it even helps with improving fussy eating behaviours. Enjoy the mess you make, take photos to capture the moment and last but not least enjoy the delicious Easter treat you have created together.
Remember portion sizes
If the Easter Bunny delivers chocolate goodies to your children try to remember quality over quantity. Receiving and enjoying Easter chocolate is all part of the excitement of this time of year and is part of normal eating when enjoyed in moderation. A little whisper in the ear to family and friends that may also indulge in a little chocolate gift giving at this time of year may also help to keep a limit to the amount of chocolate they receive.
Easter bunnies love carrots
Take the opportunity to remind your children how much bunnies love their vegetables, especially carrots. Get creative and include vegetables in your Easter family feasts, plant your own carrot (or other vegetable) seedlings in the garden and choose fun ways to eat them including carrot cookies. You never know, carrots may become their favourite vegetable… at least for a week.Get creative with chocolate
Rather than devouring Easter egg after Easter egg during the school holidays, think of other ways for your children to enjoy their chocolate. Especially if you feel like they’ve hardly made a dent in their chocolate bounty. Oaty choc chunk biscuits, hot chocolates and even choc chip banana bread. This way they can enjoy their chocolate along with a little goodness from other ingredients like oats, milk & bananas.
Take a plate
If you know you are going to an Easter celebration where there is likely to be lots of fat and sugar laden food on offer volunteer to take a healthier option suitable for both the adults and kids to share. A few of our favourite ideas include: homemade vegetable mini pizzas, rainbow fruit skewers, mini meatballs, homemade dips with crispy pita chips or vegetable dippers. Try this fruit and yoghurt fondu recipe, a sure winner with both kids and adults.
Document your favourite healthy recipes
Documenting your favourite healthy recipes, whether it’s a scrapbook of handwritten notes, torn out pages or a beautifully created Momento recipe book is a fun way to keep newly found recipes to cook again or pass on to your children.
Visit One Handed Cooks for more delicious recipes, nutrition and fussy eating tips for your children. Or follow them on social media:
Issue #2 of One Handed Cooks Magazine is out now. Find your copy in Coles supermarkets or in all good newsagents today.