Healthier Alternatives to a Candy-Filled Easter Basket
You may not consider Easter as a big-spending vacation. Whereas it actually does not rival Christmas, there may be one space the place Easter actually racks up the numbers: sweet gross sales.
Easter sweet gross sales common round $1.9 billion yearly, second solely to Halloween. Is all that sweet wholesome? After all not! Whereas everybody deserves a couple of candy treats from time to time, there are additionally higher alternate options than simply pure sugar. Strive these more healthy alternate options for typical Easter basket treats that characteristic decrease sugar ranges and pure elements, permitting you and your loved ones to indulge with out the drawbacks.
1. Smashmallow Cookie Dough Snackable Marshmallows (As a substitute of Peeps)
Corn syrup. Yellow #5. Carnauba wax. YUM! Peeps are bizarre sufficient, as is, even earlier than you’re taking a detailed take a look at the elements. One serving (5 chicks) comprises 140 energy and a whopping 34g of sugar. That is practically as a lot sugar as a can of Coca-Cola. Plus, the style is simply…pure sugar. For sure, Peeps depart a lot to be desired.
For a more healthy (and tastier) deal with, throw some Smashmallow snackable marshmallows into your Easter basket. You will nonetheless get your marshmallow repair, however with pure elements and kosher-certified gelatin. Smashmallow makes use of natural cane sugar and fruit or vegetable juice to paint their merchandise. There’s none of that synthetic stuff right here. And if you happen to’re wanting actual taste out of candy deal with, these bite-size snacks are available variations like mint chocolate chip, cinnamon churro, and strawberries & cream. One serving of the cookie dough (our favourite and a model new taste) has solely 80 energy and fewer than half the sugar of Peeps (15 grams)!
2. Hail Merry Chocolate Almond Butter Cups (As a substitute of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups)
Reese’s are a scorching commodity in our family. Everybody fights over them. Personally, I discover the peanut butter in these snacks to be too dry and crumbly. What we are able to all agree on, nonetheless, is that there’s simply an excessive amount of sugar in these dangerous boys (22 grams).
Hail Merry chocolate almond butter cups, then again, options solely 10 grams of sugar. A lot of that trimming down can most likely be attributed to using darkish chocolate as a substitute of milk chocolate (which is the Reese’s possibility). I occur to choose darker chocolate anyway. What makes these snacks even higher is that Hail Merry creates all this nice taste with none of the preservatives discovered within the Reese’s model. So lengthy TBHQ! You will not be missed!
3. Darkish Chocolate (As a substitute of Milk Chocolate) Bunnies & Eggs
I discussed earlier than that I choose darkish chocolate. The darker (or larger the cacao content material), the extra flavonoids the chocolate has. Flavonoids are phytochemicals with wholesome antioxidant capabilities. However apart from all of the sciencey stuff, darkish chocolate merely tastes higher! Darkish chocolate’s sugar content material can be a lot decrease in comparison with its milk chocolate siblings.
If you happen to’re watching your general sugar consumption, darker is healthier. Generally darkish chocolate Easter bunnies or eggs could be exhausting to seek out, nonetheless. To not concern! Simply make your personal! Bunny and egg molds can discovered on-line for underneath $10. I snagged one from Amazon and purchased a few of my favourite darkish chocolate (round 85% cacao is my desire). I then merely melted the chocolate, positioned it within the mould, and let it set. Voilà! Wholesome darkish chocolate as an Easter bunny or egg.
4. Berries (As a substitute of Jelly Beans)
Very like my confusion over the fascination with Reese’s peanut butter cups, I additionally do not perceive the attraction of jelly beans. The flavors aren’t stellar (to say nothing of that tutti-frutti factor). Plus, a single serving comprises 28 grams of sugar. Of explicit concern for youngsters, the gummy texture is a magnet for nooks and crannies inside the enamel. In case your little ones do not brush successfully, it is a recipe for cavities.
As a substitute of choosing these corn syrup and synthetic coloured gummies, why not simply have some wholesome berries as a substitute? Blueberries are simply as bite-size as jelly beans, plus they style significantly better! If you wish to swap issues up, strive freezing some blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries for a welcome change in texture. You might additionally spear them with toothpicks, dip them in some Greek yogurt, and freeze them for an added deal with (and a few added protein)!