5 Ways to Have a Happy and Healthy Easter

When you think of Easter, you probably ponder pastel Easter baskets filled with colorful plastic grass, candy-coated eggs and chocolate bunnies. It’s no secret that this holiday is jam-packed with sugary sweets trying to sabotage your healthy diet. Even your weekly trip to the grocery story is bombarded with Easter endcaps around every corner.

Despite the sugary temptations trying to sneak their way into your meal plan, there are plenty of ways to celebrate Easter the healthy way. With a few fun activities, nutritious recipes and gift basket swaps, you and your family can create everlasting holiday memories that promote health and wellness.

Here are five ways to have a happy and healthy Easter holiday:

1. Get an Alternative

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, it’s a wise idea to make your own Easter candy. Our low-carb recipe for Peanut Butter Cups contains just six wholesome ingredients. It’s fun to bring these little treats to life, so have your hunny bunny or kiddos help. We use a six-count muffin tin to keep the cups in place, but any size muffin tray will do. You could also throw the filling into the fridge to harden up, then shape it into Easter eggs before dipping into the melted chocolate. If you’re not a fan of peanut butter, you can easily swap in a different nut butter that you enjoy. There are plenty of options, such as almond butter, sunflower seed butter or cashew butter. Click here for nine nut butters for your low-carb kitchen! > 

2. A Better Basket

Now that you’re living a healthier lifestyle, your family can benefit from your smarter choices. Instead of an Easter basket filled to the brim with candy, you might find small toys to bring Easter cheer. Hit up the seasonal bins at the dollar store or local market to make this a cinch. You can also fill baskets with healthy snacks like raisins, nuts, seeds, popcorn and protein bars.

Get creative and develop themed baskets based on your recipient’s interests. Put together a summertime fun basket filled with sidewalk chalk, bubbles, jump rope, squirt guns and sand toys. A gardening basket would also be fun for kids and gardeners alike, including seeds, a shovel, gloves, stylish décor, flowerpots or a watering can. Make a family Easter basket filled with fun activities and healthy snacks for a family game or movie night. The possibilities are endless!

3. An Egg-cellent Easter

There’s never been a better year to dye Easter eggs! Not only is it a whole lot of fun but also helps with your meal prep for the week. Two large whole eggs count as one Protein on the South Beach Diet weight loss plan. According to Healthline, eggs are full of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, folate, selenium, calcium, zinc and vitamins B12, D, A, E and K.

Have a fun, healthy evening dying Easter eggs with the whole family. Dye your eggs with clean ingredients by making your own natural dye. Taste of Home magazine offers some great suggestions, such as using turmeric for yellow dye, black coffee for brown dye, beet juice for pink dye and grape juice for purple dye.

Once your eggs are ready, celebrate with a family Easter egg hunt. If you don’t want to use fresh eggs for the egg hunt, get some plastic eggs and put money inside. Coins, dollar bills and maybe one big bill make an egg hunt fun for people of every age. Plus, every bit of exercise counts!

4. Move It

Speaking of exercise, why not start a new Easter tradition this year? After the big meal is over, everyone should get outside. Take a stroll through the local park or neighborhood. Play croquet, badminton or maybe even touch football. If it’s a rainy day, get the Wii out and have a little virtual competition.

Before Easter arrives, spend some time prettying up your property. Believe it or not, planting seedlings and shrubs for just 30 minutes burns 149 calories in a 155-pound person, says Harvard Health. General gardening is even higher, burning 167 calories for a 155-pound person. Take advantage of the springtime weather and spend time outside with the whole family.

5. New You, New Menu

As is the case with many families, holiday menus are pretty traditional. You can expect the same recipes mothers and grandmothers before them made and perfected. However, if your family is open to new recipes—especially if they’re supportive of your goals in living a healthier lifestyle—we’ve got some knock-your-socks-off good dishes to serve up this Easter.

Check out our Recipe section right here on The Palm Weight Loss Blog for healthy meals, sides and sweets. You’ll love our springtime recipes for Cucumber Salad with Bulgur and Mint, Loin Lamb Chops with Mint Pesto and Bacon Wrapped Zucchini. We even have healthy Cinnamon Roll Muffins for a sweet start to your holiday! For dessert, everyone will love our No-Bake Key Lime and Avocado Cheesecake and they’ll never know that it’s South Beach Diet-approved.