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Healthier Easter Basket Ideas for Your Kids

Hard-boiled eggs are a great source of protein, and you can dye them in fun, springy colors. Photo: StockFood / Foodcollection

Easter candies are packed with sugar. Peeps, for example, are sugar puffs, colored with dye, and coated in more sugar.

According to a recent survey of just under 2,000 U.S. parents, the average child consumes more than 5,000 calories worth of junk food over the Easter holiday. Compare that to the recommended numbers of 1,000 to 2,600 calories a day. Eesh.

What’s the biggest problem with Easter baskets? Yahoo Food asked nutritionist (and mom) Amy Shapiro. “The two biggest culprits, in my mind, are sugar and [chemical] food dyes,” she said.

That doesn’t mean you have to do away with baskets of bunny-shaped chocolate and pastel gummy candies that your kids are eager to devour Easter morning. Shapiro, who is a mother to three young boys, says that, like most things in life, it’s all about balance.

“Any time something is off-limits, it makes people want it more,” she said. “If I say no, then when [my kids] go to their friends’ houses, they’re going to eat all of those things.”

She suggests allowing some candy — the right kind of candy — and then incorporating fresh fruit and games. Here are Shapiro’s ideas for building a healthier Easter basket.

When it comes to chocolate, go dark. It contains nutritional benefits such as antioxidants and iron, whereas milk chocolate does not. “My kids will eat dark chocolate,” says Shapiro. “They don’t really know the difference, because the flavor was introduced at a young age.”

 

Homemade dark chocolate bark is a healthier candy option. Photo: James Ransom

Mix chocolate with other things. “You consume less chocolate when you eat in conjunction with something else,” says Shapiro. “At any supermarket, you can find chocolate-covered strawberries,” or you can make chocolate-dipped bananas or dried apricots. Trader Joe’s sells chocolate-dipped almonds, which Shapiro says are a good option if nuts aren’t an issue for your children. She also likes making chocolate bark by melting 70% dark Valrhona chocolate discs, spreading it on parchment paper, and topping it with Goji berries, puffed quinoa, and sea salt. “It’s like a healthy Nestle Crunch.” Here’s a recipe to try from Food52.

 

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There’s nothing wrong with carrot sticks. “Just because it’s an Easter basket doesn’t mean you should stay away from something truly healthy,” says Shapiro. “Plus carrots relate to what the Easter bunny eats.” So put some carrot and celery sticks in there!

Think about healthy egg-shaped items.Hard-boiled eggs are a great source of protein, and you can naturally color them using beet juice or boiled cabbage,” Shapiro said. “Clementines, too, are kind of the shape of the egg — round and springy-colored — and don’t go bad quickly.” You can also try filling plastic eggs with mixed nuts or dried fruit. “Everybody loves to open up a little toy and see what’s inside.”

Incorporate some games. “An Easter basket doesn’t always have to be about food,” Shapiro said. Bubbles, Play-Doh, pastel-colored crayons, coloring books, and stickers “take up some space and makes it not just make it about eating.” You could even add a jump rope, a Slinky, or a bouncy ball, “things that get the kids actively moving so they wear off that sugar high!”

 

Annie’s brand makes organic, bunny-shaped snacks. Photo: Annie’s Homegrown

Keep it cute. Food manufacturer Annie’s Homegrown makes snacks that appeal to kids but are also healthy, Shapiro said. “They have bunny-shaped crackers and grahams and pretzels — you could even buy all three and make your own kind of Chex Mix with it.” Annie’s also makes bunny-shaped fruit snacks that are “a more natural form of Welch’s fruit snacks — plus they also make a gluten-free option.” Whole Foods brand sells duck-shaped cheese crackers, too. And for the DIY parents, you can make your own cookies or fruit snacks using fun molds and cookie cutters.

Try some sugar-free gum. “If parents are okay with their kids chewing gum, this is a great way to get some Easter-y colors in the basket without adding a ton of sugar or calories.” She recommends bubblegum-flavored pink or mint-flavored green Trident.