Healthier Easter for Kids in 2021
22nd March 2021
Easter is almost here! I can imagine all the kids are looking forward to celebrating this holiday with all sorts of chocolates and sweets. Do you have know that a typical milk chocolate Easter egg per 100g contains around 60g of sugar and 500 calories? Dietary guidelines suggest children should consume no more than 24g (6 teaspoons) of free sugar a day, with free sugars including 'natural' sugar from honey, syrups and fruit juices. Indeed just think that this intake of energy equates, for an average person, to walking briskly for around 2 hours or cycling for just over an hour! And that is per 100g.
Of course, we still want kids to enjoy Easter, so I have some alternatives activities to encourage physical exercise and keep them occupied instead of munching all the chocolates.
1) Dye or Paint Hard-boiled Eggs: They can be used for the other activities below.
2) Easter Hard-boiled Egg Hunt: Prepare a map with clues for the treasure hunt. Kids like challenges, this game can help them learn about problem solving.
3) Spoon Hard-boiled Egg Race: Use a spoon to carry the hard-boiled egg from A to B without dropping them. This game can train the hand and eye co-ordination.
Alternatives to Chocolate
- A small toy instead of chocolate.
- Hard-boiled Egg instead of chocolate egg: Kids can help to cook such as making an egg salad, egg sandwich, in its own or with a soya sauce dip! Please be aware of egg safety.
- Homemade Easter Theme Snacks: such as bunny pancakes or sandwiches. Here is my favourite and delicious low calorie pancake recipe.
- Encourage Kids to Eat Like the Bunny: Provide lots of colourful fruits and vegetables such as carrots, cucumber, bell peppers and lettuces.
- Homemade Treats: Bunny or egg shaped sugar-free ice lollies.
With kids involved in the cooking, they are more likely to enjoy the healthier food choices and less time to munch on the chocolates.
I hope these ideas are helpful and I wish you a Healthier Easter in 2021.
Chin Wai Yip
Placement Nutrition Student
March 2021