Easter Basket Makeover

Healthier_Me

That's right... even the well-established Easter basket isn't safe from the Recipe Doctors clutches. Seriously though, I just want to give you some more healthful options in addition to the obligatory chocolate bunny. I would never in my wildest dreams suggest a chocolate-free Easter basket (unless that's what the recipient wanted).

There's a big difference between a basket that is wall to wall candy and a basket that has a few featured treat items but also includes other fun (non-food) surprises like fuzzy socks, little bouncy balls or adorable Kelly Dolls or Polly Pockets or Hot Wheels. For older children or teens (or adults) these items can be CD's, books, golf balls, or tennis balls. So here are my 5 tips for building a "better" Easter basket:

#1 Go for the chocolate but only include the items your basket recipient is truly going to enjoy. If their favorite candy bar is Milky Way, add a few Milky Way Eggs and call it a day. If your recipient enjoys pure chocolate, you could include a hollow bunny of high quality chocolate instead of a solid bunny (those are easier to eat anyway). If you have an M&M lover on your hands, you can opt for the Peanut M&M's, which are a more substantial snack because the chocolate comes with a dose of healthful peanuts. 1/4 cup (1.5 ounces) of peanut M&M's will satisfy most of us and it contains 220 calories and 11 grams of fat (some of which are healthful fat from peanuts), 4.5 grams saturated fat, and 4 grams of protein and a gram of fiber. Compare that to one of my favorite chocolate treats, Dove Truffle Eggs with 1 1/2 eggs (1.35 ounces) containing 225 calories, 15 grams of fat, 10.5 grams saturated fat, and 1.5 grams protein.

#2 Add fun fillers that encourage playing or sports. I think an Easter basket is a great opportunity to add toys and items that inspire physical activity. Just walking through Target the other day I found fun pink gold balls and tennis balls (I believe some of the proceeds go to fight breast cancer) and colorful Frisbees and badminton sets. At Walgreen's I found 4-inch soft puffy balls decorated with your child's favorite Disney characters. There are all sorts of small sports items that can help fill an Easter basket.

#3 Inspire playfulness and child-like fun (even with adults). There's something almost magical about sitting on the front porch in spring and blowing bubbles. Fill your basket with cool bubble blowing toys. Play-doh is always coming out with creative ways to play with colorful dough. I don't care how old you are, this can fun!

#4 Add something religious or spiritual. For a lot of people, Easter isn't a religious holiday but if it has a religious significance in your family, you can add something to the basket that reminds them about the spiritual aspect of the season--like small angel figurines, inspirational books, rosaries, religious jewelry, wall crosses, religious book marks, etc.

#5 Add healthful or interesting food items. You can add some interesting (age appropriate) food items to the basket too like sugar-free chewing gum (helps clean teeth), sugar-free breath mints ('nuf said), packets of flavored green tea to try (green tea is brimming with health benefits), little packets or cans of nuts, etc...

Wishing you all a lovely Easter filled with tossing Frisbees and blowing bubbles with your family, and of course, a few glorious bites of your favorite chocolate!

http://blogs.webmd.com/healthy-recipe-doctor/2007/03/easter-basket-makeover.html

Healthier_Me

That's right... even the well-established Easter basket isn't safe from the Recipe Doctors clutches. Seriously though, I just want to give you some more healthful options in addition to the obligatory chocolate bunny. I would never in my wildest dreams suggest a chocolate-free Easter basket (unless that's what the recipient wanted).

There's a big difference between a basket that is wall to wall candy and a basket that has a few featured treat items but also includes other fun (non-food) surprises like fuzzy socks, little bouncy balls or adorable Kelly Dolls or Polly Pockets or Hot Wheels. For older children or teens (or adults) these items can be CD's, books, golf balls, or tennis balls. So here are my 5 tips for building a "better" Easter basket:

#1 Go for the chocolate but only include the items your basket recipient is truly going to enjoy. If their favorite candy bar is Milky Way, add a few Milky Way Eggs and call it a day. If your recipient enjoys pure chocolate, you could include a hollow bunny of high quality chocolate instead of a solid bunny (those are easier to eat anyway). If you have an M&M lover on your hands, you can opt for the Peanut M&M's, which are a more substantial snack because the chocolate comes with a dose of healthful peanuts. 1/4 cup (1.5 ounces) of peanut M&M's will satisfy most of us and it contains 220 calories and 11 grams of fat (some of which are healthful fat from peanuts), 4.5 grams saturated fat, and 4 grams of protein and a gram of fiber. Compare that to one of my favorite chocolate treats, Dove Truffle Eggs with 1 1/2 eggs (1.35 ounces) containing 225 calories, 15 grams of fat, 10.5 grams saturated fat, and 1.5 grams protein.

#2 Add fun fillers that encourage playing or sports. I think an Easter basket is a great opportunity to add toys and items that inspire physical activity. Just walking through Target the other day I found fun pink gold balls and tennis balls (I believe some of the proceeds go to fight breast cancer) and colorful Frisbees and badminton sets. At Walgreen's I found 4-inch soft puffy balls decorated with your child's favorite Disney characters. There are all sorts of small sports items that can help fill an Easter basket.

#3 Inspire playfulness and child-like fun (even with adults). There's something almost magical about sitting on the front porch in spring and blowing bubbles. Fill your basket with cool bubble blowing toys. Play-doh is always coming out with creative ways to play with colorful dough. I don't care how old you are, this can fun!

#4 Add something religious or spiritual. For a lot of people, Easter isn't a religious holiday but if it has a religious significance in your family, you can add something to the basket that reminds them about the spiritual aspect of the season--like small angel figurines, inspirational books, rosaries, religious jewelry, wall crosses, religious book marks, etc.

#5 Add healthful or interesting food items. You can add some interesting (age appropriate) food items to the basket too like sugar-free chewing gum (helps clean teeth), sugar-free breath mints ('nuf said), packets of flavored green tea to try (green tea is brimming with health benefits), little packets or cans of nuts, etc...

Wishing you all a lovely Easter filled with tossing Frisbees and blowing bubbles with your family, and of course, a few glorious bites of your favorite chocolate!

http://blogs.webmd.com/healthy-recipe-doctor/2007/03/easter-basket-makeover.html

hmmmm

Thanks for this Joanna I hope this is how most people will fill the easter baskets. Both of my daughters got a hollow chocolate easter bunny and a few lollipops. Also in there is books, coloring books, crayons, a rattle, a 1st Easter stuffed bunny, socks, elmo undies, bubbles, play doh, sidewalk chalk, big bounce ball, a kite, and crocs shoes. I am more excited than they are for Easter lol. Also am having an easter egg hunt with plastic filled eggs of raisinets and goldfish. (Most of the thing I got for around a dollar a piece too so it really doesn't even have to be that expensive).

vicky1

they are some gr8 ideas thx for posting I have opted for stamping sets cinderella and my friends tigger and pooh for my girls and a test tube alien for my son they wll also get a bag of lollies and 1 small easter egg each. I have intsrtucted my hubby no choc for me but if he feels compelled to get something liqorice or fat free jelly sweets would be acceptable I have got him however a big egg and his fav cheesy doritos (we don't have food like that in anymore so he does without to support me)

Have a happy healthy enjoyable easter and for those that fall off the wagon there is always next week to get back on track.

Healthier_Me

Very welcome!
We bought our girls premade baskets that have about 4 pieces of candy in each and I will be taking them away as soon as they open it. And ofcourse, they'll have a chocolate bunny. I'll use your idea for the Easter eggs hmmmm.

~Joanna:flowerforyou:

pam0206

It's starting to get warmer in VA, so we get outdoor activities for our girls. Bubbles, sidewalk chalk, etc. We also got some eggs with Littlest Pets. Our oldest daughter likes the candy at first, then forgets about it. We got chocolate bunnies for each of their baskets. The kids will like them as long as they get some treats--candy or otherwise.:flowerforyou:

peej76

Oh this is great!! Thanks, I have all boys and thought it would be hard to fill a basket for them with inexpensive stuff other than candy, I now have some great ideas!! Believe it or not, I haven't even started my Easter shopping yet!! So tomorrow is a day sure to be spent in and out of stores all day, GRRR crowds!!! It's crazier than Christmas out there!! Happy Easter everyone!!!

Losing_It

keiko

When my girls were little they'd get baskets with jump ropes, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, kites. Fun spring things. They'd also get candy. Yes the jelly beans, chocolate eggs, bunnies, peeps (which by the way are great roasted like marshmellows) One year I asked my nephew to watch the girls for me. We came home and he wanted to know why I brainwashed them!? He told them they could eat as much candy out of their Easter baskets as they wanted. They both asked for fruit!
To this day they both eat candy sometimes but don't eat alot of it. My nephew is still wondering why!