8 Ways To Have A Healthy & Hoppin’ Easter Holiday
Easter is coming a bit early this year, and if your holiday looks anything like mine, it’s filled with delicious meals, yummy easter baskets, and munching on treats throughout the day. When kids are around, it makes the traditions that revolve around these sweet treats even more special. Because of this, holidays like Easter can leave us frustrated or “guilty” if we’re focused on personal health goals. But, there are a multitude of ways to incorporate various aspects of health into this holiday. Today we’ll explore 8 of my favorites that will give you a healthy balance and lead to a happy, hoppin’ holiday.
8 Ways To Have A Healthy & Hoppin’ Easter Holiday
1. Festive, Fun-Filled Fitness Activities: There are many ways to incorporate movement into your day. Here are some ideas:
Go for a family walk or hike ahead of your brunch
Instead of (or in addition to) a traditional egg hunt, add some relay races, stations or games to break a sweat
Fill some eggs with small pieces of paper that say things like “Do 10 push-ups before you continue the hunt!”
2. Consider The Easter Basket: Many easter baskets have your typical candy and sweets. Think about adding some other treats, like a pastel skip ball or jump rope, game of twister, hula hoops, or sidewalk chalk.
3. Prioritize Protein: Eating protein throughout the day will help you feel fuller and satiated, and level out your blood sugar. Try eating real eggs, oatmeal, cottage cheese, or greek yogurt.
4. Snack Healthy- Easter Style: As an activity, you and your loved ones can make some delicious easter snacks that are more nutritious than just that chocolate egg. Try:
Bunny Mix: Make granola mix with your own flare! Nuts, seeds, popcorn and fruits are all options to add.
Fruit Flower Bouquet: With a skewer, add various fruits with different colors. You can keep the skewers basic or build cut out fruit shapes (like pedals and leaves) to upgrade. You can get as fancy or creative as you please. I love these skewers for some added spirit.
Bunny Eggs: Make hard boiled eggs or deviled eggs (with avocado as the base instead of mayonnaise). You can use bits of olive and carrot to represent the eyes and ears.
5. Eat Throughout The Day: Skipping meals and snacks during the day to “Save up” for a bigger meal may sound enticing, but studies show when you fast ahead of a big meal, you’re more likely to overeat. So, eat your meals and snacks as normal.
6. Creative Crafts: Rather than lounging on the couch, there are so many crafts to do that keep you engaged and busy. Consider:
Decorating Easter eggs
Painting flower pots to put outside
Bunny Book Marks
7. Set Boundaries if Needed: If you feel that you struggle with portions, you can look for your favorites in individual sizes. Opting for these smaller packs rather than “the big bag” help you moderate how much you consume. Additionally, consider dark chocolate over milk or white, and chocolate covered fruits, like strawberries.
8. It’s About Balance: The day is meant to be fun and you deserve to enjoy some of the treats. Don’t completely ban treats. If you go in with the “I can’t have ANY” mentality, there’s a high risk you won’t enjoy the day and you may overindulge in the left overs later. Instead of “All or Nothing,” use some of the tips above to move your body and eat other nourishing foods to help stabilize your blood sugar. Finding balance may take time, but it’s worth the wait: you deserve to have a guilt-free, fabulous holiday!
Questions or other recommendations for a healthy, hoppin’ holiday? Comment below or contact me here. Happy Easter!