Top tips for a healthier happier Easter.

Chocolate is part of the Easter tradition. Foil-covered eggs, and yummy baked goodies mean feasting all morning long.

I want this day to be fun-filled and enjoyable for me as a Mum as well as the rest of the family, and that means being a little sneaky to navigate those impending sugar crashes and tantrums.

Here are my top tips for a happy Easter:

• Even though chocolate will be the first thing on your little one’s mind make sure you have an enticing breakfast your kids will want to eat in the morning with a good source of protein and fats.

Smashed avocado on toast, dippy eggs, bacon sandwich, oats with fruit, chia pudding or even some fancy bunny shaped pancakes. This will help regulate blood sugar and prevent a sugar crash a few hours later.

• Think outside the box with your Easter basket and Easter hunt ideas. Books, fancy dress, puzzles, games, arts and crafts, soft toys as well of course the usual chocolate goodies.

Easter Basket fillers available from Big W and Cotton On Kids

• Choose plain chocolate eggs over caramel or filled eggs as these will contain fewer artificial colours, preservatives, vegetable oils and sugar. My favourite brands from Woolworths are the gorgeous little dark chocolate Lindt bunnies or pana chocolate for a plant-based option.

• If your kids like it, dark chocolate and carob treats are also a great choice compared to milk and white chocolate. Milk chocolates contain less of the original cocoa bean than dark chocolate. Often diluted with sugar, cream and milk solids to achieve that sweet, creamy taste.

Milk and white chocolates will contain more sugar, 100g of milk chocolate has 52g sugar, dark chocolate Lindt has only 18g of sugar, so keep that in mind.

• Real dark chocolate can be good for us in moderation, good quality dark chocolate (ideally over 70%) contains fibre, iron, magnesium, copper manganese, potassium, zinc and selenium. Not bad hey?

• Even though your kids may be filling up on chocolate still offer healthy snacks throughout the day, as this will avoid overindulging. Veggie sticks with hummus, cheese, and crackers, cut-up fruit, yogurt and nuts are great options.

• Check out an easy homemade raw chocolate recipe below, these can be set in cute little Easter silicone moulds for added Easter fun.

Raw chocolate recipe:

1 cup cacao butter (purchased from Noosa Health Store),

¼ cup cocoa powder or cacao (cocoa will be a less bitter chocolate flavour)

2 tbsp maple syrup

¼ tsp vanilla powder

1tbsp nut butter

Method

1. You will need a saucepan with a bowl on top (double boiler method) to melt the cacao butter. If using a Thermomix 5 mins, 50 degrees, speed 4.
2. Stir through the rest of the ingredients until combined. Thermomix 20 seconds speed 4.
3. Pour chocolate into Easter moulds or into a tray lined with baking paper and make into a bark.
4. Pop in the freezer to set.
5. You can add any extra’s you would like. Home-made marshmallows, chopped roasted nuts or dried fruit.

I hope everyone has a beautiful Easter long weekend, full of yummy food, laughter, and family.

Love The Gut Fix Mummy