My children are already looking forward to their Easter baskets. The stores are filled with Easter Candy and the biggest baskets with toys in them. Like many other kids on Easter morning, they will rush out of their beds in search for that special basket loaded with a lot of plastic eggs filled with jelly beans, and other sugary candy! Luckily neither one is big on chocolate, so the eggs with fudge or peanut butter fillings, marshmallow peeps that come in the form of chicks and rabbits and five-pound chocolate bunnies go to Mommy and Daddy.
But this year, Mommy and Daddy are going to change that narrative! We can not indulge like we usually do, it’s just too much! This year we will be steering them away from candies and other sugary treats. Now don’t get me wrong, there will be candy involved but not as much as it usually is!
There are so many alternatives to help with this process! Here are some suggestions for parents who are concerned about their childís weight problem or just want to educate them about healthy choices.
The most popular non-sugary treat is popcorn. Popcorn can be a very healthy treat, and Emma and DJ LOVE popcorn. Orville Redenbacher has come out with its line of popcorn where itís already portioned out in microwavable bags. SmartPop comes in two flavors; kettle corn and butter, itís also available in mini 100 calorie bags, which are already portioned out and fits inside any Easter Basket. Kids can just pop them into the microwave and set it according to the directions on the package and enjoy. My kids love air popped popcorn, so we would probably pop some and put it in a decorative bag for them!
Another suggestion for the kids Easter Basket is apple slices. You can either cut these yourself or pick up a couple of packages in the produce aisle; the slices are usually wrapped individually, which makes them much easier to fit inside an Easter basket. Fruit is a natural treat that contains its own sugars. Apples, oranges, bananas, and cherries can be tucked in nicely in Easter baskets. Grapes are ideal for the inside of plastic eggs but are recommended for older children and not toddlers under the age of 5 because they can choke on them. If parents want to give their toddlers plastic eggs with treats, try filling them with apple or pear slices instead.
Raisins can be sold in a six pack of one and a half ounce boxes that can fit comfortably in any tight spot. Ocean Spray has craisins, which are actually dry cranberries and can be purchased in 100 calorie packages.
Another treat is the Cliff Kid Twisted Fruit, which is sold in health food sections in the supermarket and they can fit perfectly in Easter baskets. The twisted fruit has only 70 calories per serving and contains no fat, has no processed sugars and contains organic material. This treat is also good for children with wheat allergies because it is gluten-free.
Granola bars, rice cakes, and pretzels are other fine choices that can help decorate a basket and put smiles on children during Easter.
Do you put healthy snacks in your kids Easter Baskets, do you fill them up on candy, or do you give them a mix of candy and healthy treats?
