Healthy Easter Treats

Easter Bunnies Bring More Than Chocolate Eggs

By Susanne Myers

Easter baskets don't have to be full of chocolate and peeps. Here are some great ideas that will fill your Easter basket without all the extra fat and sugar

Bubbles

What child doesn't love to blow bubbles? Grab a couple of bottles of bubbles for this year's Easter basket. The kids will have a blast with them and with a little luck it will be warm enough outside to keep them busy and running around chasing bubbles for quite some time.

Sidewalk Chalk

Another fun treat is sidewalk chalk. This is the perfect time to draw on the sidewalk with the weather warming up. Plus we get enough rain in the spring that your driveway or sidewalk won't be decorated for too long.

Homemade Playdough

Make some playdough using your favorite homemade playdough recipe (we have one at kinderinfo.com). Get a couple of small playdough toys to go along with it and let the fun begin.

Toys from the Dollar Store

You can also pick up some very inexpensive toys at the dollar store. I have found anything from Easter themed coloring books to kites in there. This is also a great place to shop for the Easter baskets themselves, as well as some plastic Easter eggs that are great for hiding small trinkets and treats.

Of course every child should have some special treats in the Easter basket as well. Along with the obligatory chocolate bunny, include some healthier treats.

Chocolate and Yogurt Covered Raisins

Both chocolate and yogurt covered raisins look like little mini Easter eggs and are a yummy treat. Fill a small cellophane bag with these sweet treats and tie a pretty bow around it.

Trail Mix with Jellybeans

Mix some low sugar cereal like chex, or cheerios with some small pretzels, peanuts, raisins, and some jellybeans for an Easter inspired Trail Mix. You don't have to feel bad about your kids filling up on this. Pour your trail mix in a small bag, or fill some large plastic Easter eggs with the mix.

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Healthy Easter Treats, Part 2

What can you do as a parent to switch out some of the sugary treats with healthier alternatives? Quite a bit and we have compiled some of our favorite ideas to get you started. Read through the suggestions below and feel free to adapt and change things around to make it work for your family.

Treasure Hunt

Start by making an Easter basket that you fill with inexpensive outdoor toys. These could include jump ropes, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, gardening tools and various balls or Frisbees. Other ideas are water bottles, bike accessories (like a basket or a new helmet) and new sandbox toys. Of course you can also include a few markers or crayons to use inside for rainy days.

Now it's time to hide the Easter basket and set up a treasure hunt for the kids. You can draw a map where x marks the spot where you hid the basket, or set up a series of hidden clues for the kids to follow. The hunt itself will be just as much fun as receiving all the fun outdoor gifts.

Egg Filler Ideas

Plastic Easter eggs that you can fill yourself are another great idea for healthy Easter treats. You can fill these eggs with small toys, a few coins or even a couple of crayons. A pack of stickers is another favorite in our house. Of course you can also fill these plastic eggs with some edible treats. Add a handful of nuts, or some dried fruit. One of our favorites is some homemade trail mix from dry cereal, nuts, dried fruits and a few M&Ms.

Party Treats

If you are having a family get together or a party this Easter, try some of these healthy Easter treats and desserts. Make some egg shaped jello jigglers using egg shaped molds that you can find at most grocery stores this time of the year. Fill Easter themed bags with plain popcorn and of course set out some baby carrots that the kids can nibble on. They'll love eating "just like bunnies".

The Easy Way Out

Even if you don't have much time to prepare homemade treats, you can keep Easter healthy by making the right choices. Even retail stores are catching on to the idea that parents want healthy treats. Our local Wal-Mart carries plastic eggs prefilled with healthy treats, along with alternatives such as matchbox cars, silly putty and bracelets. In the Easter Basket provide a stuffed animal, toy, clothing, hair clips, coloring books or other fun items that you know your child will enjoy.

Make a tradition

Ask the grandparents and other relatives who usually bring a treat, to bring an Easter-themed book instead that your kids can enjoy for years to come. Our family has a stash for both Christmas and Easter that we pull out for the designated season and the kids always look forward to it.

Of course Easter isn't the only time to eat healthy. Cook a healthy meal for your family every single day and enjoy more time with your kids instead of planning what you will cook that night. Join the Healthy Menu Mailer  and receive 7 healthy dinner recipes a week with a grocery list to go along with it. We make healthy menu planning easy and save you time and money along the way.

About the Author: To enjoy weekly healthy menu plans delivered to your inbox every week visit http://www.healthymenumailer.com - For family friendly weekly meal planning visit http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com/info

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