🐰 I love Easter! It’s that time of year when the temperature drops a little and you start thinking about grabbing that comfy blanket to snuggle up with.

It’s a time of year when we can press pause for a few days to connect with loved ones. No matter what age your children are, it’s still a great excuse for family to catch up.

I can’t wait for another Easter hunt, with excited squeals on Sunday morning. I know for sure that their consumption of chocolate, will far exceed their usual quota….but I’m OK with that.

I’m OK with it, because it’s not an everyday situation. Kids do eat more chocolate and sweet foods than usual over Easter, but I don’t actually have a problem with it – because it’s for a finite period of time. If we look at the big picture, it’s the food that children are eating day in day out, week in, week out during the school term that makes much more of a difference.

I’m also ok with it because I know that there are plenty of things that I can do to help manage the “sugar rush” over the Easter period.

Here are a few of my top tips:

1. Give them a hearty breakfast every day- this will enable them to start the day well fuelled and reduce the “sugar cravings” too early in the day. Great options include porridge, eggs on toast, baked beans, or a healthy smoothie or milkshake.

2. Include protein and good fats with their snacks to reduce the “glycaemic load” - adding in protein or fat helps to slow down the sugar rush into their blood stream. Think nut butter on toast or crackers, nut bars, yoghurt, cheese and crackers, veggies and hommus, boiled egg, dried legumes.

3. Include fibre with their snacks - this too helps to slow down the release of sugar into their blood stream - think grainy crackers. fresh fruit, nuts, grainy bread, yoghurt, hommus, pesto, homemade wholemeal muffins/cakes/brownie (see my recipe!)

4. Spread out the treats - allow them to have a certain amount of chocolate in a sitting and then send them outside to run around (and pop the remaining chocolate away for later).

5. To reduce the constant request for chocolate, it may be easier to keep the chocolates out of sight - pop them in the pantry rather than having the continual temptation of them sitting around in a bowl all day.

6. Think about other options for Easter gifts/treats to complement a bit of chocolate - think outside the chocolate square!!!

7. Teach the kids how to enjoy chocolate by eating it more mindfully - talk to them about eating it a little more slowly (if this is even possible!). If they can do this, then they may actually be satisfied sooner than if they just kept hoovering - the same goes for us too! 😉

Easter is also a great opportunity for family activity. This could include family walks, bike rides, games of soccer in the park, family basketball, beach cricket or even home-made obstacle courses in the back yard!

Whatever Easter ends up being for your family, I hope it’s a beautiful one!

Karina xx

Karina’s DO’s and DON’T’s over Easter:

DO:

- Give them a hearty breakfast to start the day (porridge/ grainy cereal/ grainy bread/ smoothie/fruit)

- If possible, spread chocolate intake out over the day (vs one massive hit!)

- Combine chocolate with other foods high in protein and fibre (to help slow the sugar rush)

- Encourage them to eat mindfully - enjoy chocolate more slowly, savouring each mouthful

- Put left over chocolate out of sight – kitchen cupboards  (not in bedrooms)

- Stay active – doing something active every day over Easter

DON’T:

- Skip breakfast - otherwise the request for chocolate will come too early!!

- Keep left over chocolate on the counter within easy reach.

- Let kids take their chocolate into their rooms

- Go out on an empty stomach as you are all more likely to overindulge on junk

- Over-restrict kids – this will eventually backfire on you

- Feel guilty, you are all allowed to enjoy some chocolate