When you think of Easter morning what comes to mind? Maybe it’s hunting for eggs or heading to brunch with your family. For many, fond childhood memories also include colorful baskets overflowing with chocolate bunnies, caramel-filled eggs, jelly beans, and other sugary sweets. So this year, whether you’re preparing an Easter basket for a loved one or want serve a few treats at a family gathering, why not include South Beach Diet-friendly foods as healthier alternatives to candy? Here are a few options:
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Go
for mixed nut assortments or whole-grain animal crackers instead of the usual sugary candy treats. Whole-grain animal
crackers are a healthy snack alternative and something the kids will have fun
eating. Some nut mixes include dried fruit — such as apricots, pears,
bananas, and strawberries — which adds fiber. Offer packages of just
nuts to Phase 1 dieters and include those with fruit for Phase 2.
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Choose
dark chocolate over milk chocolate.
Dark chocolate, including bittersweet chocolate, is not only delicious but also
contains heart-healthy antioxidants. Look for dark chocolate that contains at
least 70% cacao. Our South Beach Diet Sweet Delights dark-chocolate-covered
sunflower seeds and soynuts make a healthy Easter basket option got any
chocoholic.
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Enhance
the basket with fruit
by adding colorful apples, pears, bananas, and nectarines, for example. Fruits
are naturally sweet and make beautiful basket presentations for those on Phase
2 or beyond.
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Pack
bags of air-popped or microwavable popcorn as a crunchy snack. There’s a lot more to popcorn than just
fiber. Recent research shows it’s a great source of antioxidants called
polyphenols.
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Toss in
a few packages of seeds
for growing vegetables, herbs, and flowers, so your basket recipient one can
plant a garden this season.
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Add in a
few nonperishable items,
such as paperback books, seasonal T-shirts and flip-flops, bubble bath, or
egg-shaped sidewalk chalk.
- And don’t forget the dyed hard-boiled eggs. If the basket isn’t going to be sitting around for long, include some festive colored eggs to eat right away. One large egg contains 6 grams of high-quality protein (in both the yolk and white). And the yolk is also a source of zinc, B vitamins, selenium, iron, and other nutrients.
