Creating A Healthy Easter Basket

Do our children need more sugar filled chocolates and candies this year? Let's try something new. This year boycott the candies and chocolates and buy some healthy treats. Buying healthy foods doesn't mean you have to sacrifice flavor. Just because it might be low fat or low in calories it doesn't have to taste bad.

Another Easter gift that won't be bad on the teeth are toys. No kid will ever complain about having too many toys. Kids with an Easter basket are looking for a special treat; it doesn't have to be something to eat. Small hand-held electronic games are available at stores like Wal-Mart, Target, and Toys ‘R Us for less than ten dollars. Card games like Yugioh and Dungeon Dice Monsters are winners with kids these days. Younger children will enjoy dolls or action figures.

Jelly beans or Dried fruits?
Jelly beans are full of sugar and not healthy. If a child could eat just one then it wouldn't be a problem but most people eat at least a couple of handfuls. You can purchase dried fruit for your child and it has much more nutrition in the same sized portions as jellybeans. Ocean Spray® makes a snack called Craisins®. It's dried sweet cranberries in various flavors. Also, Sun-Maid®, are known for raisins but they also make dried fruit snacks like yogurt and chocolate covered raisins, and even chopped dates. You're kids will love the taste so much they won't even realize it's not true 'junk food'.

Snack or Regular Size?
If you must put candy in your child's Easter basket, go for smaller sizes. You can get just about any candy bar these days in bite sizes. These are much lower in calories than their candy counterparts. So instead of candies and chocolate eggs try adding three or four of these treats.

Homemade or Store-Bought?
Buying candies and treats at the store is always fun and easy, but who knows what actually goes into these treats? Almost all treats started in someone's kitchen, and were made at home at one point or another. Let’s take Rice Krispy treats® for example. They were made at home much earlier than they were mass produces at a factory. You can make these treats at home and use low fat ingredients. When you control what is going into your food, you will feel completely confident in what you're feeding your children.

Easter baskets don’t have to be chock full of junk to be fun. Healthy additions make you a better parent without sacrificing taste. Teach children to eat right while they are young so that they develop a lifetime of good habits.

How would you like to get craft ideas, parenting information, product recall info, recipes, book reviews and more delivered to your email inbox every week? That's exactly what ParentingZoo – the new online Parenting Magazine does.

Sign up today at www.parentingzoo.com
 
ParentingZoo.com - Your Online Parenting Magazine