To avoid gaining extra kilos over the Easter period, try these helpful hints.
1. Go for quality over quantity
If you are going to indulge, make it really worth it. Rather than buying a huge bag of poor quality eggs at a bargain price, treat yourself to something a little more expensive, higher quality and smaller. You may not get as much chocolate for your money, but what you do get will be far more enjoyable and you will eat far less of it. Make sure to take time to enjoy and savour your treat, rather than munching away whilst doing other things.
2. Share the chocolate (and the calories!)
If you are given, (or accidently buy too many), chocolates or other less healthy foods over Easter, share them with family and friends. This lightens the calorie load and avoids the pitfall of having tempting foods sitting round the house just waiting to be eaten. Your friends and family are not likely to mind helping you out!
3. Get moving
It’s normal to consume a few extra calories around holiday time, especially when, for most people, the holiday now centres on the giving and receiving of chocolate eggs. Counteract this extra energy intake by using the time of work to get active and burn some of it off. Go for a family walk, play back yard cricket or take the time you wouldn’t normally have for a long run or cycle.
Bear in mind that to burn off a crème egg would take about 45 minutes of fast walking and a large hot cross bun about 30 minutes of jogging. This may motivate you to move more and eat less!
4. Avoid bulk buying
Buying in bulk may seem like good value for money, but more often than not you will end up with more than you need and feel compelled to eat it to avoid wastage. Avoid this by buying smaller packets of eggs and hot cross buns and leaving bulk purchasing for healthy foods like fruit, vegetables and whole grains.
5. Fill up on nutritious foods
Just because it’s Easter doesn’t mean that you need to skip your regular healthy meals in favour of chocolate or less healthy foods. Eat plenty of vegetables at your main meal and include lean protein and whole grain carbohydrates. If having a barbeque or eating as a large group, offer to supply a healthy salad so you know there will be some healthy food available. Fill up on these lower calorie foods, leaving less room for high calorie treats.
6. Start the day right
Chocolate for breakfast might be every child’s (and quite a lot of adults), dream, however it is a good idea to start the day off in a healthy way as there is likely to be plenty of time for chocolate later on. Allow children one small egg, but try to sit down to a nutritious breakfast including fruit or vegetables, protein and whole grains to set everyone up for the day.
Source: Soulitude Health
