Easter Inspiration | You Can Do Better This Year
What a funny 'holiday'. 4 days off, two 4 day weeks and a real struggle for many people trying to prioritise the health of both themselves and their family.
There are so many conflicting messages out there around Easter. Anti-diet advocates will tell you to indulge as much as you like, grand parents think it's 'cruel' not to buy Easter Eggs for little ones who will miss out on the experience we had as children, Easter Eggs are lining the shop shelves and have been since January.
So, here are a few things to consider in the run up to Easter (and beyond).
Consider Easter In Numbers - 8.8 Eggs Per Child
I was pretty mortified when a friend told me she was a 'mean Mum' for not letting her 2 year old have any Easter Eggs. The immediate question that sprung to mind was jeeez, is it normal to feed a 2 year old chocolate? Perhaps a little bit sure, but when I asked this question the responses that came back weren't particularly shareable.
If we normalise chocolate for our 2-year-olds, are we setting them up for long term health? If we let them binge on chocolate for a day, have a sugar high and crash...and get through the inevitable tantrums and then tell them they aren't having any until their birthday, Christmas?
Are we teaching them that on these days it's OK to go mental and feel sick? Are we wiring them early on to associate chocolate with a special occasion, reward and feeling good? Not necessarily but it's an interesting question to ask ourselves.
I should note at this point I'm not anti-chocolate and eat 95% Cocoa Lindt most days. I also deeply understand the feeling of having one bite of sugary milk chocolate and not being able to stop. Don't let me near a Terry's Chocolate Orange... Terry can keep them thanks. The memory of this feeling and how addictive chocolate really can be resurfaced by talking to a client about the family bar they shared as a couple every night. It was about 14 teaspoons of sugar. After dinner.
The reason I raise this as Food For Thought is that an article published in the UK in 2016 stated that the average British child received 8.8 Easter Eggs. Enough calories to sustain them for two weeks... mental eh?
Many blogs that offer advice on how to create an epic Easter Egg Hunt suggest at least 15 eggs... of what size I'm not sure, but with the average family in New Zealand having less than 2 children these days, that advice sounds a bit shady to me unless there's a party planned.
Kiwi Vs. Greek Easter Culture | World's Apart
I reckon the Greeks are on to a pretty epic Easter celebration. This is one of the biggest religious holidays in their calendar, so it is taken pretty seriously.
Many fast during Lent in the run-up to Easter and focus on eating mainly vegetables, seafood and olive oil. Simple but delicious food. In the areas of Greece I've celebrated, Easter then involves getting together with the family, and usually an enormous slow-cooked lamb on the spit, shared by anyone invited.
I don't think I've actually ever seen a chocolate egg in Greece when I come to think about it. Compared to New Zealand, where all I have seen of Easter is racks of supermarket Eggs lining shelves for months. No cultural consideration in the run-up to the celebration of a new beginning... just a day to eat as much chocolate as we can.
Healthy Easter Treats
Want to join in with Western Easter traditions and enjoy some sweets without binging on chocolate eggs? Go for gold. Why not get creative in the kitchen yourself (or with the kids) and try making as many Easter egg-shaped goodies you can.
Teach them to prepare their food rather than buy it in a packet. Show them there is a more fun, interesting and soulful way to get treats than the instant gratification of a plastic wrapped egg.
Check out our 3 Ingredient Easter Egg Recipe Here.
Nutrients, Sustainability & Packaging
I am not a huge eco-warrior and am aware I should be doing a lot more. But this year it hit me. The eggs have been on the shelves since January - pretty bloody gross if you ask me. What is in both the eggs and the packaging to keep them shelf stable for that long?
Rather than just a bar of chocolate in foil wrap or cardboard, Easter eggs generally have about 3 layers of packaging. They are mostly packaging.
That was quite a rant from the Easter Grinch.
But what I would love for people to take away from this read, is not to feel guilty for not buying two-year-olds Easter Eggs, not feel the financial pressure to add to your already expensive supermarket shop with expensively shaped chocolate and focus on what matters - time, together with friends and family.
The chocolate will be going nowhere - it will be there probably over 50% cheaper come Monday.
Time with friends and family we can't get back.
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