Five Actions You Can Take to Make Your Easter a Healthy One

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As you plan your Easter, are you tempted to surrender to the fattening traditions of Easter candy and an artery-clogging holiday meal? If you or your family members are overweight, consider making a change that will give everyone a chance at being more healthy. Instead of lecturing your family, make changes that won't feel drastic but will help get you all moving in the right direction.

Fill Easter baskets mostly with presents. Choose spring-themed gifts that will get the kids moving, like chinese jumpropes, sets of jacks, sidewalk chalk, or a football. Strategically choose toys you think will encourage the kids to get active and use their minds instead of sitting in front of the television.

Select only a few pieces of candy for each basket. Instead of eliminating candy altogether from the basket, place a few really good pieces of something indulgent, like a couple truffles from a chocolate shop or some Jelly Belly jelly beans. Have the kids guess at each jelly bean's flavor, which will force them to eat them one by one and savor them.

Serve a low-cal menu. Serve a lean ham, topped with slices of pineapple secured with cloves. Eliminate buns, mashed spuds, and the creamy green bean dish topped with those Funions since these are the least healthy traditional Easter dishes. Instead of the unhealthy side dishes, serve a fresh steamed vegetable, a green salad, some sort of fresh fruit such as grapes or pineapple, and halved baked potatoes. Don't serve something dastardly for dessert like cheesecake, but instead serve something like berries with whipped cream.

Plan an active agenda for the holiday. Plan a fun egg hunt, hiding eggs all over the place so the kids have to search hard to find them all. Go for an after-dinner walk to a nearby park if the weather permits. Get the kids playing something fun like hide and go seek or running through an obstacle course.

Dye and eat eggs. Eat the hard boiled eggs plain, without fattening them up with mayonaise. Coloring eggs will stimulate creativity.

By setting this example, you may set new healthier traditions in motion.