Beware the Easter Bunny and Changes in Attitudes

More like beware all the candy on the shelves at the stores, next you are filling baskets with jelly beans, (save me the black ones please), chocolate eggs, chocolate bunnies (please refrain from biting off the ears), let us not forget the cherished Peeps and that is just the traditional candy. You go to the mega store and the walls of color coordinated candy overwhelms your senses and your sensibility.

I admit to this, I have a sweet tooth. I buy nostalgic candy and I fall for the trappings of those delectable Easter candy temptations. A dear friend got me hooked on Cadbury eggs, the candy coated ones. By the time I got halfway through the second bag, the honeymoon was over and I finally threw them away, no easy task for me to throw anything consumable away. At least I didn’t finish them.

Try some better choices for the Easter basket:
· Popcorn balls
· Fresh fruit, it’s colorful too
· Raisins and I won’t go where I am thinking about what to tell your kids about the raisins and the Easter Bunny, you are smart, figure it out.
· Toss in a toothbrush and a travel size toothpaste. A friend of ours gives out toothbrushes for Halloween to the neighborhood kids and they love it.

There doesn’t have to be food in the basket. How about:
· A book –there are wonderful children’s books, check out the used book stores
· Bubbles, who doesn’t love bubbles?
· A favorite movie or music CD
· Small toys (hint check out the local dollar store)
· Crayons and coloring or activity books
· Puzzles
· Shovels & pails
· Finger puppets
· A voucher for a trip to the zoo, park, swimming pool, skate park

Some candy is OK, don’t deprive them or yourself if you really want the stuff, MODERATION is key. Local health food markets sell healthier equivalents of jelly beans and the like.

Eat one little M&M candy and you are walking the full length of a football field to burn off the calories. No one eats just one M&M either. From: Walking off Weight by Robert Sweetgall

How about baking cookies? Make it a family affair, get some fun cookie cutters and a recipe for low-fat cookies. Oatmeal cookies are tasty and you can load them up with raisins, dried cranberries, nuts, mini-chocolate chips. Enjoy this week’s recipe for carrot and currant muffins.

I read a great idea from one Mom who allows her children to have some candy but then takes the bulk of it away and gives it away (or pitches it). That goes for any holiday candy. Yes, a waste of money but isn’t the weight of you and your child’s weight worth it?

It is OK to throw food away, it really is. I find myself throwing out more unwanted calories on a regular basis and not feeling guilty about it. I have been reading “Mindless Eating” by Brian Wansink, an excellent book, well written, entertaining too. One of his suggestions is if you order French fries at a fast food place, throw half of the order away before you sit down. If you think you want dessert, key word is think. Order your meal and finish it, then if you really want dessert, get back up and order it. I can attest to the French fries, I love them. While I don’t throw half of them away before I sit down, I have gotten really good about eating about half and looking at them and throwing the rest away. Here’s another trick for you-throw away half the bun, top or bottom, doesn’t matter, your choice. The meat in those meals is generally so thin it gets lost in the big bun. What I am saying is this: give yourself permission to throw out the candy, I give you permission to do so.

Now, for those who may not celebrate Easter, Passover and Easter coincide this year. Passover food is not near as enticing as chocolate bunnies and jelly beans. I, for one, am no fan of gefilte fish, there is a reason it is eaten with a ton of horse radish. No offense to my gefilte fish loving friends. For those of you wondering, should you be on Jeopardy, there is no fish called gefilte, it is a bunch of garbage fish ground up, made into balls and boiled. Back in the olden days food was scarce and grandmothers got creative.

Start new traditions

“Talking about meaningless traditions reminds me of a story about a young newlywed making the traditional family roast for the first time. As she is about to cut the ends off the roast she asks, “Mother, why are the ends cut off the roast?” Her mother replied, “That’s how my mother taught me to do it. Becoming more curious, she called her grandmother with the same query. “Why is it important to cut the ends off the roast?” Her grandmother said, “That’s what my mother did. More intent than ever, she approached her great grandmother at the nursing home, “Grandma, why do you cut the ends off the roast before cooking?” The elderly woman answered slowly, “Well dear, the pan I had was just a little too small for the roast, so I cut off the ends to make it fit.”
http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/can_you_change_holiday_traditions

Making lifestyle changes can include making healthy and positive changes in your family traditions. For more information about family support, please see blog from December 14. Remember, you are taking big steps to maintain good health for yourself which in turn helps your loved ones. If you have children or grandchildren, don’t you want them to grow up with healthy habits?

Pass me the Granny Smith apple and peanut butter, the new crayons (who doesn’t love the smell of new crayons) and the coloring book of flowers. Spring isn’t far behind.

In addition to the recipe for this week, Carrot Currant Muffins, the January 19, 2010 recipe for Crustless Spinach Feta Quiche makes a nice addition for Easter brunch, a fresh fruit salad and you have a tasty, healthful meal.