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Tips for Not ‘Over-Egging’ it this Easter
It’s hard to ignore that Easter is the time for eggs, chocolate eggs that is! They have been in the stores for months, and it seems like everywhere you look someone is selling them, someone is offering them or someone is giving you one as a gift. By the time Easter arrives you have already eaten a dozen eggs and its not even Easter day yet!
So how do you avoid blowing your usual healthy diet, when there is chocolate all around you? If you have the willpower to just say ‘No’, then great, but if you find yourself tempted every time you go to the shop, are offered an egg or given a gift, here are some tips to help you stay relatively on track this Easter.
Don’t Buy Early
My Mum has a golden Easter rule that works for her, a self confessed chocoholic. That is ‘Don’t buy your gift eggs until the last minute.’ That way they are not sitting around in your house begging to be eaten and then replaced for a third or fourth time! When you’re out shopping, completely bypass the Easter section. Don’t be fooled by Easter specials. Chocolate always sells cheap around Easter time, but it makes no difference to your waistline no matter what the chocolate cost!
Say No, and have a Backup
Mini Easter eggs seem to be offered left right and centre around this time of the year. On the counters in shops, reception areas and even the workplace. It can be easy to get caught up in the ‘just one small one wont hurt’ and by the end of the week you have eaten your way through a whole pack. Remember that all these little eggs add up to a very big one by Easter time. If your workplace or somewhere you visit regularly have an egg stash, be prepared to say no every day by bringing along a healthy snack you can nibble on if you get tempted. Have some cut up vegetable sticks on hand, or a small handful of dried fruit and nuts.
Re-gift the Gift of Chocolate
With the cheapness of Easter eggs it seems like everyone is buying them for everyone. From neighbours to work colleges, you could very well end up with a bakers dozen of eggs before you know it. So what’s the best idea for ‘unwanted’ chocolate gifts? It sounds rude, but simply pass them on! Re-gift them, that way they don’t go to waste, and they also don’t go to your waist! Think ahead and let your family and friends know that you would not like any chocolate gifts this Easter. If they insist, tell them you would prefer other small gifts such as a magazine, beauty product or a movie ticket.
Other Easter Traps
Hot cross buns are another kilojoule laden goodie doing the rounds at this time of year. Even before they are topped with butter they are already a diet downfall, so avoiding them is your best bet. If you are hanging out for a hot cross bun have a single hot cross bun for breakfast in place of your normal breakfast, as opposed to having it as an extra snack during the day. Skip the butter, and top it with a little honey or low joule jam. If you do feel like a hot cross snack, have just one half.
Don’t Completely Avoid Easter
We all enjoy an Easter egg this time of the year, so allow yourself a little treat. Choose small hollow eggs, but avoid buying them in large packets. Better yet, save your egg intake until Easter day, or share your egg with the family. Enjoy Easter in other ways. Cook poached or boiled eggs for breakfast with smoked salmon and cooked tomatoes as a special Easter treat. If you are visiting family and know there will be an abundance of desserts and chocolate all day long, stick to a healthy low fat breakfast and avoid eating any chocolate until later in the day. Have your chocolate egg instead of dessert.
Added to site on : Wednesday, 4 April 2012