Healthy Easter Basket Recipe

Ingredients

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• This is one time that toys are okay. All kids would agree you can never have too many toys. An Easter basket is about getting a special treat. No one said those treats had to be edible. Small hand-held electronic games are available at stores like KMart, Target, and Toys ‘R Us for less than fifteen dollars. Card games like Yugioh and Dungeon Dice Monsters are winners with kids these days. For the younger set, try dolls or action figures. shopping list
• jelly beans versus dried fruit. jelly beans would be great if it wasn’t for all of the sugar. You can never eat just one or five for that matter. dried fruit offers nutrition and taste in the same bite-sized portion as jelly beans. Ocean Spray makes a snack called craisins. They are dried sweet cranberry snacks in different flavors. Also, Sunbeam, best known for their sultanas, make dried fruit treats including yogurt- and chocolate-covered raisins. My favourite is chopped dates. Kids won’t believe they’re eating something that’s good for them. shopping list
• Snack size versus regular size. If you add lollies or chocolate to your basket, smaller is better. Choose snack-sized morsels like Milky Way or Peppermint Patties. These candy treats are lower in calories than other choices. Just add three or four for a sweet treat instead of chocolate bunnies or cream eggs. shopping list
• Store bought versus homemade treats. We all enjoy going to the store and getting bubble gum and cupcakes, but do you really know what’s in what you are eating? Most if not all marketable treats started in someone’s kitchen. That means they were homemade at one time. Let’s take rice Krispy treats for example. The recipe was on the cereal box before they became a pre-packaged item in the store. At home, low-fat ingredients can be substituted to create delicious treats for the Easter basket. When you know what’s inside your food, you feel better about serving it to your kids. shopping list
• Easter baskets don’t have to be chock full of junk to be fun. Healthy additions make you a better parent without sacrificing taste. Teach children to eat right while they are young so that they develop a lifetime of good habits. shopping list