Healthier Easter Basket

Are the holidays a time when you and your family struggle to stay on track with healthy eating? Between big meals and copious amounts of treats, holidays are a hard time to maintain healthy eating habits and control portion sizes. However, keep your family happy and healthy this year with a healthier Easter Basket! Here are some ideas to fill your basket with healthy items that are still considered a "treat". 

• Fruit and Nut Butter: place an apple and banana in the Easter basket with some nut butter packets for a sweet and salty treat that also gets in a serving of fruit.
• Dark Chocolate Covered Fruit: make homemade chocolate covered strawberries and pineapple using dark chocolate chips.
• Fruit Snacks: look for fruit snacks made from real fruit.
• Individual Dark Chocolate Pieces: rather than throwing a candy bar into the mix, add small, individually wrapped dark chocolates to control portions and add in some antioxidants that come from dark chocolate.
• Homemade Peanut Butter Eggs: use this recipe for a healthy, but delicious version of peanut butter eggs that everyone  loves. 
• Filled Plastic Eggs: rather than filling with candy, put in small amounts of money or homemade granola.
• Hard Boiled Eggs: to make this item more fun, used dyed Easter eggs.
• Granola Bars: these are great, healthy alternatives as long as it has a good, low-sugar ingredient list.

Other than healthy edible treats, you can also include items that promote being active and healthy that are still fun for your children and family. 

• Sidewalk Chalk: this is a fun activity for kids to get outside and enjoy nice weather and move around.
• Jump Rope: not only is jumping rope a great form of exercise, but children can play multiple fun games with jump rope without feeling like they are "working out".
• Small Fitness Gear: things like resistance bands, light dumbbells or TRX straps are great for Easter baskets.
• Gift Cards: Gift cards are great, and older kids will appreciate them more than candy. Gift cards to their favorite store, restaurant or movie theater are perfect for an Easter basket.