By Carin Clegg – Dietitian and Fitness Professional at bright diets
If you just look at the amount of chocolate on the supermarket shelves, you will agree that we need to transform our Easter traditions and get back to their roots of celebrating new life.
My family celebrates Orthodox Easter with the tradition of dying eggs red to signify new life, Jesus being resurrected and the traditional northern hemisphere coming of spring with newborn animals.
In Australia, it may seem strange to be celebrating new life when we are coming into the cooler months, especially when the chickens tend to stop laying at this time of year. This may be one reason why we have disconnected from the real sentiment behind Easter.
Easter is not about giving lots of cheap chocolate, that is the power of advertising. Chocolate companies simply want to make more money, and they have done a really good job at this, as most people would not even think twice before purchasing chocolate at Easter time.
When eating chocolate, the type of chemicals released in the brain to feel enjoyment, are no more than eating any other liked food. In fact, some research shows that one smile can generate the same level of brain stimulation as up to 2,000 bars of chocolate. It is safe to say that all the hype around chocolate by food advertising, which has trickled into our culture, stories and way of life over the last few generations has convinced us that we want and like eating chocolate more so than other foods.
With so many people trying to eat well for their health and wellbeing these days, and the price of food on the rise, it is well and truly time for some new Easter traditions or perhaps to bring back some older Easter traditions.
Instead of chocolate here are some fabulous gift ideas for young and old:
- Hand painted or dyed hard boiled chicken eggs. You can even make your own dye from natural ingredients – red: brown onion skins on brown eggs, yellow: turmeric, pink: beetroot, green: spinach, mint leaves, dandelion leaves, blue: purple cabbage.
- A packet of seeds or seedlings in a pot signifying new life. Even as we come into the cooler months you can still grow many herbs and vegetables from seeds. Learn how to save seeds and make origami seed packets. Take plant cuttings from your garden and pot up. These are super easy and cheap gifts that are a lot more valuable and personal, especially if they are from your garden.
- An Easter mug or cup is the perfect gift for little ones transitioning drinking milk from a bottle.
- An egg cup is also great to build excitement around trying and learning to eat dippy eggs.
- Cool weather clothes including pyjamas are often a welcome gift.
- Easter themed story or activity books including ones about Jesus and the origins of Easter.
- Egg-shaped fun. A football is egg shaped and will be a lot more fun and last a lot longer than eating chocolate. Try some cherry tomatoes or grapes, an eggplant, and the many varieties of pears which come in different colours like green, yellow and red as well as the Asian pears like nashi and ya pears which are in season.
Scavenger Hunt
An Easter scavenger hunt is always fun for the little ones. You can use a stencil to make Easter bunny footprints with powder or flour on the floor, a cotton wool ball for more evidence he has been, then plant some clues.
Using pictures of eggs, real boiled, coloured or painted eggs, cherry tomatoes or any vegetables bunnies like to eat and packets of seeds along the way to the prize at the end. Showing the Easter bunny eats vegetables and even favours vegetables over chocolate, can be a great encouragement for children learning to eat their rainbow of vegetables.
Have happy, healthy and fun Easter!
Carin Clegg is a Paediatric Dietitian and Fitness Professional at Bright Diets with an interest in sustainability. Carin wants everyone to be clever about their eating to feel happy, healthy and vibrant! Reach out at 0413 774 411, www.brightdiets.com.au or on the social