Back
HOW TO MAKE EASTER HEALTHY(ISH!)
It's Easter time and as far as food is concerned, it's all about chocolate. As we all go into ‘holiday mode’, temptation everywhere can put a real strain on our sensible eating plan. Whilst there is nothing wrong with indulging in Easter eggs over the holidays, we can enjoy chocolate without comprising our long-term goals. Try these top tips!
Downsize your egg
Whilst the smaller eggs are often marketed for children, these can often be the best option when trying to stay on track. The Malteser Mini Milk Egg & Bunny is one of the lightest eggs at around 80g. While you may feel deprived only indulging on a small egg, the 80g of delicious milk chocolate will only set you back around 421 calories (instead of 2000+ cals that some of the XL eggs provide.)
Make it last Rather than eating the entire egg in one go, try and make it last. Easter eggs are usually divided into chunks or squares, so it can be easier to have just a piece or two at a time.
Easter is one day – celebrate that day only
Product placement within supermarkets makes it very easy for us to grab chocolate off the shelf. Try to avoid the post-holiday sales so that Easter doesn’t turn into a month-long binge festival.
Switch to dark chocolate
Whilst dark chocolate should still be eaten in moderation, due to it’s antioxidant content it can provide us with many benefits:
• Reduces risk of cardiovascular disease
• Mood enhancer
• Increases alertness
• Improves cognitive function
Unfortunately for those milk chocolate lovers these benefits do not apply to dairy milk or maltesers. The darker the chocolate the less sugar and more antioxidants, so aim for 80% cocoa and above.
Why we always crave MORE chocolate… • When we eat chocolate, the sugar is rapidly absorbed into your bloodstream, causing a blood sugar spike. This gives us a temporary ‘good feeling’. • The pancreas pumps the hormone insulin into the blood in attempt to bring blood sugar back to the proper range. • Due to the high amount of sugar, the pancreas overestimate how much insulin to pump into the blood. The result: too much sugar is removed from the blood, causing blood sugar to crash. • This causes energy levels to crash and craving to increase, which often leads to us reaching for more chocolate or other sugary foods to feel better. This blood sugar rollercoaster continues until you remove refined carbs and replace them with wholegrains.
OTHER STORIES
TOP TIPS TO SPEED UP WEIGHT LOSS
Feel like your weight loss has plateaued? We have 7 tips to speed up weight loss and to help you start seeing results!
QUICK & HEALTHY SNACKS FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Try these 5 low calorie snacks to avoid the 3pm slump. They're so tasty you'll forget they're also really healthy!
HOW TO MAKE EASTER HEALTHY(ISH!)
It's Easter time and as far as food is concerned, it's all about chocolate. As we all go into ‘holiday mode’, temptation everywhere can put a real strain on our sensible eating plan. Whilst there is nothing wrong with indulging in Easter eggs over the holidays, we can enjoy chocolate without comprising our long-term goals. Try these top tips!
Downsize your egg
Whilst the smaller eggs are often marketed for children, these can often be the best option when trying to stay on track. The Malteser Mini Milk Egg & Bunny is one of the lightest eggs at around 80g. While you may feel deprived only indulging on a small egg, the 80g of delicious milk chocolate will only set you back around 421 calories (instead of 2000+ cals that some of the XL eggs provide.)
Make it last Rather than eating the entire egg in one go, try and make it last. Easter eggs are usually divided into chunks or squares, so it can be easier to have just a piece or two at a time.
Easter is one day – celebrate that day only
Product placement within supermarkets makes it very easy for us to grab chocolate off the shelf. Try to avoid the post-holiday sales so that Easter doesn’t turn into a month-long binge festival.
Switch to dark chocolate
Whilst dark chocolate should still be eaten in moderation, due to it’s antioxidant content it can provide us with many benefits:
• Reduces risk of cardiovascular disease
• Mood enhancer
• Increases alertness
• Improves cognitive function
Unfortunately for those milk chocolate lovers these benefits do not apply to dairy milk or maltesers. The darker the chocolate the less sugar and more antioxidants, so aim for 80% cocoa and above.
Why we always crave MORE chocolate… • When we eat chocolate, the sugar is rapidly absorbed into your bloodstream, causing a blood sugar spike. This gives us a temporary ‘good feeling’. • The pancreas pumps the hormone insulin into the blood in attempt to bring blood sugar back to the proper range. • Due to the high amount of sugar, the pancreas overestimate how much insulin to pump into the blood. The result: too much sugar is removed from the blood, causing blood sugar to crash. • This causes energy levels to crash and craving to increase, which often leads to us reaching for more chocolate or other sugary foods to feel better. This blood sugar rollercoaster continues until you remove refined carbs and replace them with wholegrains.
- OTHER STORIES -
TOP TIPS TO SPEED UP WEIGHT LOSS
Feel like your weight loss has plateaued? We have 7 tips to speed up weight loss and to help you start seeing results!.
QUICK & HEALTHY SNACKS FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Try these 5 low calorie snacks to avoid the 3pm slump. They're so tasty you'll forget they're also really healthy!
RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS
