Make Sure the Easter Bunny is Bringing the Right Kind of Treat this Holiday

With Easter around the corner, you can bet that your sweet tooth and that of every child and adult in your household is going to be working in overdrive all weekend. It’s been said that Easter may even be a bigger "candy holiday" than Halloween (what?!); which means that you’ll be expected to stock up on some candy and sweet treats to help promote the egg-hunting festivities.

Before you go demolish the candy aisle at Target, however, there are a few things you should know.

The Good Treats

A long weekend of celebrating could spell trouble for your health if you’re choosing the wrong types of treats for you and your family. There’s certainly no shortage of colorful candy-filled Easter eggs . . . or thick, solid chocolate bunnies with their adorable ears and milk chocolaty goodness . . .  or those squishy marshmallow Peeps to entice you when you walk into pretty much any store.

But hold the phone: with all these sugary temptations staring you in the face, is there actually a right choice?

Well, let’s talk about chocolate. If it’s what you’re craving, then go ahead and pick up a chocolate bunny or bar. Just be sure to choose the dark chocolate bunny over the milk chocolate or white chocolate version.

By now you have likely seen and heard all the buzz about the health benefits of dark chocolate. Studies have found that it’s full of antioxidants and good for your blood flow and heart. We also know that dark chocolate improves mood because of the chemical effect it has on your hormones.

And if that weren’t enough already, just a few days ago the results of a study on the effects of dark chocolate on your BMI (Body Mass Index) were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. The study, which was conducted by Beatrice Golomb, an associate professor of medicine at the University of California, found that those who ate more chocolate had a lower BMI, making it possible that the decadent treat could assist in weight loss—in moderation, of course.

Now that’s some research I can get behind!

The Not-So-Good Easter Treats

So, now that you know just how great dark chocolate can be for you, it makes all of those other Easter goodies a little less appealing, doesn’t it? Well, maybe not . . . but this might: those colorful candies and marshmallow chickadees are full of dyes and sugars along with a myriad of other chemicals and preservatives. Then there are the other types of chocolate, like milk and white. As delicious as they may be, they do not have the same health benefits of dark chocolate. They also contain considerably higher levels of sugar, fat, and preservatives.

What does all of this mean? Basically that you should avoid these or at the very least enjoy them in very limited quantities. In other words, STEP AWAY FROM THE PEEPS!

Bonus Healthy Easter Treat Idea

Making your own Easter treats are a sure fire way to make sure that you and your family get healthy and wholesome ingredients. Try a homemade oatmeal cookie recipe and create shapes like bunnies and eggs using cookie cutters or a knife. Delicious, Easter-themed, and good (well, relatively good) for you!