Easter Chocolate: All You Need to Know About Choosing Healthy Chocolate this Easter

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You don't have to give up eating chocolate just because you want to eat healthily. But you do need to choose the right chocolate this Easter, the type that brings positive health benefits and isn't laden with disastrously unhealthy added fats and sugars.

When you're choosing chocolate Easter eggs this year, remember these facts:

Healthy chocolate What does chocolate contain, that's good for you? The cocoa bean, from which chocolate is made, contains antioxidants, as well as the minerals copper, magnesium and iron, and vitamins A, B1, B2, D and E. Research into chocolate shows that it can improve boost immunity, lower blood pressure and may even help to protect against cancer properties. Dark chocolate can lower cholesterol levels. And the chemical serotonin found in chocolate is a great natural anti-depressant.



Choosing good chocolate Sad to say, a lot of mass-produced chocolate bars do not give you all these health benefits. Why? Because they contain very little cocoa solids, and way too much sugar, fats and other additives. Also, manufacturing processes have probably robbed them of what little nutritional value they had. To get the health benefits of chocolate, choose dark varieties, containing 65 per cent or more cocoa solids. These types of chocolate taste rich, with a complex flavour - and provide you with all the health benefits of the cocoa bean.



Recognising good chocolate Look for a glossy surface, and dark colour with reddish-black undertones. The chocolate should break crisply when you snap it. Look for brands with no or low added sugar and a cocoa-solid content of 60% or more. Try to find trade brands, and also look out for organic chocolate such as Green & Blacks.



How much chocolate to eat Top quality chocolate should be savoured, so don't wolf those eggs down at a sitting. Make them last over 3-4 days. At other times of year, one or two squares of good chocolate, eaten twice or three times a week, can be part of a healthy diet, as long as you're also getting plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

This year, at Easter, remember these chocolate facts, and buy an egg that tastes great and does your health a good turn.

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Healthy Easter Treats - Easter Bunnies Bring More Than Chocolate Eggs

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Easter baskets don't have to be full of chocolate and peeps. Here are some great ideas that will fill your Easter basket without all the extra fat and sugar.

Bubbles

What child doesn't love to blow bubbles? Grab a couple of bottles of bubbles for this year's Easter basket. The kids will have a blast with them and with a little luck it will be warm enough outside to keep them busy and running around chasing bubbles for quite some time.

Sidewalk Chalk

Another fun treat is sidewalk chalk. This is the perfect time to draw on the sidewalk with the weather warming up. Plus we get enough rain in the spring that your driveway or sidewalk won't be decorated for too long.

Homemade Playdough

Make some playdough using your favorite homemade playdough recipe (we have one at kinderinfo.com). Get a couple of small playdough toys to go along with it and let the fun begin.

Toys from the Dollar Store

You can also pick up some very inexpensive toys at the dollar store. I have found anything from Easter themed coloring books to kites in there. This is also a great place to shop for the Easter baskets themselves, as well as some plastic Easter eggs that are great for hiding small trinkets and treats.

Of course every child should have some special treats in the Easter basket as well. Along with the obligatory chocolate bunny, include some healthier treats.

Chocolate and Yogurt Covered Raisins

Both chocolate and yogurt covered raisins look like little mini Easter eggs and are a yummy treat. Fill a small cellophane bag with these sweet treats and tie a pretty bow around it.

Trail Mix with Jellybeans

Mix some low sugar cereal like chex, or cheerios with some small pretzels, peanuts, raisins, and some jellybeans for an Easter inspired Trail Mix. You don't have to feel bad about your kids filling up on this. Pour your trail mix in a small bag, or fill some large plastic Easter eggs with the mix.

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Healthy Low Calorie Gift Ideas For Easter 2009

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Easter starts with Good Friday, which is on April 10th, this year and a serving of Hot Crossed Buns covered in rich creamy butter. This is followed by chocolate Easter Eggs on Easter Sunday. These are wonderful traditions but for various reasons you may want to consider healthier lower calorie alternative gifts this year. 

May be you are just watching your weight, may be you are trying to reduce your cholesterol intake, maybe you don't like chocolate or hot crossed buns, whatever the reason Easter doesn't need to be packed with calories and cholesterol.

When you consider how expensive good Easter Eggs can be you can find some very nice gifts, which will last much longer for the same price.

Easter, somewhat like Christmas, is a good time for families to get together and enjoy a relaxing day. If you cannot all be together at Easter, Easter cards are a good way of letting someone know you are thinking of them. However, a good hand crafted Easter card can also be quite expensive and only lasts a few days at best. 

The traditional standby alternative to Easter Eggs is a good bouquet of flowers but these days' flowers can be expensive, short lived and many people don't like the smell of the pollen in their homes. Many people also question the impact cut flowers have on the environment as they are often raised in heated greenhouses in colder parts of the World or companies fly them in from tropical parts of the world in refrigerated containers to keep them fresh. If you know someone really likes flowers then it's not a bad gift but for the same price there are better alternatives gifts.

Keepsake tokens make lovely gifts and they will last for years to come. They come in many shapes and sizes from silver hearts engraved with names, and messages to miniature glass keepsakes in pretty colours and designs such as those from Spaceform of London. 

If you are buying a gift for the lady in your life, a sumptuous velvet jewellery roll is an inexpensive gift that she will treasure for many years. To make Easter really memorable, a stunning piece of jewellery is a sure way to make her day. 

For the man in your life a polished pair of cufflinks will mean he looks stylish throughout the year and brighten up his look as we move into spring. 

If you need to send a gift to someone else this Easter why not look online for gift companies that can make the gift extra special for you. Good companies offer same day dispatch, next day delivery, luxury gift boxes and complementary gift cards to which you can add your own message. Shopping for Easter gifts online can save you time, save you money and save the impact a trip to the shops would have on the environment. Shopping online also opens up a much wider range of alternative gift ideas for Easter.

If you don't want to completely leave the calories behind this Easter, a designer mug or cup and saucer filled with a small selection of homemade fudge is a creative and non-chocolate treat, which will show you have really made an effort.

Last but definitely, no means least, don't forget the people with Birthdays at Easter this year. If it is someone's birthday on Good Friday (13th April 2009), do not buy them chocolate, be a little more creative rather than taking the easy option. Make the effort and select a beautiful gift as you would if their birthday any other time of year. Designer Jewellery Rolls from Dulwich Designs make excellent gifts for women of all ages and are great with the holiday season fast approaching. For men luxurious Shaving sets from Edwin Jagger of Sheffield are a great addition to his shaving routine and will look wonderful in your bathroom.

However you decide to celebrate Easter this year and whatever gifts you decide to give your friends, have a wonderful relaxing break. 

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