Ease up on the Easter Candy

As a child, I never celebrated Easter, but that didn't mean that a Lindt or Godiva chocolate bunny didn't make it's way into my Tummy every year. Something about chocolate in Bunny form makes it all the more inviting, but unfortunately, all that cuteness doesn't cut any calories or sugar. Easter candy isn't exactly healthy by any means, but some options are definitely better bets than others. I'll break it down for you from the egg-celent choices to the egg-ceptable choices to those that should be egg-ciled.

The first thing you should toss straight out of your Easter basket are peeps. Yes, they are cute as could be. I'll admit it. But the sad fact is they are basically straight sugar. They are deceivingly "fat free," but that's only because they are all sugar. Each peep has a whopping 16 grams of sugar. That's about 4 teaspoons of sugar, and I don't know about you, but I can't imagine spooning 4 teaspoons of sugar in one bite. Needless to say, that's a definite candidate for egg-cile.

Next up we have our egg-wannabe's from both Reese's and Cadbury. Cadbury eggs (both creme and caramel) are the lesser of the two evils, but are by no means a health-bargain. All three egg options have over 150 calories each and contain artificial ingredients, but what makes Reese's the worst of the three is the presence of partially hydrogenated oils aka TRANS FATS aka the DEVIL. Okay... I'm exaggerating slightly, but in all seriousness, steer clear of these at all costs. If these eggs are calling your name, opt for a mini one. I'd say all of these would probably be best off in egg-cile also.

To move into safer territory, the hollow easter bunnies and eggs are a slightly better option because they are often just straight up chocolate. I wouldn't suggest eating an entire bunny in one sitting, but an ear here and a paw there won't set you back too far (though it is slightly depressing to decapitate the innocent bunny.) If you happen to find a dark chocolate bunny, then that's an even better bet, but for the purposes of our egg scale, I'd deem these guys egg-ceptable.

To be honest, when push comes to shove, it's all candy, so if you really want the healthiest bet, follow the Easter bunny and go for the eggs... the real ones that is! Dye some eggs, take some photos, and have a hard-boiled snack. (And some of your usual, dark chocolate to satisfy your sweet tooth.) Now that sounds like an egg-celent compromise! Pin It