Healthy & Happy Easter!

Easter has many different meanings for all of us. For some, it’s a celebration of rebirth and new life, others enjoy quality time with the family and a well-deserved break a quarter of the way through the year. Whichever way you choose to spend this holiday, there is a fair amount of temptation and treats around. Below we give our top tips to ensure you enjoy a Happy but also healthy Easter.

Portion Distortion

Keeping the size of your meals and snacks in check will go a long way to ensuring your waistline stays in check too. One or two small indulgences over the course of the weekend will not be the end of the world if you make a concerted effort to manage the portion sizes. The same goes for main meals – be cautious when eating out or at functions. The plate and serving utensils can be deceiving and result in you dishing up 3-4 times your usual portions. Ensure that every meal has a vegetable/salad or soup component and that these veggies make up at least half of the bulk of your meal.

In between meal feels

Watch out that you don’t fall into the “serial snacking” trap whilst on holiday. It becomes all too easy with more time on your hands to mindlessly munch and snack through treats and foods that are more available. Think South African favourites such as rusks and biltong as well as the usual biscuits; chocolate Easter eggs and Hot Cross buns that abound during the Easter period. Manage your eating in between meals by tracking what you are eating on a phone App such as MyFitnessPal or Argus or write down what you are eating to keep yourself in check.

Time to get active

One of the perks of the long-weekend break is that you have more time! Time to relax, time to spend with family and friends and as such….time to get active! Use this time wisely and make a concerted effort to exercise every day. Remember exercise doesn’t have to be a sweat session in the gym! It can be, if that floats your boat, but it can also be a walk on the beach or a bike ride in the mountains or even Frisbee on the lawn. A family game of tennis or volleyball is a great way to get everyone moving! Aim to do at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day of this long-weekend ahead.

Focus on the real reason of the holiday

Too often we use holidays and religious celebrations as an excuse for poor eating practices. The reason for these special calendar events is to celebrate with loved ones, enjoy special time with friends and family and to initiate quiet reflection during the short break. The holiday is not to gorge on chocolates, hot cross buns, sweets and fast-foods. Don’t allow it to morph into the latter – focus on the real reasons for the holiday and put those on top of your priority list.

And if those tips weren’t enough, the image below which shows Easter favourites  and their equivalent energy values in slices of bread is sure to keep you on your toes this Easter:

A very happy and blessed Easter to you all from us at Nutritional Solutions!