How to balance nutrition and food enjoyment this easter

With Easter just around the corner, the temptation of chocolates and baked sweets like hot cross buns are everywhere. As part of the Armenian tradition, my family have already started making baked sweets that are eaten around the Easter season so coming home to what smells like a bakery most days is hard! If you find it terribly difficult to say no to those golden wrapped bunnies and baked goods, you aren’t the only one 😉

This Easter I encourage you to try to look at Easter indulgences differently. Try to refrain from feelings of guilt and shame and rather practice balanced mindful eating practices.

Dietitian Tatiana Bedikian’s top tips to help balance Easter nutrition and eating for enjoyment

1.    Say YES 

There is no point spending every day during this season saying no to the offer of chocolate. Saying no sets a rule and a negative tone that you are doing something wrong if you actually give in. Remember yourself as a child and hearing no to something you wanted to do, most children would want to rebel and do it. This Easter, try saying yes but with informed choice! 

2.    Plan Easter indulgence into your day 

It is important to find that balance between your everyday foods and sometimes foods. Many reach out to Easter sweets when they are emotional and experiencing feelings of stress, fatigue and boredom. So why not plan an Easter sweet into your day (not every day) at a time when you feel less emotional, less tired and less likely to want to use chocolate as an escape from your frantic day. Then use some healthy stress management strategies rather than food to manage emotions!

In addition to this, portion awareness and healthy food combinations can be a powerful way to still maintain your nutrition and enjoyment of food. An example might be mindfully eating 3 mini chocolate eggs mid-morning with a piece of fruit! 

3. Avoid skipping healthy meals and snacks

Try not to fall into a bad habit of skipping meals and snacks as a result of consuming some extra Easter sweets. This behaviour could lead to you feeling unsatisfied, hungry and result in even more binge episodes of anything you can get your hands on.

Remember to have balanced meals with lean proteins, quality carbohydrates and lots of colourful vegetables. You can check out some approved dietitian example recipes here

Happy Easter Everyone 🙂

From Tatiana