The Easter Bunny has built a reputation of being the bearer of all things sweet and delicious, making Easter the second biggest candy-selling holiday of the year after Halloween. But this holiday doesn’t have to induce the same sugary high as its frightful friend. Instead, try incorporating healthy alternatives into your Easter baskets.

We know the kiddos will object to taking away their jelly beans and multi-colored marshmallow chicks, so we encourage you to be realistic and think in moderation. Just because the little ones are excited about the Easter bunny doesn’t mean they want to eat like one.

Sweet Substitutions

We’re not looking to take the fun out of the basket; we’re just improving what goes in it. Try incorporating some of these items into this year’s baskets:

• Dried Fruits: Banana chips, dried pineapple slices, dried mango pieces and more are naturally sweet treats the bunny can bring. Be sure to look for no sugar added options.
• Nut Butter & Fruit: Carrot sticks and apple slices go great with different nut butters that provide a healthy alternative to sugary sweetness. Make it fun! Encourage the kids to eat like the bunny and burn some calories by hopping around.
• Chocolate Covered Fruit: For those chocolate cravings, try subbing the chocolate critters for dark chocolate cover fruits.

Non-edible Basket Fillers

Just because the basket won’t be full of candy doesn’t mean the basket won’t be full! The Easter bunny can bring an assortment of non-edible options that encourage lots of fun. Let the kids burn off some of that mid-morning sugar spike with these fun options:

• Jump rope
• Card games
• Puzzles
• Legos
• Outdoor games
• Water guns
• Playdough
• Kites
• Sunglasses
• Hair accessories
• Stickers
• Crayons & paints
• Sidewalk chalk
• Frisbee