Hop Into Easter Naturally!
Easter has become a holiday filled with fake dyes on our Easter eggs, lots of sugar-filled candy in our baskets, and a table with too many preservatives and too few nutrients. Here are some healthy tips to enjoy Easter naturally this year!
You don’t have to fill Easter eggs with candy, who knew? Try substituting some or all of your eggs/basket with these alternatives that contain less sugar and no artificial dyes or preservatives:
- Small toys/cars, stickers, legos, or small bath toys
- Money!
- Healthy snacks (trail mix, dried fruit, crackers, etc.)
- Hair accessories or bracelets
- Playdough
- Bubbles
- A packet of planting seeds
- Balloons (maybe water balloons if it is a warm day!)
Try these natural candy alternatives to avoid excess sugar, food dyes, and preservatives:
- Yum Earth Organic Pops – organic, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, free from artificial colors and flavors and high fructose corn syrup
- Cocomels Coconut Milk Caramels – dairy-free, organic, gluten-free, non-GMO, and corn syrup-free
- Surf Sweets Gummy Bears – vegan, free from the top allergens, non-GMO, and free from artificial flavors and colors.
- Panda Licorice – six simple ingredients and free from artificial flavors and colors.
Try dying your Easter eggs with natural food-based ingredients instead of using artificial dyes! Here’s how:
Yellow onion skins = Yellow to dark orange
Turmeric or cumin = Bright yellow
Red beets = pink to red
Red onion skins = Pale purple to red
Red cabbage = Blue
Spinach = Green
Purple grape juice (use as is) = Lavender
Coffee (use as is) = Tan to brown
Chili powder = Orange
Raspberries or blackberries = pink to purple
Yellow or green apple peels = Yellow-green
To make the dye, take 4 cups of chopped or mashed fruits and veggies, or 4 tablespoons of spice, and boil them in 4 cups of water (use less if you’re working with watery produce, such as spinach) and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar. Let that simmer for 30 minutes. Then, strain out the bits of fruits or vegetables. The remaining liquid is your dye.
Soak the eggs in the dye overnight. If the color still isn’t intense enough by morning, carefully transfer the dye and eggs to a small saucepan and gently simmer for up to 30 minutes. The results will vary from batch to batch, but that only adds to the fun in my book.
Have fun trying other items you may have around: If it’s brightly colored and stains your cutting board or fingers, chances are good it will stain eggshells nicely, too.
If you don’t have the time or desire to make homemade dyes, try this natural kit you can buy at Target: Eco-Kids® Eco-Eggs Coloring and Grass Growing Kit
HAPPY EASTER!
Courtesy to Organic Life for the egg dying recipe.
