Surviving the Easter Candy Cravings

Now that Easter’s come and gone, one thing remains – buckets and buckets of leftover candy! If you’re anything like this caveman, the leftover mountains of sugary goodness are more than just a little bit tempting. So how do you curb your candy cravings?

Well the first thing you need to recognize is just how much are those pieces of chocolatey goodness costing you calorie-wise. While it may not sound like that big of a deal to pop the occasional marshmallow morsel into your mouth, a few of those sugary niblets over the course of the day can really add up. For example, if you’re eating one handful of Bunny Mix M&Ms every so often throughout your day, you could be unthinkingly taking in an extra few hundred calories. Another thing to recognize is the serving size of the candies you’re consuming. That giant Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Egg? Yeah, that’s not one serving size and chowin’ down on the whole thing could net you as many as 880 calories! Don’t believe me, check out this handy quiz to test your Easter candy binge eating knowledge and see how many calories you’re really gettin’ when you take a chomp out of those caramel filled bunny ears.

So what can you do to cut back on unwanted calorie consumption? The number one thing you can do (other than not eatin’ the stuff in the first place, but who are we kiddin’ here) is to mind your serving size. Havin’ a sweet tooth ain’t nothin’ to be ashamed of (and this caveman waits all year for a taste of them sweet Cadbury eggs), but once you’re about 2/3 of the way through that jumbo bag of pastel colored M&Ms that you’ve shoveled through in about a day, that’s about when the shame should start to set in. Try to satisfy your cravings in moderation. Don’t start snackin’ on the sweet stuff when you’re particularly hungry – you’ll probably end up overeating. Candy does not a meal make, but it can make a great dessert. Save a servin’ of chocolate for after lunch or dinner – by then you’ll already be filled up on real food, so you’ll be less likely to gorge on empty calories.

Still want to get in the festive spirit? There are a number of healthy candy alternatives that are still Easter-themed so that you can get your holiday fix without fillin’ yourself with calories. Bunny-shaped graham crackers are a festive and high-fiber addition to any Easter basket. Peeps, while not necessarily loaded with nutritional value, are at least a low-calorie alternative to most Easter candies. A serving size of four Peeps only adds up to 128 calories! If you still need that chocolate fix, try to opt for dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate. Dark chocolate contains antioxidants whereas milk and white chocolates do not. Dark chocolate is also traditionally lower-calorie than its milky alternative. Chocolate pudding is another great way to get in your choco-holic fix. Since prepackaged pudding cups come in predetermined serving sizes of usually around 100 calories, they’re a sweet way to get that chocolate flavor without the risk of overeating or underestimating the serving size.

So how ’bout it Rockheads? Got a favorite low-calorie Easter treat you’d like to share? Or even a chocolate cautionary tale to warn others of the dangers of a sweet tooth seduction? Leave your tales in the comment section!