Healthy Easter: Easy Ideas to enjoy the Easter Holidays

Healthy Easter: Easy Ideas to enjoy the Easter Holidays

It is finally upon us: The Easter holidays are on the horizon, and we at Smunch are already getting excited about it - with lots of good food of course. Easter is a symbol of hope and paves the way for sunnier days after a long winter. Needless to say, good and healthy Easter food is very important and makes up an important factor of the holidays - as well as being a great excuse for excessive nibbling ;). In this blog post, we lay out a few easy ideas to shape your own Easter menu as well as some suggestions to make the most out of the holidays.

Easter menu suggestions - vegan and vegetarian options

Vegan and vegetarian Easter recipes have gained traction nowadays and this isn’t a bad thing - the holidays offer something for everyone. The food doesn’t necessarily need to contain meat as there are various healthy alternatives available. After all, meat recipes only make up one third of all ingredients. Why not try out a recipe with a focus on the humble asparagus - a typical vegetable for this time of year.

As a recipe suggestion, why not combine a plate with one third Quinoa, one third roast potatoes cooked in butter (or in olive oil as a vegan option) with a healthy sprinkling of thyme and paprika - with the remaining third consisting of asparagus. You can lightly fry the asparagus in olive oil for around ten minutes (overcooked asparagus will lose its taste). You can easily come up with various recipes thanks to the “one third” rule and simply leave out meat and/or dairy products. Easy peasy!

Recipe ideas for Easter: Traditional Lamb dishes

For meat eaters, traditional Easter food consists of a healthy mix between vegetables, carbohydrates and most importantly, meat. For example, a meal at Easter could consist of asparagus, roast potatoes and red meat - such as lamb or beef. Lamb is very popular at this time of year and is correspondingly very hearty and tasty. Lamb is a particularly versatile ingredient as there are various lamb cuts can be prepared in a variety of ways.

A recipe based on a leg of lamb is certainly worthwhile. To prepare, simply marinate the lamb leg with turmeric, paprika and a hint of cinnamon - and sprinkle some thyme on top (let your taste define your seasoning). Follow this up by quickly searing the lamb on top of some seasonal vegetables (such as onions and radishes) in a hot pan before whacking it into the oven at 170 degrees Celsius for up to two hours. Don’t set a rigid time and temperature however - cook the lamb to your taste, be it rare or well-done.

Be mindful of your chocolate cravings and make the right choice

It goes without saying that Easter simply isn’t the same without a mountain of chocolaty treats. This time of year without chocolate is like Christmas without Santa and Halloween without pumpkins. However, there is always a danger of tempting fate and going overboard with the constant picking and nibbling.

To hold off the scenario of broken scales and an ever-smaller wardrobe, there are ways to meet temptation halfway. Consider swapping light-colored sugary chocolate with dark chocolate. This type of chocolate is not only tasty (depending on your preferences), but also contains healthy unsaturated fat. We are of course aware that dark chocolate isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. You can however find various types of chocolate in all forms down the supermarket. Treat yourself this time of year and consciously enjoy chocolate bunny rabbits and Easter eggs!

Further Easter ideas: Enjoy the sunshine outside with family and friends

Unfortunately we cannot predict the weather with 100% accuracy (not in Germany anyway). Should luck be on your side and the sun does shine, there are many good possibilities to properly enjoy the Easter holidays. Take a look at a few ideas to get the ball rolling:

• An Easter egg hunt with the kids (or adults - imagination has no limits!)
• A special seasonal barbecue
• Decorate your home with Easter-related designs and decorations

Even if the sun doesn’t shine, this doesn’t stop you from organizing an Easter party with friends and family! Design your special menu to your preferences and delight your guests with either Lamb-, vegetarian- or vegan-based dishes. Start spring the right way and hit the ground running - come rain or shine.