Easter without the calories

Extravagant Easter eggs, some with a calorie intake so high it would take 26 hours of jogging to burn off, have been criticised by nutritionists.
Registered dietician Fiona Boyle, of Food Solutions, advises choosing quality over quantity when it comes to Easter eggs.
Ms Boyle was not a fan of giant eggs such as the 600g ones available at The Warehouse.
"The great big solid Easter eggs available on the market are going to be really high in calories.
"That volume is taking it to excess. It certainly doesn't encourage moderation.
"Easter eggs traditionally have been a treat food - you might go 'I'll just have one and that's my treat'."
Another registered dietician fears that families will spend the grocery budget on pricey chocolate eggs this Easter, sacrificing fresh fruit and vegetables for their children.
Rising food and petrol prices have seen many family budgets already stretched to the limit.
Rachel Scrivin, of FoodFX, said Easter eggs were an "extravagance" and should be viewed as a treat.
"I think families need to realise how much it's costing to buy these things, not forgetting they are having to still buy fruit and vegetables and good healthy foods.
"If you look at value for money, some of the Easter eggs are four times the price of a bar of chocolate [comparing weights].
"I think if you haven't got that religious meaning behind it, why would you go out and buy a lot of Easter eggs, when people are foregoing fruits and vegetables for treats."
Mrs Scrivin said Easter eggs and hot cross buns should be eaten as part of the usual daily diet instead of an "extra", ramping up the day's calorie intake.
"People have to realistic if they are going to eat them - eat it as part of a meal or snack, not as an extra.
"The problem is people have these extras, and then wonder why they gained a kilo over Easter. People say 'I don't know why it's going on'.
"There's always celebrations throughout the year. You have to be a bit sensible if you have an issue with your weight or gaining weight.
"It's easy to go on but often it's really hard to come off, especially going into winter."
Mrs Scrivin preferred to see the emphasis of Easter shifted to spending time with family rather than consuming large amounts of chocolate.
She suggested making hot cross buns with your children, or having an Easter egg hunt.
"I do think a lot of kids get an awful lot of chocolate Easter eggs.
"It is a lot for the kids to eat.
"[It's okay] as long as they get it spaced out, and don't eat it all at once, and maybe just make sure it's after a meal so it's not the main focus for the snack or a meal."
Mrs Scrivin said marshmallow eggs and hot cross buns were a better option than solid chocolate.
Hot cross buns came under the gun several years ago when Diabetes New Zealand warned they were equivalent to two or three slices of bread.
But Mrs Scrivin said they were a good snack - just lay off slathering them with oodles of butter.
"When they are fresh they really don't need all the butter and spread on them, they are delicious by themselves."
A couple of seconds in the microwave freshened up stale buns, and a little bit of jam was a better option than butter to add moisture.
Mrs Boyle said any food was okay if eaten in moderation. A small hollow chocolate egg had the same amount of energy as a slice of bread, she said.
And marshmallow eggs also had fewer calories than a solid chocolate egg.
Ms Boyle also advised making Easter treats non food-related. Parents could ask family members not to give the children chocolate.
"Give them something else. If you want to give them a treat, it doesn't have to be chocolate just because it's Easter, it could be a nice book or a token of money."
Definitely in the "treat" category is a 4.2kg made-to-order chocolate bunny from the The Silky Oak Chocolate Company in Piccadilly Arcade.
But so far the shop has not received any orders for the $300 bunny, which is made in Napier by Silky Oak from Belgian chocolate.
"People haven't got that kind of cash which is a bit of a shame," staff member Monika Schaffner said. "They go for the smaller version which is $45."
It's probably just as well - if you ate the whole 4.2kg bunny, you would consume 81,900 kilojoules and 940g of fat.
Also popular are baskets featuring a soft toy, chocolate egg and smaller egg, retailing for $28.90. Chocolate covered marshmallow eggs were a hit with children, she said.
Non-food ways to celebrate Easter:
- Buy three ducks for $18 from www.oxfamunwrapped.org.nz
- Buy children soft toys with an Easter theme such as chicks or bunnies
- Blow eggs and decorate the shells and hang off an "Easter tree"
- Go to church