KEY POINTS:
Sticky fingers and chocolate smeared faces will be everywhere this Easter weekend, but health experts are warning people to take it easy.
The holiday may be only one weekend, but New Zealanders eat approximately 40 million Cadbury's easter eggs per year - around 10 eggs per person on
average.
And when devouring a chocolate bunny is the equivalent of eating almost 10 teaspoons of butter in one go, moderation is being urged.
Children usually fare best from the Easter holiday, but many don't know when to stop.
Auckland dietitian Nikki Hart, also known as the "Evil Diet Witch" from the television show Eat Yourself Whole, said parents shouldn't feel too guilty about giving their children chocolate treats, but they need to limit the amount they receive.
"Easter is a holiday where we celebrate through food - Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without ham and fruit mince pies, and Easter wouldn't be right without chocolate eggs. But we have gone mad with our portions, in everyday life and on holidays, too."
In particular, children often end up with four or more large eggs given to them by different people, and they may try to eat them all in one day.
There are also some extreme treats, including the Pig Out egg, available from The Warehouse, which weighs in at 1kg and adds up to a massive 304g of total fat - the equivalent of 60 teaspoons of butter.
"You should be using your hand as an indicator of portion sizes... children have small hands, so we should not be giving them a 1kg chocolate egg," Hart explained.
Hart said parents should spread the Easter treats out over a few days.
A good alternative are marshmallow eggs, which have the lowest amount of fat, and kids could have two at a time without ending up feeling sick.
This may seem mean-spirited to some, but childhood obesity figures are significantly on the rise. A study in 2004 showed the mean BMI (body mass index, used to measure obesity levels) for New Zealand children aged 11 in 2000 was 19.8, having increased from 18.1 in 1989.
As to the other Kiwi Easter favourite, hot cross buns, Hart admits she loves them.
"The thing I don't love is lashings of butter; people need to go easy on that."
Diabetes New Zealand has recently warned that hot cross buns are the equivalent of two or three slices of bread.
Its magazine suggests people have a smaller bun or eat only half.
