Dreading the annual sugar crash that comes with Easter? Fear not – we’ve got 3 foolproof tips and tricks for a weekend to remember, minus the sugar of course! Plus, we’ll be sharing a FREE Easter recipe the whole family will love – hot cross buns! What Easter would be complete without these? Read on for your guide to a healthy, exciting celebration the kids will love.

Go for a treasure hunt

Ditch the chocolate eggs and enjoy a treasure hunt instead of the traditional morning hunt for eggs with the little ones! You can spice things up by setting up clues for the kids along the way – you can hide anything from healthy snacks to little trinkets. You might even want to get the whole family involved in creating crafts and handmade gifts for each other to find; allowing you to spend some time together as a family and encourage the kids to get creative and have fun. Here are a few fun ideas of what to hide on your family treasure hunt:

• Handmade cards or art
• “Coupons” for massages
• Woodwork – if you feel like getting extra crafty, you might consider making bookends with the kids, but be sure to monitor and guide the use of any machinery!
• Healthy treats like our Peanut Butter Cups or Gaytime Truffles.

Embrace the spirit of Easter

Focus more on the other side of Easter rather than just the chocolates – this could be family bonding time, exploring nature or religion. Now, religion may be the obvious element here, but you don’t have to be religious to embrace the spirit of Easter! The celebration is all about new beginnings, so you might enjoy heading out for a walk amongst the trees or going to the beach to play cricket or have a picnic. One of the things that makes Easter special is spending time with loved ones, so instead of focusing on the food and chocolates, try planning some fun activities that you can all enjoy together. Here are a few simple ideas:

• Head to your nearest park, bushland or nature reserve and enjoy exploring the area.
• Play beach games or have a picnic
• Have a movie night
• Play board games
• Paint and decorate hardboiled eggs

Make healthy versions of your favourites Easter classics

There’s no need to miss out on all the delicious food we associate with Easter just because you’re trying to avoid excess added sugar. There are a number of simple recipes for healthier versions of everything from brownies to chocolates and, of course, hot cross buns. We’ll be sharing one of our favourite IQS-ified renditions of this classic baked good. You won’t believe it’s actually good for you!

Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients:

Dough

• 1 ¼ cups plain flour, plus extra for dusting (feel free to use gluten-free plain flour)
• ¾ cup buckwheat flour
• 1/3 cup potato starch
• 2 teaspoons guar gum or 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 tablespoon dry yeast
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup granulated stevia
• 3/4 cup milk or coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for greasing
• Zest of one orange, finely grated
• Zest of one lemon, finely grated

Egg Glaze

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

White cross

• 2 tablespoons plain flour or gluten-free plain flour
• 2 tablespoons water

Method:

1. Sift flours, gum, salt and spices in a large bowl. Mix in the yeast and nuts.
2. In a second bowl, beat the eggs with the stevia, milk, oil and zests.
3. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and mix well until dough forms. Transfer mixture to clean, lightly greased bowl and set aside in a warm place for one hour to let the dough rise.
4. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a baking tray with baking paper. Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly-floured surface and knead for one minute.
5. Divide dough into eight, roll into even balls and place on the prepared tray. Brush with the egg glaze.
6. Make the white cross mixture by combining the flour and water. Place the mixture in a small zip-lock bag and snip off a tiny bit of one corner.

Keen for more healthy alternatives to the sugar-laden events constantly bombarding you? We're here to help. It’s no secret that a sugar habit is a tough one to beat – wherever you go, sugar is there. Unlike ditching alcohol, there are few places where sugar is unwelcome. From birthday parties and functions to the office pantry, Sunday markets and the supermarket. Is it any wonder that so many of us find it hard to quit the stuff? That’s why it can also help to join a program like ours – our 8-Week Program is based on accountability, support and providing the essential resources to set you up for success. We’ll help you change the way you look at food – and that doesn’t mean you have to follow restrictive diets or miss out on your favourite foods; we believe you can still enjoy delicious food without jeopardising your health. With celebrity chef Sarah Glover on our panel of experts, you’ll have an array of fun recipes at your fingertips, along with our own exclusive armoury of simple, tasty and healthy recipes for everything from daily meals to impressive entertaining. We’ve also got nutritionists, personal trainers and naturopaths in our team of experts, and they understand what our bodies need and how to best arm ourselves against those cravings. Join us for the 8-Week Program where we’ll be quitting sugar and turning our health dreams into a reality. When you sign up with us, you’ll have access to clear-cut meal plans, community support and exclusive access to our sugar-free content. Here’s what’s on offer:

1. 8 weeks of meal plans and shopping lists.
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So, if you’re ready to ditch sugar and the host of maladies that come with it, it’s not too late to JOIN NOW!