FitSugar

Easter Candy Calories

FitSugar — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 12:56:39 PDT

With Easter coming this Sunday, your cravings for Cadbury Creme Eggs, marshmallow Peeps, and fruity jellybeans are probably on the rise. Before you dive mouth first into the chocolate bunny in your Easter basket, check out the calories and nutritional info for your favorite treats.

To see the caloric breakdown,

Make a Healthier Easter Basket

FitSugar — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 13:56:44 PDT

Easter is coming up, and for some of us that means a big brunch followed by a helping of candy - think Cadbury Creme Eggs, Peeps, and lots of jellybeans. While we're fans of putting a few treats in our Easter baskets, there's nothing that says we have to weigh it down with chocolate eggs and jellybeans - especially when you consider how many calories are in Easter candy! Whether you're making a basket for a girlfriend or the little one in your life, here are some healthy items to fill it with:

Carrots - the Easter Bunny loves sharing!
Healthy homemade desserts like our pumpkin-carrot bars with cream cheese frosting.
Decorated hard-boiled eggs.
Spring flowers like tulips or lilies.
If you're going to go chocolate, choose dark chocolate that's organic or Fair Trade.
Health and fitness magazines or DVDs.
Pastel-colored fitness gear like headbands, socks, or workout tanks.
Especially for kids: puzzles, small toys, stuffed bunnies, stickers, magnets, disposable cameras, packets of seeds and gardening tools, plastic eggs filled with coins or beads, Silly Putty (it even comes in its own egg), pastel-colored socks.

OnSugar Blog: Famous Firsts

OnSugar Blog — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 03:16:39 PDT

Lots of moms like to think out loud and Samsmommy81 is one of them. In the latest post to her Surviving Sam blog she reflects on a life full of firsts with her lil girl.

First dirty diaper, first smile, first Christmas, first laugh...all of which are some exciting "firsts" that have happened thus far in Samantha's 6 months of life. I think they've all been more exciting for us as new parents. We just experienced Sam's first Easter, which was definitely memorable for everyone. Sam received many first Easter gifts (including chocolate...for which my husband is truly grateful) and she took her first photo with the Easter bunny!

I realized however, that it's not just the "first" moments that will be fun from now on. Every holiday, every milestone, every tradition have taken on a whole new meaning now that we have a child of our own. I am excited to share and teach her about the importance of all these events and what they meant to us as we grew up. We also have the pleasure of creating new traditions with our little girl, just as our parents did for us.

Until recently I never really thought about all of the things that are important for me to pass on to my children. But since Sam is not yet old enough to understand all of this, we wait, and anxiously anticipate her first tooth, her first word, and eventually her first step.

Want to see more? Start following Surviving Sam or start your own OnSugar blog. It's easy, it's free, and we just might feature your content on the site.

Happy Easter!

CasaSugar — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 05:30:00 PDT

Happy Easter, readers! I hope you have a safe and pleasant holiday with your friends and family, filled with plenty of festive Easter décor and delicious eats. Don't go overboard on the chocolate bunnies! And be sure to share photos of your Easter décor in the Lovely Little Vignettes group!

Lovely Little Vignettes: An Easter Tablescape

Casa Community — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 10:55:00 PDT

Here's a post from CasaSugar Community member CourtneyOutLoud from the Lovely Little Vignettes group:

I set out to create an Easter tablescape for my fictional character, Clara, a 13-year-old girl who is hosting her first Junior League luncheon. The mandate was to create an Easter tablescape for her fellow Junior League members that was fun and colorful but not "kiddish." I took my inspiration from the paisley tablecloth and pulled my color story of soft blues and pinks with a healthy dose of white. With the colors set, I pulled dishware with a vintage feel; milk-glass goblets, dinner plates with dental-molding detail, and chargers with scallop edges. The centerpiece and table favors were a wink and a nod back to the Easter baskets many of us received as children, incorporating real and paper flowers, sod, coffee-filter wreaths, and lollipops in the shape of flowers.

I think I was able to create a table that was fun without using traditional elements like dyed eggs, lilies, or chocolate bunnies. In the end, I believe I was able to give my fictional client, Clara, exactly what she wanted – a grown-up table that is youthful but distinctly modern.

Continue reading to see more photos!

10 Interesting Ways to Use Peeps From the Web

YumSugar — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 05:15:03 PDT

Although Easter is still several weeks away, grocery aisles are filled with the holiday's beloved treats, from Cadbury Creme Eggs to chocolate bunnies. Peeps, the adorable animal marshmallows that are coated in sugar, is one Easter sweet that has a cult-like following. People love to eat them and more importantly, they love to make creative things with them! I've searched the Internet for the best Peeps dishes and rounded them up here. Homemade Peeps, Peeps sushi, and Peeps brownies, right this way!

Healthy Dose Link Time

FitSugar — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 09:52:00 PDT

Salmon recipes for your Good Friday supper - Shape
Verde Potato Alfredo's got it all: basil, avocado, arugula, and more! - Lunch Box Bunch
How many hops does it take to burn the calories in a chocolate bunny? - DailySpark
Move over peanuts, walnut butter is the thing to try - Gluten-Free Girl
Quick, easy, and healthy brunch recipes; all perfect for Easter - Eating Well
Working with a nutritionist makes dieting make sense - Vitamin G

That Chocolate Bunny Could Lower Your Blood Pressure

FitSugar — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 10:00:25 PDT

Don't be shy about nibbling at the ears of a chocolate bunny this Easter, because researchers have just given us another reason to eat this sweet treat. (Don't you love it when that happens?) Based on a study of 20,000 patients ages 35 to 65, scientists found that those who consumed more chocolate had a lower risk of heart attack and stroke, leading to the conclusion that a small amount of chocolate daily could help control your blood pressure.

We've already heard that dark chocolate has a similar effect, while also reducing stress and boosting the immune system. This study included milk, white, and dark chocolate - though researchers still say dark chocolate probably has the most health benefits. For further details of the study,

read more. It's not entirely clear how the researchers were able to determine that it was chocolate that made the difference; Brian Buijsse of the German Institute of Human Nutrition says that more studies are needed. However, he adds, "a future recommendation could be that if people eat a small amount of chocolate, they can replace it for something else, maybe leaving out a snack or another sweet." What is a small amount? Based on the study, the benefits were highest when people ate about a quarter of an ounce of chocolate daily - basically, a bite of a chocolate bar. So nibble those bunny ears, but don't eat the whole bunny. Source: Flickr User SpecialKolin

Candy	Calories	Fat (g)	Carbs (g)	Sugar (g)
4 Peeps Marshmallow Bunnies	130	0	33	29
1 Peeps Hollow Milk Chocolate Egg	420	24	54	52
5 Mars Mini Chocolate Eggs	179	10	20.4	17.6
1 Cadbury Solid Milk Chocolate Easter Bunny	890	48.6	101.2	97.1
1 Cadbury Creme Egg	150	6	24	20
12 Cadbury Chocolate Eggs	190	8	28	27
1 Dove Solid Chocolate Easter Bunny	230	13	25	24
1 Nestle's Crunch Nest Egg	180	9	25	20
1 Snickers Cream Sports Egg	140	6	18	16
1 Reese's Peanut Butter Egg	180	10	18	16
1 Reese's Reester Bunny	760	40	88	72
1 Brachs Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Egg	43	1.3	7.8	6
9 Brachs Malted Easter Eggs	200	8	32	23
35 Jelly Belly Assorted Jellybeans	140	0	35	32