It's nearly easter and to lots of people that brings memories of chocolate eggs and hot cross buns - and lots of both of those! Nikki Wallis talks about surviving Easter here.
Easter can be a daunting time, particularly if you have diabetes and are insulin dependent.
No matter where you go, you just can’t escape being bombarded with sweet, chocolatey temptations – argh!
But it doesn’t have to be scary.
Over the years I’ve learned to come up with ways to help alleviate the temptation during Easter.
Keep reading as I share with you some of my tips for reducing stress this time of year and ensuring you have a happy Easter.
Select treats with a nutritional label
This can be easier said than done, because many of the traditional Easter treats like hot cross buns, come in packets without an in-depth nutritional label.
Many of these products are produced at in-house bakery sections of major supermarkets and just come in a standard plastic bag.
This can make it really tricky to work out exactly how many carbs you’re eating and how much insulin to give yourself.
There are apps on the market which can assist in giving you a rough indication of carbs per serving or popular foods, but some of these are more like guesstimates than accurate values.
Make it yourself
Baking your own Easter treats is a great way to ensure you’re eliminating the guess work out of Easter eating.
Using ingredients you know and trust and knowing exactly how much of each ingredient has gone into the recipe, makes it a lot easier to work out total carbs per serve.
Substitutes and alternatives
Many of the treats popular at Easter time are very high in carbohydrate and have a high GI value.
Standard hot cross buns can have anywhere from 30g-40g of carbohydrate per bun, which is up to two and a half portions. Not to mention the added sugar and carbs if you add a sweet topping like, dare I say … jam?
Instead, you can try the fruitless versions, as these will be lower in carbs as dried fruit is naturally high in sugar.
Other options are the ‘mini’ hot cross buns which are half the size of normal versions. This way you’re only eating half the carbs.
As for toppings, why not try home-made jam using real fruit and chia seeds for thickening?
You don’t even need to add sugar as fruit is naturally sweet and once the water has been cooked out of the fruit, the sweetness is more noticeable.
Why not go bananas … or rather berries? Try some chocolate covered fruit instead. Berries are a great option if you have diabetes, as they’re low in carbs and are low GI.
Read the rest here.