The holiday most people associate with glucose gluttony has arrived and health experts are urging Australians to think about Easter treats in terms of exercise rather than eggs.
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Buns of steel do not come from indulging in hot cross buns smothered in butter so dieticians are encouraging us to compare and think about our chocolate and sugar consumption over the holidays.
With the popularity of smartphones and the abundance of weight loss and fitness apps, nutritional information is now merely a click or barcode scan away.
According to virtual food diary Calorie King, it will take the average woman more than 42 minutes of walking at steady pace to burn off the calories contained within one Cadbury crème egg.
Further research will tell you that a medium McChicken meal from McDonalds (that's including the burger, fries and a Coke) has fewer calories than one shiny, smiley faced Elegant Rabbit egg.
WAtoday.com.au consulted Calorie King and compared some Easter favourites to the amount of time walking (at a moderate pace) it would take to burn them off:
- 1 Woolworths brand fruitless hot cross bun = 59 minutes
- 1 Coles brand traditional hot cross bun = 54 minutes
- 1 generic brand chocolate hot cross bun = 54 minutes
- 1 hot cross bun from Brumby’s = 50 minutes
- 1 hot cross bun from Baker’s Delight = 57 minutes
- A 100g Lindt Milk Chocolate bunny = 2 hours and 23 minutes
- A 165g Red Tulip Humpty Dumpty egg = 3 hours and 38 minutes
- A 39g Cadbury Creme Egg = 42 minutes
- A 17g Cadbury hollow egg = 22 minutes
- A 200g Red Tulip Elegant Rabbit egg = 4 hours and 38 minutes
- A 100g Lindt dark chocolate bunny = 2 hours and 11 minutes
- A 100g Cadbury dark chocolate egg = 2 hours and 8 minutes
The Heart Foundation wants shoppers to skip the eggs filled with crème and caramels and is calling for toasted hot cross buns to be glazed with margarine instead of butter.
Dietician and Jenny Craig Medical Advisory Board member Karen Inge said "caution with portions" is one way to get your waistline through Easter without it expanding.
"You can eat Easter eggs, just not 50," Dr Inge told WAtoday.com.au.
"Understand that Easter foods should be celebrated on one day, it's not a month long celebration, swap chocolate hot cross buns for regular hot cross buns and then come Easter Monday give all your leftovers away."
She also suggested brushing your teeth before eating chocolate which will quash the appetite of even the most steadfast sweet tooth.
Easter is the one time of year where size does matter and health experts encourage all Australians to choose chocolate wisely.
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