Easter is coming! In the store we are tempted with chocolate eggs and other delicacies for Easter breakfast or brunch with family and friends. If you have diabetes, these days can be quite challenging. How do you resist the temptation of chocolate, bake-off rolls, Easter cake and fresh orange juice, just to name a few? All very tasty, and rich in carbohydrates!

Especially for people with diabetes: 10 tips to enjoy Easter in a healthy way 

1. Are you up early, and does your brunch start at 11 AM? Consider something small for breakfast. For example, a bowl of (vegetable) cottage cheese or Greek yoghurt with some nuts, seeds or kernels. Otherwise, you will be very hungry at 11 AM. And thus challenging to hold back with all those tasty dishes on the table. The same applies to Easter lunch, of course.

2. Do not eat too many bread or cereal products. These are rich in carbohydrates. Did you know that 1 pistolet contains as many carbohydrates as 2-3 slices of bread? If you eat 2 pistolets during brunch, you are taking too many carbohydrates. This will raise your sugar level.

3. Don’t drink sugar. Fruit juices and smoothies contain a lot of (fruit) sugar. That’s because one glass of orange juice quickly contains the sugars of 3 to 4 oranges. Your blood sugar rises from this. Choose water, coffee or tea without sugar, or eat (instead of drink) your fruit.

4. Choose savory over sweet.

• Make an extensive brunch platter with delicious spreads and dips such as vegetable spreads, tapenade, hummus, pesto, cream cheese and fish salad. Fill the shelf with deviled eggs, cheeses, fish and meat products. Complete the platter with fresh (red) fruit, small veggies and wholemeal toasts.
• Give vegetables a leading role. Eat a soup beforehand and make a tasty salad with legumes, nuts, goat cheese, smoked chicken or salmon. Delicious and good for a stable sugar level.
• Bake egg muffins! Scramble 4 eggs, add 20 ml (vegetable) milk, 2 teaspoons of herbs of your choice, 100 grams of finely chopped vegetables and some pepper. Pour the mixture into muffin molds and place everything in the oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes. Also delicious as a snack, of course!

5. Keep portions small. Of course, you can also take something tasty. Just not too much. The more you eat at one time, the more carbohydrates you consume at once and the greater the chance that your blood sugar will spike. Balance is important.

6. One chocolate Easter egg is fine. One dark chocolate egg (70%) barely raises your sugar level. 2 grams of sugar does not have that much effect. Even one milk chocolate egg with 4 grams of sugar will not lead to a huge increase. But after 5 eggs it will be a different story. So, the most important thing is to keep your portion small. Don’t put a bowl of chocolate eggs on the table, because then you might keep grabbing them. Choose one for coffee or tea and enjoy it consciously. And if you’re still a little hungry, eat a handful of nuts.

7. Go outside and enjoy. Take a walk with the family, do an Easter scavenger hunt with the (grand)kids after brunch or do some gardening. Exercise has a lowering effect on your sugar level.

8. Measure and know it! The tips above are general, but the response of your blood sugar levels to everything you eat and drink is personal. With the Clear.bio Check you can find out how you react to these delicacies. Maybe you can take a slice of Easter cake or a glass of orange juice without having peaks. Of course, these aren’t nutritious choices for every day, but it’s not Easter every day!

9. Do fun activities at home. You can brunch all day, but you can also do something fun together in between. For example, painting boiled eggs or decorating an Easter branch. 

10. Do you peak after your Easter breakfast or brunch? Do not worry. One or two outliers will not affect your long-term diabetes management. You can take this into account for the rest of the day. Take that walk or bike ride to lower your sugar and don’t eat something with carbohydrates too soon. Still hungry? Eat some unsalted nuts, egg, meat, fish, cheese or snack some veggies. These products contain little or no carbohydrates, so your sugar level will hardly rise or not at all. 

Happy Easter!