Enjoying candy in moderation this Easter

By Kyle Schmidt

As families and kids gather to celebrate Easter with baskets of treats, it might be a good idea to save some candy for later. 

Dietitians say it’s important to remember how sugary candy can be, especially for young kids.

“I recommend parents set a limit with their kids on how much candy they can have that day. And then when filling the Easter baskets and Easter eggs, I recommend making it about half candy and half non-food items,” said Lyndsay Grubb, a dietetic intern with the St. Joseph YMCA. “It can be stickers, temporary tattoos, little card games and things like that.”

Grubb is also in a graduate program at Northwest Missouri State University. She spoke more on what parents can do to limit the sugar in the candy they provide.

“If you do want to limit the sugar and fat, I recommend the candies that don’t have the extra chocolate and caramel filling in them,” Grubb said. “I think it’s good just in general to set limits for how much candy they can have each day.”

Easter is a special day, but setting limits for everyday consumption could be good for your health. 

Older adults when dieting tend to count calories to watch what they eat, but Grubb said that’s not the best move for kids.

“I don’t recommend counting calories for any children. I just worry about a balanced diet. I recommend using MyPlate. It’s really good. Talks about how much of each food group you can should consume every day,” Grubb said. “But with young children, I’d just recommend that they’re eating enough and eating enough of each food group.”