A Natural & Healthy Easter

Eating and drinking a variety of colorful fruits and veggies in all forms provides a wide range of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and fiber important for overall good health. There are several ways to incorporate fruits and veggies into your Easter celebration.

Color Your Easter Eggs … Naturally!
Color your eggs just like you color your plate with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Did you know that you can use fruit and vegetable juices as a natural way to dye your Easter eggs?
Many natural dyes can be created using fruits, vegetables, and other natural foods. Use the chart below to find a rainbow of Easter egg colors …

BLUE Canned/Frozen Blueberries PURPLE Grape Juice BROWN OR BEIGE Strong Coffee Instant Coffee Black Tea BROWN GOLD Dill Seeds BROWN ORANGE Chili Powder GREEN Spinach Leaves (boiled) GREENISH YELLOW Yellow Delicious Apple Peels (boiled) GREY Purple or Red Grape Juice or Beet Juice

LAVENDER Small Quantity of Purple Grape Juice ORANGE Carrots Paprika PINK Beets Cranberries or Juice Raspberries Red Grape Juice Juice from Pickled Beets RED Lots of Red Onions Skins (boiled) Pomegranate Juice Canned Cherries (with syrup) Raspberries YELLOW Green Tea Ground Cumin (boiled)

Just follow these steps …

1. Place the eggs in a single layer in a pan. Add water until the eggs are covered.
2. Add approximately one teaspoon of vinegar.
3. Add the natural dye food item listed above. Use more dye material for more eggs or for a more intense color.
4. Bring water to a boil.
5. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
6. If you are pleased with the color, remove the eggs from the liquid.
7. If you want more intensely colored eggs, temporarily remove the eggs from the liquid. Strain the dye through a coffee filter (unless you want speckled eggs). Cover the eggs with the filtered dye and let them remain in the refrigerator overnight.

Natural & Healthy Easter Baskets
Give your friends and family a break from the calories and cavities with some healthy and delicious Easter snack alternatives.

Dried fruit
Dried fruit is a versatile, healthy way to sweeten the holidays. You can mix and match dried fruits to create your own personalized packs. Dried fruits range from crisp apples or banana chips to soft and chewy dried apricots. More choices include dried mangoes, figs, raisins, cranberries and kiwis. These scrumptious snacks add a punch of vitamins and color to your basket.

Slice up some of your favorite fruits and vegetables and make your own dried treats. Place on nonstick baking sheet and dry in the oven for 3 hours at 210° F.

The information is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for individual advice.
Kristen Johnson, RD, LDN, ACE-PT
Healthy Living Advisor & Fitness Expert
Meijer, Inc.