More than half a kilo of sugar in Eggstreme Easter eggs

15/03/2019

If you’re not keen on a nine hour jog this long weekend, you might want to skip that giant egg.

Cancer Council WA’s LiveLighter dietitians went on an egg hunt this week to see just how much sugar is lurking in the trendy enormous eggs for sale across Perth.

“We were shocked by the results, with a handful of Easter chocolates clocking in at a weighty 1kg. The worst offenders had more than half a kilo of sugar and almost three times an adult’s daily energy needs. This amount of excess kilojoules is equivalent to about nine hours of jogging*,” Gael Myers, Cancer Council WA’s LiveLighter dietitian said.

Top 5 worst offenders

 

Sugar

Fat

Energy

grams

teaspoons

grams

teaspoons

Fabulous Food Company Eggnormous Easter Egg (1kg) ($20 from Target)

629g

157 tsp

297g

59 tsp

22,600kJ

Heritage Milk Chocolate Easter Egg (1kg) ($15 from Big W)

619g

155 tsp

278g

56 tsp

21,900kJ

Kmart Eggstreme Milk Chocolate Egg (1kg) ($20 from Kmart)

563g

141 tsp

314g

63 tsp

22,000kJ

Lindt Milk Chocolate Gold Bunny (1kg) (RRP $80, available at Woolworths)

550g

138 tsp

320g

64 tsp

22,800kJ

Cadbury Favourites Easter Bunny Tin and Chick Egg (700g) ($15 from Woolworths)

390g

97 tsp

160g

32 tsp

14,140kJ

“These mega Easter eggs might seem like good value and a bit of fun, but the cost to your health could be huge,” Ms Myers said.

“Holiday periods such as Easter and Christmas are a danger time for weight gain. As we take a break to relax with family and friends our normal exercise routines can go out the window and we often find ourselves feasting on large amounts of high-kilojoule foods and drinks. This creates a mismatch between our energy needs and energy intake, putting us at risk of weight gain.”

“Research suggests that, on average, adults put on 0.5-1kg of weight over holiday periods.”

“Of most concern is that weight gained is only partially lost when we go back to our normal routines. Over time, the small amounts of weight gained at each holiday can really add up, leading to overweight and obesity, which increases your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.”

“Rather than denying yourself the pleasure of eating chocolate over the Easter period, we recommend choosing a few small treats that you can savour and enjoy mindfully.”

Tips for a healthy Easter:

  • Focus on quality, not quantity, of chocolate. A small piece of your favourite chocolate is often more enjoyable than scoffing down a giant Easter egg of poor quality chocolate.
  • Turn the traditional Easter egg hunt into a scavenger hunt for toys instead
  • Make the most of the long weekend and get out and about. Get together a group of friends for a picnic at the park, a ride around the river or a sunset BBQ by the beach.

*Calculation based on an adult average daily energy requirement of 8700kJ