More than half a kilo of sugar lurking in Eggstreme Easter eggs

by Gael Myers, Accredited Practising Dietitian

April 17, 2019
Leave a comment

Easter eggs

LiveLighter have been on an egg hunt looking for the most outrageously oversized versions of Easter bunnies and eggs available around 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 3 times an adult’s daily energy needs. This amount of excess kilojoules is equivalent to about 9 hours of jogging.^{^}

Top 5 worst offenders

	Sugar (grams)	Fat (grams)	Energy (kJ)
Fabulous Food Company Eggnormous Easter Egg (1kg)	629g	297g	22,600kJ
Heritage Milk Chocolate Easter Egg (1kg)	619g	278g	21,900kJ
Kmart Eggstreme Milk Chocolate Egg (1kg)	563g	314g	22,000kJ
Lindt Milk Chocolate Gold Bunny (1kg)	550g	320g	22,800kJ
Cadbury Favourites Easter Bunny Tin and Chick Egg (700g)	390g	160g	14,140kJ

Why we're concerned

These mega Easter eggs might seem like good value and a bit of fun, but they may actually be costing us our health. 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 people go back to their normal routines. Over time, the small amounts of weight gained at each holiday can really add up, leading to overweight and obesity. This increases our risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

Rather than denying yourself the pleasure of eating chocolate over the Easter period, LiveLighter recommend choosing a few small treats that you can savour and enjoy mindfully. Fancy chocolate in small packages can make us slow down and really appreciate the taste of what we’re eating.

LiveLighter’s top tips for a healthy Easter period

Turn the traditional Easter egg hunt into a scavenger hunt
Create a family tradition of painting or dying eggs to celebrate Easter. The kids will love getting creative with egg crafts!
Try out your best egg recipe to celebrate Easter – shakshuka, frittata or even a simple poached eggs on toast are all delicious options. For recipe ideas click here.
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.
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.

^{^}Calculations are based on an adult average daily energy requirement of 8700kJ