….The chocolate bunny, that is. No doubt, the health benefits of dark chocolate have long been touted for a healthy heart. However, the ingested calorie load effectively cancels out any supposed health benefit.  Easter may be gone, but the calories live on.  So, this post is for all of you who may still be munching on those Easter basket treats.

I came across this handy little Easter Calorie Calculator online. All I have to do is check the box, click “Do the Math,” and wait with bated breath for the caloric damages and required exercise remedy to appear on the screen. (1)

The  7-Ounce Chocolate Bunny
Hmmm. Let’s see. OK, I’ll go all out for the large 7-ounce chocolate bunny at 1050 calories. (Yikes!)  That’s over two-thirds of the recommended total daily caloric intake for a dieter on a 1500-calorie-a-day diet.  Oh my gosh!  I would have to walk 10.5 miles to burn off the calories.  There’s no way I’m doing that unless I’m training for a marathon.  It’s best not to indulge this bunny.

The Candy Combo

How about something a little different? We’ll do eight robins eggs malted milk candies, 25 small jellybeans, and a Cadbury Creme Egg. Plug in the numbers….
Ugh! You don’t want to know.

The Small Chocolate Bunny
What next? I’ll take the small chocolate bunny, instead. This choice gets me 140 calories and a 1.4 mile stroll.  Considering that I will probably sample some of the other candy, too, it will likely add up to a lot more than I anticipated.

The Chocolate-Marshmallow Bunny?
Perhaps the chocolate-covered marshmallow bunny isn’t so bad at 60 calories and 0.6 miles to walk it off, but again, does anyone eat just one? And just think of the added sugar. Nope, not worth it.

Popping the Peeps

Maybe I’ll just settle for the Peeps. Just five of these precious little   guys with a calorie count of 160 couldn’t be too bad, right? Wrong. Popping the peeps will put me on a 1.6 mile hike to burn off the calories. There are hundreds of different things you can do with Peeps, as this cute Peeps marketing commercial shows. Just don’t put them in your mouth. Perhaps these Peeps are best used for those Washington Post Peep dioramas, after all. Ironically, this year’s brilliant winner depicted a Peep funeral that eulogized the unfortunate death of the beloved Twinkie last year. (2,3) It’s probably just as well, because those tasty little yellow cream-filled cakes were more loaded with calories than any Peep ever was. Now, before you get angry with me, I would just like to say that I loved Twinkie, too, and I will miss her very much.

Eggstatic about the Egg…
 Finally, we plug in the tried and true egg. Well, I have a choice – 1/2 deviled (73 calories) or plain (76 calories).  OK, I’ll have the hard-boiled – no mayonnaise or other fillers like the 1/2 deviled.  Click “Do the Math.” Waiting…. Great! Just 0.76 miles to burn it off.  Plus, if you add in the calories burned while preparing and decorating the egg, it’s still a better deal than the 60 calorie chocolate-covered marshmallow bunny.  Besides, I don’t see myself eating more than one egg.  Then, there are the added health benefits: eggs are rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. (4,5)

Toss the bunny. I’ll keep the egg.

All Image Credits: istockphoto.com

Questions for the blog community:  How did you eat healthy this Easter?  Did you toss your chocolate bunny?  If not, what do you think it will cost you in weight gain after the holiday?

References
1.   Easter Calorie Calculator. About.com Health: Walking. http://walking.about.com/library/cal/bleastercalories.htm. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
2.   “PEEPS Brand Commercial – ‘Brothers’ Extended Cut.” February 25, 2013. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
3.   Boyle, Katherine. “Peep-stalgia: Modern Moments Captured in the Medium of Yesteryear.”  The Washington Post.  March 26, 2013.  Retrieved April 1, 2013.
4.   “Incredible! Home of the Incredible Edible Egg.” http://www.aeb.org/retailers/egg-nutrition-facts. Website. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
5.   Melnick, Meredith. “Health Benefits Of Eggs.” Huffington Post.  March 30, 2013. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/30/health-benefits-of-eggs-yolks_n_2966554.html#slide=850050.  Retrieved April 1, 2013.

Categories: MSP3

Tags: bunny, calorie, calories, candy, chocolate, Easter, egg, gain, Health, hike, holiday, minerals, Peeps, protein, stroll, Twinkie, vitamins, walk, weight