Diabetes and Easter don’t exactly go hand-in-hand. With Easter, chocolate is available in abundance and as we all know, sugar isn’t exactly inviting when it comes to managing blood glucose levels.
However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t still enjoy yourself this coming Easter Sunday. Or that your kids can’t still partake in the Easter 2022 festivities. In this article, we’re going to outline how you can ensure your kids have a fun time this Easter, as well as how adults with diabetes can navigate this tricky time!
How to Make Sure Your Children Don’t Feel Left Out
The holidays, especially Easter, can be tough for kids with diabetes. Chocolate eggs and Easter bread are cornerstones of this particular holiday. Yet, if you’re living with diabetes, you can’t exactly enjoy the traditional treats just as they are.
While all the other kids talk about the delicious chocolate the Easter bunny will bring, this can leave children with diabetes feeling left out. So, how can you ensure this doesn’t happen? We’ve got a few tips!
Tip #1: Easter Basket Ideas for Type 1 & 2 Diabetes
Easter baskets for children with troubled blood sugar levels don’t have to be complicated or hard. While you can’t go and grab the regular chocolate and candy Easter eggs at the store, you can get creative, such as:
- Finding sugar-free and diabetes-friendly chocolate to replace regular chocolate.
- Using plastic eggs to enclose and “easter-ize” diabetes-friendly chocolate and candy.
- Adding toys or books into the mix!
- Encouraging games or placing games in the Easter basket.
Tip #2: Make Diabetes-Friendly Options for Traditional Easter Foods
For family gatherings, you can introduce healthier options for some of the most traditional foods around this holiday that can be just as delicious. For example, you can replace the standard Easter bread with one made from wheat instead of white flour, which is a much better alternative for those trying to minimize carb intake. There are a ton of options online for Easter bread recipes to do at home, so you can plan in advance!
Further, ensuring your child has plenty of options at dinner, like veggies and lamb or other meats, can help them feel like they aren’t missing a beat. You may also want to double-check their plate before sitting down to ensure they have a good mix of protein with fats and low-glycemic carbs, such as carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and beans. Pairing lower-glycemic carbs with protein and fats can slow digestion and slow the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, preventing huge blood sugar spikes which can be hard for those with diabetes to control. In fact, many people with diabetes follow the “MyPlate” method where they fill their plate with ½ non-starchy vegetables, ¼ lean protein, and ¼ carbohydrates. Plus, small treats are allowed! However, you’ll want to ensure you monitor your child’s intake to avoid any ill health effects.
Tip #3: Plan Some Activity!
Schedule an after-dinner walk for the whole family, or get everyone moving with a friendly game of baseball, football, or soccer. Springtime is the best time for outdoor activities, so don’t miss out on this opportunity to get some fresh air! Making sure your child stays active can help manage their blood sugar levels, ensuring everyone has a happy and healthy Easter.
Navigating Easter as an Adult with Diabetes
During the Easter holidays, there are plenty of ways you can still have fun and enjoy it—despite dietary restrictions. Here’s how:
- Speak to the organizer of your family gathering beforehand to discuss food options or host you’re own event.
- Offer to bring a dish and make it diabetes-friendly.
- Decide what treats you will indulge in beforehand and be sure to keep them to a minimum.
- Consider adjusting your insulin dose (discussing this with your doctor beforehand is a great idea!).
- Go for an after-dinner walk or perform some physical activity at gatherings to help stabilize blood sugar levels.
- Use digital devices to monitor your blood sugar levels so you can stay on track.
With the proper management, diabetes and Easter can go hand-in-hand. You don’t have to miss out on any fun this Easter Sunday. In fact, when you use the tips provided above, Easter 2022 could very well be your best one yet!
How Can Digital Devices Help?
When it comes to holidays and family gatherings, there is always so much going on – from eating loads of tasty foods, to catching up with old friends or family, to taking part in the traditional activities such as egg hunts. It can be normal to forget about checking our blood sugar levels amidst all that is going on. Thankfully, with the help of the Diabetes:M mobile app and its reminder system, one can enjoy the holiday to the fullest and leave the “remembering” to their phone! With Diabetes:M you can also log homemade recipes and not worry about correct insulin measurements as the Bolus Advisor does all the calculations for you. Find out for yourself and try it out today!
Krista Bugden is a Professional Freelance Writer, with an Honours Bachelor Degree in Human Kinetics from the University of Ottawa. Before pursuing a full-time writing career, Krista worked as a Kinesiologist at a health clinic in Ottawa, Canada for many years. As a writer, Krista has contributed to various popular diabetes channels and blogs with numerous scripts and articles.
Thank you for sharing this useful content