Spring Break
Easter means self-control, right?
Emily Abbate
Issue date: 4/10/09 Section: Focus
Things most people associate with Easter: egg hunts, chocolate covered bunnies, and an overabundance of appetizers, Peeps and jellybeans.
Things most people associate with Passover: matzoh (with every different topping imaginable including peanut butter, cream cheese, jelly and chocolate), potato latkes, potato kugel and gefilte fish.
If I had the choice, I'd eat like it was Easter every day, but clearly as a 20-year-old Jewish college student - who's actually staying at UConn this weekend - not everything's coming up (chocolate) roses.
If you type "Easter calories" into a Google search, the first thing that comes up just may surprise you. About.com's "Easter Calorie Counter" enables Internet surfers to select different combinations of typical Easter food, and then see the steps and distances required to walk off those calories post-consumption. Say you like jellybeans, and you eat 25 before dinner and stay "good" by avoiding the chocolate bunny your grandmother gave you (for now) and stick with one Cadbury Creme Egg. That's all fine and good, until you cave in and lose self-control, indulging in the chocolate bunny the next day.
According to the About.com, you have over a half-marathon of walking to do in order to make up for these unnecessary calories.
"Twenty-five small jellybeans, 5 Peeps, Large 7 oz. chocolate bunny, 1 Cadbury Creme Egg ... that comes to 1520 calories," according to the Web site. "You will need to walk 15.2 miles, 24.51 kilometers, or 30,400 steps, assuming you cover one mile in 2,000 steps."
The upcoming holidays mean a lot of opportunities to pack on the extra pounds with out-of-the-ordinary eating behaviors. But don't fret, there are ways to eat healthy and still enjoy these early spring holidays.
The Passover dietary restrictions can be described simply: "No bread." But obviously, there's more to it than that. Jewish people abstain from eating bread in commemoration of the Jews leaving Egypt in a hurry, leaving no time for the bread they were baking to raise.
Not everything is off-limits, though. Try sticking to the basics like fresh fruit, eggs and meat and potatoes this week. Instead of reaching for a dinner roll, take a serving of cooked vegetables. Eatingwell.com has a number of healthier Passover meal suggestions, including roasted sweet potatoes with balsamic drizzle and flourless sponge cake.
My biggest suggestion is to use the resources on the Internet. Try bringing your own side dish or dessert to your aunt's house on Easter Sunday, or a bowl of fresh fruit to your grandfather's instead of eating matzoh and brie. There's always a solution to overeating, as long as you utilize self-control and plan ahead. Happy holidays, UConn.
Things most people associate with Passover: matzoh (with every different topping imaginable including peanut butter, cream cheese, jelly and chocolate), potato latkes, potato kugel and gefilte fish.
If I had the choice, I'd eat like it was Easter every day, but clearly as a 20-year-old Jewish college student - who's actually staying at UConn this weekend - not everything's coming up (chocolate) roses.
If you type "Easter calories" into a Google search, the first thing that comes up just may surprise you. About.com's "Easter Calorie Counter" enables Internet surfers to select different combinations of typical Easter food, and then see the steps and distances required to walk off those calories post-consumption. Say you like jellybeans, and you eat 25 before dinner and stay "good" by avoiding the chocolate bunny your grandmother gave you (for now) and stick with one Cadbury Creme Egg. That's all fine and good, until you cave in and lose self-control, indulging in the chocolate bunny the next day.
According to the About.com, you have over a half-marathon of walking to do in order to make up for these unnecessary calories.
"Twenty-five small jellybeans, 5 Peeps, Large 7 oz. chocolate bunny, 1 Cadbury Creme Egg ... that comes to 1520 calories," according to the Web site. "You will need to walk 15.2 miles, 24.51 kilometers, or 30,400 steps, assuming you cover one mile in 2,000 steps."
The upcoming holidays mean a lot of opportunities to pack on the extra pounds with out-of-the-ordinary eating behaviors. But don't fret, there are ways to eat healthy and still enjoy these early spring holidays.
The Passover dietary restrictions can be described simply: "No bread." But obviously, there's more to it than that. Jewish people abstain from eating bread in commemoration of the Jews leaving Egypt in a hurry, leaving no time for the bread they were baking to raise.
Not everything is off-limits, though. Try sticking to the basics like fresh fruit, eggs and meat and potatoes this week. Instead of reaching for a dinner roll, take a serving of cooked vegetables. Eatingwell.com has a number of healthier Passover meal suggestions, including roasted sweet potatoes with balsamic drizzle and flourless sponge cake.
My biggest suggestion is to use the resources on the Internet. Try bringing your own side dish or dessert to your aunt's house on Easter Sunday, or a bowl of fresh fruit to your grandfather's instead of eating matzoh and brie. There's always a solution to overeating, as long as you utilize self-control and plan ahead. Happy holidays, UConn.
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