Easter Weekend is almost upon us, and that means church services, chocolate bunnies, and Easter eggs. However, a lot of these treats are often rich in sugar and calories – neither of which you should be having too much of.
Thankfully, instead of getting lost in the sugary trek that is an Easter egg hunt, you can instead enjoy nature’s Easter eggs instead – avocados!
Easter Eggs Can Ruin Your Health
Let’s be honest, as much as we enjoy a sweet treat now and then, the treats that come from the Easter weekend are mostly enjoyed by our children. Now, this wouldn’t be a cause for concern if childhood obesity rates weren’t skyrocketing all over the world.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 39 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2020. If that’s not enough, in South Africa, it is estimated that by 2030 at least three out of every five children will be obese.
The biggest contributor to childhood obesity is definitely a poor diet, most notably a diet high in fats and sugar. With that said, the best way to combat poor eating habits in your children is by introducing them to healthier foods, such as avocado.
Avocados for Easter
Whether you choose green-skinned avos, which remain green when ripe, or dark-skinned ones, which turn a magnificent purple-black to show they are ready to eat, avocados are a brilliant part of any healthy eating lifestyle.
The good-for-you fats in avocados may help keep bellies full and satisfied – perhaps the best news for helping kids (and adults) control chocolate munchies after a family Easter egg hunt.
So, if you’re looking to create a healthy and delicious meal that the whole family can enjoy this Easter, then why not try one of the below avocado-based meals, courtesy of the South African Avocado Growers’ Association (SAAGA)?
Avocado Recipes for Easter
Crispy Oven Baked Fish with Avocado Tartare
Serves 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Crispy Oven Baked Fish with Avocado Tartare
Ingredients:
For the fish:
- Avocado or olive oil to drizzle
- 30 ml (2 tbsp.) Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 80 g (2/3 cup) dried breadcrumbs
- 15 ml (1 tbsp.) fish spice
- 8 firm white fish fillets
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
For the tartare:
- 10 ml (2 tbsp.) capers, drained and chopped
- 3 small gherkins, chopped
- 2 spring onions, chopped
- 15 ml (1 tbsp.) fresh dill, chopped
- 45 ml (3 tbsp.) plain yogurt
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 2 ripe avocados, peeled, stoned, and diced
- Extra lemon wedges to serve
- Extra dill to garnish
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180˚C
- Add a drizzle of the oil onto a baking tray.
- Combine the Parmesan and breadcrumbs on a plate.
- Season the fish with the fish spice, dip the fish into the egg, and then the breadcrumb mixture to coat.
- Arrange the fish on a baking tray and bake until golden and the fish flake easily when pressed with a fork, about 10 – 15 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish.
- While the fish is cooking, make the tartare: Place the capers, gherkins, spring onions, and dill into a bowl and mix to combine. Divide the mixture in half and place one half in a jug of a stick blender with the yogurt, lemon juice, zest, and one avocado. Whiz with a stick blender until smooth, spoon into a bowl and stir through the remaining half of the caper mixture.
- Serve the fish with the second diced avocado, tartare sauce, and wedges of lemon. Garnish with dill.
Want to know more?
Easter weekend can turn into an overloaded sugar fest, but the good news is that you can control your sugar intake over the long weekend. Dr. Iqbal Karbanee is a pediatrician and pioneering CEO of Paed-IQ BabyLine, and he shares 4 top tips on how you can limit sugar this Easter.
