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It's come round so fast, but Easter is actually taking part this weekend! Second on the list of the events most dreaded by dieters, after Christmas, Easter means a weekend of dieting challenges, causing us to fear that extra temptation that is the Easter egg over the long weekend. And if like me you’ve been trying to curb the calories, then you really won’t want to undo all the progress so far (easier said than done).

 

Easter doesn't have to mean completely packing in the diet for four whole days though. Here are some tips to keep you on the straight and narrow, that I'm going to try my best to follow (cough):

A little of what you fancy...

Dieting often requires us to go cold turkey and quit all those lovely foods we adore, but over Easter when the whole family are tucking into Easter eggs, you're just going to be left feeling miserable if you have to sit along side them nibbling on carrot sticks (really?).

Sometimes a little of what you fancy goes a long way, but this does require you to know when to stop (cough again). If you know you have trouble with portion control (yip) why not buy yourself a very small Easter egg (???) and tell everybody not to buy you any this year (gulp!). This way when you're family and friends are chopping on their eggs you can have a little piece of yours so you don't feel left out. I’m struggling already as I read this back  - Not good! Remember 1 Cadbury’s mini egg = 16 calories, 6 mini eggs = 96 calories (ouch).

Cook up a mean and lean roast...

Easter is often all about feasting, big family meals, Sunday lunch and boozy evenings with the absence of work on Monday (hurrah!). In the run up it's easy to feel panicked and assume the diets going to go out the window, but when you have goals to meet falling off the band wagon at this stage is only going to set you back (and I’ve worked so hard for the last few weeks).

You can still enjoy big sit down meals and a drink/s, it's just about knowing when enough is enough and making sensible choices.

When cooking your roast try these tips: 

• Opt for chicken or turkey instead of beef, pork or lamb as a lower fat meat.
• Skip the goose fat (my fav) and instead use organic olive oil, but go easy on it. Try popping your potatoes and veg in a sandwich bag and poor in a little oil, shake the bag to cover everything and cook as normal. This will really reduce your oil use.
• Make two pudding options, a not so healthy one and a fruit salad, so if everybody opts for your amazing sticky toffee pudding at least you can still join in and have a dessert too.
• When it comes to alcohol try a vodka, soda and fresh lime at just 50 calories, or have half a small glass of wine (125ml) topped up with soda water for just 80 calories.

 But if you feel you really must reward your commitment to Lent (or simply indulge your sweet tooth) how about this ……

 

A Crème Egg Martini as served @ The Hotel Café Royal

Ingredients: 

30ml Pampero especial rum

20ml Amaretto dissaronno

50ml Chocolate liquor

Cream (25ml egg white+25ml D.cream+2tsp sugar)

Yolk (30ml egg yolk+2tsp iced sugar)

Cacao powder

Method:

Shake the rum with the liquors and double strain into a cupette glass then add the cream from the syphon andgently pour the egg yolk on the top, decorate with cacao powder.

Easter doesn't have to be a dieters nightmare after all, I'll still be enjoying myself, just by making clever choices. In fact, I think I'll susbsitute the eggs for flowers  ........

Happy Easter everyone, would love to know your plans?

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