I love few things more than a basket full of colorful Easter eggs. Easter is important to our family and one of our favorite times of the year, but I often find myself annoyed with the over-commercialization of what I consider a religious holiday. I also get peeved when Easter gets turned into an excuse to let kids (and ourselves) over-indulge in treats filled with sugars, food dyes, and artificial ingredients.

This year, I’m trying to make our celebration of Easter more focused on the actual reason for the holiday. (Hint: It doesn’t have anything to do with a bunny that brings eggs!)

Easter is a liturgical time of celebration, and one of the biggest feast days in the church, so I’m glad to let the kids enjoy some treats. I’m opting, though, to keep some of our favorite traditions with healthy and natural twists.

Let me explain why!

“Natural” Easter Eggs and Easter Baskets… Too Extreme?

I admit I don’t really understand the Easter tradition of a bunny (they don’t lay eggs) delivering plastic candy-filled eggs and baskets. I think giving our kids heaps of junk food at Easter (and other holidays) sets a precedent that associates celebrations with unhealthy foods. To me, there are better ways to develop good food habits for a lifetime.

This may sound extreme to some. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with an occasional indulgence in a food that is less than healthy. But I think most concerned parents would agree that kids these days are getting these indulgences a little too often. From the birthdays of every kid in their class at school to Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Easter, etc., there are more than enough opportunities for kids to get the message that fun and celebration = unhealthy tasty sweet foods.

(Perhaps that is just a pet peeve of mine, though?!)

But let me get off my soapbox… on to Easter eggs!

How to Dye Easter Eggs Without Chemicals

Eggs are one of our favorite foods, so I certainly don’t have any problems with the eggs themselves. (As you may guess, it is the plastic, candy-filled versions I take issue with.)

It turns out that the harmless-looking color tablets that you drop into vinegar water to dye Easter eggs contain harmful chemicals that could have an especially bad effect on some kids. True, we don’t eat the shells, but since eggshells are permeable and some kids are so sensitive to the effects of artificial food dyes, I thought it was worth exploring more natural options.

Option 1: Store-bought Egg Dye

To dye Easter eggs naturally the easy way, use a safe, natural food coloring and mix according to the following ratios:

Option 2: Homemade Egg Dye from Beets (and Other Fruits and Vegetables)

If you don’t have natural food coloring around (we often don’t), you can also use random fruits, veggies, and herbs to accomplish the same thing. We tried this a few years ago and will be doing it again this year.

Below are the foods that can be added to boiling water while cooking eggs to make various colors. You can also juice or boil the ingredients, cool, add vinegar, and use it as a regular egg dye:

• Blue Coloring: Add a cup of purple cabbage or blueberries to the water when boiling the eggs.
• Green Coloring: Add a cup of spinach or a few teaspoons of spirulina to the boiling water. You can also juice greens, mix the juice with vinegar, and use it as a cool dye once the eggs are cooked.
• Red/Pink Coloring: Pomegranate or beet juice is added to the boiling water. You can also put a couple of tablespoons of vinegar in pomegranate or beet juice and use it on pre-cooked eggs as a cool dye.
• Purple Coloring: Add grape juice to boiling water or soak pre-cooked eggs in grape juice/vinegar mix.
• Yellow/Orange Coloring: Add a few teaspoons of turmeric or saffron to the boiling water, or boil these spices in water, cool, and mix with vinegar for a cool dye.

Some notes: These natural variations make pastel-colored eggs which I think are more beautiful than the neon eggs created by the artificial colors. Just a warning, though, you won’t be getting any florescent shades with these methods!

Strategies for Easter Egg Hunts

I’ve never been a huge fan of Easter egg hunts and would forgo them completely, but the kids do really look forward to them. Unfortunately, they usually result in a large bag of candy that somehow disappears when my kids are sleeping (maybe the Easter Bunny stole it!)

In the past, we’ve also hidden hard-boiled eggs for them to find (the dogs found the ones they missed!) or just had a family day outside that involved a lot of other activities. Last year, we did a treasure hunt with clues that led to a better prize (seeds for them to plant in their own little corners of the garden). 

While I prefer the alternatives instead of an egg hunt, this year I’m letting the kids participate in the Easter egg hunt at church, eat a couple of pieces of the least offending candy, and then I’ll trash the rest after they go to bed.

Healthy Candy-free Easter Basket Ideas

I don’t have any problem with Easter being a time of joyful celebration and small gifts. As I mentioned before (probably too much!), it’s the plastic, candy-filled parts of this celebration I take issue with. That being said, I love baskets and store everything in them, so our kids get a (reusable) basket each year filled with (non-sugary) goodies.

Here are some ideas we’ve tried over the years that have been a hit!

Grow Your Own Grass

Using wheat, alfalfa, or clover seeds, grow grass in a small dish that will fit in the bottom of your basket. Use this instead of the plastic Easter grass that you find under the couch in September. Kids love the novelty of growing grass indoors, and as a bonus, grass is supposed to be great at cleaning indoor air. You can even plant it outside with the kids after Easter. If you aren’t up for growing your own grass, shred paper in a shredder and use it instead. Recyclable when done!

Instead of a Basket, Give Your Child a Flower Pot

In the pot, put a small pair of gloves, a pack of heirloom seeds, and a small shovel, and let your child grow their own container garden. There are even pre-made totes for this. Herbs are one easy option, and kids can use them in the kitchen! This is guaranteed to provide fun longer than plastic toys and pixie sticks.

Check Out Thrift Stores

We are on a budget, and doing Easter baskets for each kid sure adds up! Check out local thrift stores for some fun gifts for Easter baskets. For instance, one year each of our kids got a movie, a book, and some shoes, and I spent less than $10 total.

Adopt a Family Pet

If you are brave, consider a small pet. This reinforces the “new life” focus of Easter and will be a lot more exciting than candy and toys. Just be humane! Only adopt a pet if you plan to keep it and care for it, as many baby chickens, ducks, and rabbits are abandoned after Easter.

Give Healthy Foods Instead of Junk

If your kids are looking forward to edible treats, substitute some treats with ones that are healthy and fun. Consider beef jerky, fruit, nuts, or homemade energy bars. Really brave? Make some homemade “peeps” with my probiotic marshmallow recipe.

Check out this post for some other Easter basket ideas! Happy Easter!

What are your favorite ways to dye your Easter eggs? When it comes to candy, do you stick with healthy versions of the usual treats or just let the kids enjoy the unhealthy versions for a day? I’d love to hear your tips and tricks below!