10 Health Facts About Easter Eggs

It’s no secret that Easter eggs are not good for you, but for many they’re an inevitable and intrinsic part of the Easter weekend. So we’ve compiled 10 key facts about Easter eggs to help you make informed choices this year. 

1. Calories
   A small 130g Cadbury’s chocolate egg contains about 537 calories. The NHS recommends a daily calorie intake limit of 2000 calories for a woman, and 2,500 for a man, so one egg is a fairly high proportion of that. The advice is therefore to eat a bit at a time!
2. Sugar in chocolate
   Milk chocolate eggs are often 50-60% sugar. It is the first ingredient on the list.
3. Sugar as a % total calories
   Bear in mind that the WHO (World Health Organisation) say that a maximum 10% of total daily calories should come from added sugars – about 50g – and ideally less than 5%.
4. The extra sweets
   Even the smallest eggs tend to contain a bag of sweets, The small mini egg Easter Egg contains a 31.9g bag of mini eggs of which 22g is sugars – an extra 158 calories
5. The number of eggs
   At £1 each, people can afford to be generous. So children in particular can end up with quite a large number of eggs. It simply multiplies the calories and sugar
6. Lack of ‘nutrients’
   While the proportion of sugar and carbohydrates is high, Easter eggs contain very little in the way of other nutrients such as fibre or vitamins which would be found in veg and fruit. They do have about 3-4% protein, but this is low compared to eating a proper protein source such as meat, fish or poultry eggs
7. Calories per serving
   The Easter egg packaging often states calories per serving, not per egg. Yet the serving quantity is 25g, which is less than a standard chocolate bar. Make sure you’re aware how much you’re eating
8. Those little extras
   A creme egg may not look big and is a delicious treat, but at 170 calories in a 34g serving, of which 19g is sugar and 23g carbohydrates, think carefully before overindulging
9. Easter egg hunt
   Once considered more an American thing, the Easter egg hunt has now taken off in the UK. Children collecting baskets of Easter eggs may look cute, but be careful to manage how quickly that supply is consumed
10. Your teeth!
    Easter doesn’t only spell health issues for your waistline, but also your teeth. Sugar in the mouth produces acid which can attack tooth enamel, leading to decay. Snacking on chocolate or sweets increases and prolongs the amount of acid, making the risks to your teeth much higher

Easter Health Tips

The best approach to managing Easter health issues is to be mindful of the risks in terms of calorie intake, nutritional content and also the risks to teeth. Suggested steps include:

1. Don’t allow ‘binging’ – a small amount of chocolate after a meal is a good way to make Easter eggs last longer and also avoid the massive overindulgence of eating them all at once
2. Restrict the number of eggs given – ask relatives to give a book or a treat such as a cinema ticket instead
3. Promote ‘sharing’ – a good life skill which also helps to reduce the unnecessary amounts of extra calories and sugar
4. Exercise – increasing physical activity levels will help to offset the additional calorie intake, so use the Easter holidays to get out for a walk, bike ride, run, swim or whatever!
5. Get on top of dental hygiene – brush thoroughly twice a day for 2 minutes
6. Swap juice/squash/fizzy drinks for water – especially between meals – to reduce sugar being left in the mouth

The Smart Clinics

The Smart Clinics is best known for its unique membership based private GP service with access to a friendly team of experienced doctors, which entitles individuals, families and corporate members to unlimited GP access for a monthly fee. Members benefit from longer GP appointments with shorter waiting lists; plus evening and weekend clinics to make appointments readily accessible.

The integrated healthcare company brings together a host of medical professionals offering patients high quality health services in a choice of accessible London clinic locations:

• Brompton Cross (North London), where dentistry and cosmetic dentistry are also available
• Wandsworth (South London)

The clinics offer evening and weekend appointments for those who cannot attend in the week.

The Smart Clinics also offers a highly equipped dentistry studio based in the Knightsbridge/South Kensington/Brompton Cross area. Dentistry membership is available on its own or as an addition to the medical membership at reduced cost and entitles patients to a series of dental care benefits and discounts. Non-members are also welcome to visit for treatment and can receive a quote dependent on their individual needs.

For more information contact us on info@thesmartclinics.co.uk or call  020 7052 0070.