April, 2003

If your spring celebration includes Easter, you and your children are preparing to nibble on jelly beans and chocolate bunnies. After Lent, you will probably indulge in everything you've denied yourself, including alcohol. Then, of course, there's the main meal: ham or turkey, roast lamb with mint sauce, rabbit, coleslaw, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, macaroni salad, and, of course, hard-boiled or deviled eggs.

Instead of feeling guilty and going on 'crash' diets after Easter, think of spring as a time to renew your health. When you celebrate, you can celebrate with healthy food. This doesn't mean entirely leaving out the Easter eggs. The California Egg Commission reports that a large egg contains 213 milligrams of cholesterol, well within the body's tolerance, and points out that saturated fats tend to increase cholesterol to unacceptable levels. Animal products, such as eggs, maintain the body's cholesterol, provided you follow a diet low in saturated fats. If you include generous amounts of fruits and vegetables in your diet, you can avoid unhealthy cholesterol levels. If you've been dehydrating and preserving fruits and vegetables, now is the time to include them in those Easter recipes. As for the coleslaw, prepare it in your food processor and use a vinegar dressing rather than mayonnaise.