Hop to these Eco-Friendly Easter Tips
Easter is a time we all celebrate family traditions, beautiful spring weather (hopefully!), egg hunts, scrumptious meals and more. This Easter season, we’re challenging you to take eggstra steps during your festivities to take care of the environment too. Chick out these tips:
- Buy organic eggs. Whether you’re using eggs in your favorite Easter recipes or dyeing real eggs for an Easter egg hunt, we encourage you to buy organic! You can also opt for eggs from local farmers who sell eggs from pasture-raised chickens. We believe eggs from organic fed hens are healthier for you and more nutrient dense than conventional eggs.
- Colors to dye for. While multiple sources report that it’s safe to use store-bought, FDA-approved dye kits to color your Easter eggs, there are also a number of natural ways to dye eggs without those premade mixes. Food Network suggests using beets, onion skins, turmeric, red cabbage and coffee to create your own at-home colorful dyes.
- Get Crafty. Looking for ways to upcycle all the plastic eggs you’ve collected? Turn your collection into fun Easter crafts for the kids or décor for your home. A quick Pinterest search reveals Easter egg wreaths for a festive door hanger that can be used over and over. The kids can also get involved with crafts like mini planters, maracas and more!
- Reuse Easter Baskets. When it comes to Easter morning gift baskets for the kiddos, it’s what’s inside that counts. That means it’s perfectly acceptable and earth-friendly to reuse baskets from years prior. Trust us, the kids won’t notice! When it comes to using plastic Easter grass, if you already have it, reuse it. If you’ve thrown yours away in years past, don’t buy more as it’s destined for a landfill. You can use recyclable tissue paper as a filler instead!
- Sustainable Snacks. Easter means sweet treats. Our advice: think organic and snack size! Those big chocolate bunnies are adorable, but they’re probably not made with the cleanest ingredients. Opt for organic chocolate that’s been farmed responsibly and produced with clean ingredients. Looking for other basket fillers? Choose candies packaged in smaller portions and those with less sugar. Check out these options!
- Gift Responsibly. Live animals like chicks and bunnies are not meant to be gifted. While these animals are adorable, they’re a lot of responsibility that your family might not be ready for. Rather than having to take these furry and fluffy friends back to the pet store a few weeks after Easter, gift your kids plush stuffed animals, or donate, volunteer or adopt at a local animal shelter to support animals who need it.
- Egg-citing Easter Recipes. No holiday is complete without family favorite recipes! Whether you celebrate with an Easter lunch or dinner spread, try to incorporate as many organic ingredients as possible for a healthy, nutrient-dense meal.
Do you know what else goes great with the bright, springtime feels of Easter? Uncle Matt’s Organic juice! Get egg-cited for some of our favorite recipes for your Easter Sunday featuring citrus, organic goodness:
- Orange Power Immunity Smoothie
- Orange Carrot Oat Muffins
- Grapefruit Prosciutto Salad
- Citrus Meringue Pie
- Orange Carrot Cocktail
Editor’s Note: This article was adapted from an original post written by Huffington Post and shared in April 2015. It has been updated for freshness, accuracy and comprehensiveness.