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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:
- 1 tsp store-bought natural food coloring
- 2 TBSP white vinegar
- 2 TBSP water
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!

What I love most about this article is your willingness to flex for the kids on a holiday. No kid likes to be the odd-man-out trying to look cool while there friends compare holiday notes. It does happen. If you flex with them on the big days, and you are consistent on all the little days, they will learn to balance their choices when they are older. And believe me, they do get older and whether or not to have an egg hunt or allow them to eat candy becomes a moot point.
sorry, but pets should NEVER be given as gifts. Getting a pet is a huge responsibility and should be a famil discussion, not something you give because you don’t want to buy candy.
I work at an animal shelter and I can not tell you how many animals are surrendered because they were given as gifts.
Books, craft supplies, even a new bike is a much better gift.
You can also fill those plastic eggs with coins instead of candy.
You can buy Lego sets and put all the pieces in the eggs and your child has to build the Lego set once they collect all the eggs.
There are So Many more options, delete the live animal option should be done.
I love Easter and believe it should be as big a holiday as Christmas (Isn’t Jesus’s resurrection a greater event in our faith than His birth?) But I think it’s important to be aware of the origins of this holiday, how it saved lives and what it means for us today. This helps me find new ways to make this holiday special… I’m about to write a lot so bear with me for a little history lesson…..
Easter originated from a variation of the pagan holiday “Eostre”, a fertility celebration. When I was in Ireland on a Pilgrimage in 2004 I learned that Eostre was a month (also from whence we get the word April) long celebration that focused on fertility and new life after the winter. It was a holiday centered around sex, birth and prosperity. In many places, Eostre was a time when a woman could approach any man she wanted to sleep with and it was his duty to respect her wishes; refusing her was a crime punishable by death (I read about this when studying St Kevin (St. Caoimhghín in Gaelic)). There is a story of St Kevin being torn about maintaining his celibacy or facing persecution/death from disrespecting the woman who approached him during this holiday.) For monogamous Christians, it was a difficult time to avoid sinning through promiscuity while maintaining their covers. In order to avoid standing out and being killed for their faith, many Christians adopted the other festive practices of Eostre, including “new life” as depicted by baby animals and eggs as reminders of Christ’s resurrection.
When I think of the creativity early Christians had to implement to survive this time, I am so grateful that they were able to pass along Christ and this holiday to us today. For me, this is a celebration of human ingenuity, freedom of religion and new beginnings. I’m expecting my first child now but for our youth group at church, my husband and I sing songs, play outdoor games, make puppets, reenact Christ’s resurrection (much like nativity plays) and make sure that the kids are very aware that it is because people a long, long time ago had trouble being Christians and had to make secret celebrations to fit in, we get to be open about our faith now and celebrate/thank them for their perseverance during such difficult times.
I agree with limiting sugary foods, but please don’t recommend people buy a pet instead – animals are a real commitment, and too many bunnies and other small animals get abandoned, and tossed aside a few months after Easter when the kids are done with them.
I couldn’t agree more.
I work in an animal shelter and so many rabbits get surrendered because they were bought as gifts. Never mind the countless cats and dogs.
I love Easter egg hunts but maybe try filling eggs with things such as, day with mom, day at the park, get out of a chore etc. it will get rid of the candy you hate but still allow the kids to have fun. It also allows them to look forward to some fun things and one on one days. I do love the treasure hunt and we have done that before. Also, if you do allow them some candy then I would suggest making your own and that way you know what’s in it. You could maybe do just one egg filled with candy. I love the idea of them each getting flowers etc.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE your “coupon” idea. Thank you for that, I am going to do that.
My kids also love money so we are going to hide some eggs with coins in them too.
Me too… I will definitely do these oh and the money too. Lol
We make our own hot cross buns to have on Good Friday. We used Paleo Parents cinnamon bread recipe into muffins and pade a cross from coconut flour and water. We go to Easter vigil Mass Saturday night and since we don’t get home till late we have a big breakfast feast. We made some home made chocolate eggs with good quality chocolate melted into a mould and filled with coconut clusters from Wellness Mama, peppermint patties from Elena’s pantry and a nut fudge recipe I can’t remember the source for. The children may have one or two a day until they are gone. I bake a roast lamb for dinner. I don’t usually give baskets but this year I found one shaped like a lamb and bought some Little People figures in plastic eggs to put inside. The religious significance of the lamb is our central focus.
this year we dyed eggs in pieces of beautiful silk fabric from men’s ties, they came out with the colours and patterns perfectly, and was way easier than the onion skins I was planning to use
Thanks for the great ideas. I’m trying the natural dyes this year, too. Keeps with the spirit of the Holy Day! Happy Easter!
We use the same basket every year, and I’m super excited to try natural dyes this year. I scaled way back on the candy this year. Just some Jordan Almonds (my favorite) and a few chocolates, plus I’m going to make my own gummy treats. In exchange, I uped the awesomeness of our dinner. It’s going to be delicious. As for the animals, we already got some baby chicks this year, and they’re so great. I was going to wait until Easter, but I want eggs as soon as I can.
I never did Easter egg hunts, being an only child and not a church family there wasn’t anyone to hunt with. But my mom did hide my Easter basket (looking back it was the same basket every year) filled with Strawberries (my fave! we didn’t buy them much that time of year ’cause they got pricey), some chocolate, a movie, and a new book. Dad would bake cinnamon rolls, and we’d munch on them while watching my new movie. Fun times 🙂