Easter weekend is here! Like most holidays, the celebration can last several days so make sure you are prepared. It would be easy to snack on chocolate and jelly beans all weekend but you have to stay strong and save it for just your Cheat Day. Remember – even bite sized candy counts. Even if you just have one, every piece counts. No exceptions!

Focus on all the fun activities you can take part in this weekend, like going to a Spring Fair. They can offer everything from Easter egg hunting to arts and crafts, games for kids, parades, petting zoos, pictures with the Easter bunny and more. Some of them in New York are hosted at museums so you can make a day of it. Even if you stay in and hunt for eggs at home it’s a great way to be active and have fun with your family. 

If you are about to have your Cheat Day – enjoy! If you are staying on program today or tomorrow or the whole weekend, here are some festive recipes for the holiday. 

Easter Vegetable Platter with Hummus

Nothing easier or safer to bring to someone’s house than a vegetable platter! These two above are adorable ones you can try and most of these vegetables you can get pre cut and washed from the supermarket.

Take a variety of vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, edamame and celery which are all great options! You can arrange them into a fun shape such as an Easter Egg or a Carrot as seen below. 

A great pairing with this would be hummus. Here is a great easy Springy take on hummus that you could try below

Lemon Garlic Hummus

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed really well

1 small clove of garlic, finely chopped

2 tbsp tahini

Juice from 1 large lemon, about 1/4 cup

3 tbsp water

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard

1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Add all ingredients, except for oil, to a food processor and blend. Slowly stream in the oil and continue to blend for 3 minutes until very smooth.

Serving size: 1 cup of vegetables with 1/4 cup hummus is 1 snack

Frozen Yogurt Egg Pops

This super easy recipe will make a yummy treat or breakfast that even your kids will love. 

You will need the following, quantities depend on how many you would like to make.

Plastic Easter Eggs

Plain, vanilla or fruit regular non fat yogurt

Fresh or frozen fruit of your choice

Plastic ziplock bag

Piping tip

Lollipop sticks

Egg carton

• Start by washing the plastic eggs, then make a hole on the bottom of each egg that will fit the lollipop sticks. 
• Cut the tip off the ziplock bag and add the piping tip, then fill the bag with your yogurt. Fill each egg with yogurt through the hole you created, or you can open the egg and fill it halfway and add a piece of fruit in the middle. 
• Place the filled eggs in the egg carton and freeze. 2 eggs are a snack. 

Easter Fruit Kebabs

Ingredients:

4 large watermelon slices, 1 inch think

4 pineapple slices, 1 inch thick

strawberries

grapes

melon

wooden skewers

easter cookie cutters

Directions:

Cut your fruit into assorted shapes with cookie cutter. After the fruit has been cut decorate a wooden skewer with various fruits.

-These fruits are just some of our suggestions, you can use others that you like. 1 kebab is a snack. 

Avocado Toast

1/2 an avocado on 1 slice whole wheat toast is a great breakfast, here are some unexpected ways to mix it up for Spring.

Cucumber, red peppers flakes and lime juice

Roasted artichoke, radish, dill and lemon

Spice it up with Sriracha, jalapeño or chili flakes

Kale sprouts, sea salt and turmeric 

Wishing everyone a Happy Easter and we hope you enjoy the beautiful weather!

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

211 E 43rd Street Manhattan, NY 10019

One of Spring’s biggest holidays is this weekend – Easter! This is a holiday that can sometimes spread out over a couple of days, so make sure you have a plan for the days you are eating clean and enjoy your Cheat Day!

One of the main things to watch out for this week is Easter candy. There is a time to indulge and a time to say no. Maybe you buy some candy early to fill easter eggs and baskets, so make sure you aren’t snacking before your day to indulge. And once the holiday is over, no more! Don’t over buy so that you have leftover candy lying around. We sometimes do this when we have an reason to buy candy and treats, using a holiday as an excuse to have them when we normally wouldn’t. We think, one more piece of chocolate or candy on Monday won’t hurt, I don’t want to waste it. I’ll get rid of it tomorrow. Or, I’m saving it for the kids. No excuses! The weather is warming up and summer is around the corner. Now is not the time to fall off the wagon. Last week it was St. Patrick’s Day, this week it is Easter and Passover is in just a few short weeks. Whether you celebrate some or all of those holidays, now is the time to be on your toes. Think about your goals. Is it a certain event or time that you have in mind – Spring break, summer, or a birthday, anniversary, wedding, or other event approaching? Or do you just want to achieve your goal for personal reasons – confidence, pride, achievement, strength. Whatever it may be, now is the time to be on your best behavior.

Planning is the key. Think about the treats you want to enjoy and think about your schedule for the next few days. Maybe you are attending or hosting a family dinner or a party. If so, plan to make or bring healthy dishes so you have options. You can make a festive veggie platter:

Or you can make these adorable carrots and hummus cups:

Or jump into spring with a fresh fruit salad. You can add sprigs of mint (shredded) for a delicious flavor, or juice from a lemon or lime for more flavor and to help preserve the fruit. Combine fruits of your choice in bite sized pieces. Use fresh fruit when you can, or if you buy canned fruit make sure it is in 100% juice and is not sweetened.

Maybe your kids have a school event or an Easter egg hunt, which is great. Getting outside and enjoying the weather with your friends and family is an awesome way to spend the holiday. Walk as much as you can and plan other activities, such as arts and crafts or games.

Planning ahead can only help. Enjoy the holiday and make this most of this week.

Happy Easter!

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

Two of Spring’s biggest holidays are just a few days away! Although it hasn’t really felt like winter has ended, Easter and Passover are fast approaching. Many of you will choose one of the days this weekend as your cheat day, but as usual the celebrating might last for more than just one day. Here are some healthier recipes and treats that can help you make smarter choices so the weekend doesn’t put too much of a dent in your weight loss plan.

Hi Everyone! I will be heading to San Francisco, California this Friday 3/27 to meet with a client for one week. I strategically planned it because we also have a family event we are attending the following week, so it will be a work/vacation for 2 weeks. However, I will continue to be available to you throughout the 2 weeks. Starting Friday 3/27 all texts and emails will be answered in the early morning and late evening. Because of the time difference and my work schedule it would be impossible for me to give exact times. What I think would be most effective for everyone is if you continue to text and email throughout the day when your questions come to mind or when you need any help. But just be aware that the questions you send will be answered in the mornings and late evenings. So you may have to be proactive in some of your questions. For example, if you are going out to dinner I t would be great to ask the day before so it gives me time to look up the menu and answer.