Make Your Kids an Easter Bunny Lunch

Jelly beans, chocolate bunnies, Peeps . . . sugar, sugar, sugar! What's a mom to do? This Easter, encourage healthy eating habits with a little rabbit food. You and your kids will enjoy some special time together with a poem, a craft, and a good-for-you Easter Bunny Lunch.

Invitation

Formally invite your child to lunch. Make a card out of construction paper in the shape of a bunny, Easter basket, egg, or carrot. Inside, write a poem such as this one:

Little Bunny, do you know

How to grow from ear to toe?

It's all about the food you eat--

Radish, sprout and leafy treat.

Carrots give you strong hind legs,

And keen, sharp eyes for hiding eggs.

With such a healthy garden habit

You'll be the world's most famous rabbit.

So, nibble, nibble, chew, and crunch,

Have an Easter Bunny lunch!

Craft

With your child, make a bunny bowl for your healthy lunch. You will need:

One bowl

Two googly eyes

One pompom

Two paper towel rolls

Attach the eyes and pompom nose to the front of the bowl. Set the paper towel rolls inside the bowl to look like ears. At lunchtime, the ears can also be used to toss the salad.

Easter Bunny Lunch

Your kids will enjoy becoming the chef for the day. First, take them on an outing to the grocery store. "Little Bunnies" will be more willing to eat their vegetables if they pick them out themselves. Peruse the different types of lettuce, peppers, pea pods, tomatoes, radishes . . .and especially carrots! And don't forget to add some protein-rich hard-boiled Easter eggs.

At home, a grown-up can assist with slicing and dicing, while the kids can place everything in the bowl and mix it with the paper towel roll ears. For more active preparation, put all of the ingredients in a freezer bag and challenge your kids to hop like bunnies to do the tossing. There's nothing like a little physical activity to work up a healthy appetite!

Serve this fun and festive rabbit food with low-fat dressing and your kids' favorite sandwich on the side. (Egg-salad, anyone?) Talk to your kids about all of the vitamins and health benefits in this fun little lunch.

When that bunny salad bowl is empty and your kids' bodies are full of nutritious food, then maybe a little chocolate bunny could hop on by for dessert.

Enjoy your Easter Bunny Lunch!