A little overindulgence on Easter Sunday is often unavoidable, but you could be devouring more calories than you realise depending on the sweet treat you opt for.
Eye-opening research by British luxury wine and food hamper retailer Virginia Hayward has revealed the most calorific chocolate eggs on the shelves, with one containing nearly 3,000 calories.
A man’s recommended daily intake is 2,500 calories, while a woman’s is 2,000 and a child’s varies between 1,600 to 2,000 depending on gender or age.
This means, if Britons ignore the suggested servings and consume a whole Easter egg in one sitting, they could easily eat more than a day’s worth of calories.
For instance, the Cadbury Extra Large Chopped Nut Easter Egg contains 2,977 calories, nearly three times the amount found in a McDonald’s Big Mac meal (which has 1015 calories).
Research by British luxury wine and food hamper retailer Virginia Hayward has revealed the most calorific chocolate eggs on the shelves, with one containing nearly 3,000 calories (pictured left). Pictured right, Ferrero Rocher Easter Egg, which contains 1,719 calories
A man’s recommended daily intake is 2,500 calories, while a woman’s is 2,000. This means, if Britons ignore the recommended servings and consume a whole Easter egg in one sitting, they could easily eat more than a day’s worth of calories. Pictured, Cadbury Mini Egg Easter egg, which contains 1,170 calories
Virginia Hayward analysed the nutritional values, serving information and costs of 24 popular Easter-themed items across two categories, including 12 medium-sized Easter eggs, and 12 smaller Easter-themed chocolate products.
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Meanwhile, British brand Discount Supplements looked at the calories found in larger Easter eggs ahead of the holiday on 4 April.
Overall, the Maltesers Milk Chocolate Easter Egg and Chocolate was found to be the ‘healthiest’ option, with only 582 calories.
In comparison, the ‘least healthy’ option in the medium egg category – Galaxy Minstrels Easter Egg and Chocolate – had a total of 1342 calories.
A Cadbury spokesperson said: ‘We always encourage our consumers to BeTreatwise and have a range of different sized Easter eggs and Easter products to suit the varied needs of our consumers.
Smarties Milk Chocolate Easter Egg, pictured left, has 680 calories, while Galaxy Indulgent Collection Easter Egg, pictured right, contains 1,682 calories
‘We continue to support consumers through BeTreatwise, an industry initiative aimed at helping consumers take a balanced approach to treats. All our products are re-sealable with clear information for consumers regarding individual portion sizes and calories.
‘Our larger format products are intended for seasonal gifting and sharing. We also have a great selection of smaller Easter eggs for children.’
Dr Giuseppe Aragona, GP and Online Doctor for Prescription Doctor, commented on the research, saying: ‘Surprisingly, there are a number of benefits to eating chocolate, however these are usually most associated with eating dark chocolate, not milk or white chocolate.
Alex Walker, Marketing Manager at Virginia Hayward, commented: ‘Of the 12 medium Easter eggs we analysed, there were some interesting like-for-like item comparisons worth noting, including portion size. ‘Across the 12 medium Easter eggs we looked into, total servings varied between 3 and 8.’ Pictured, Dairy Milk Oreo Easter Egg, which has 1,528 calories
‘Dark chocolate that has a high content of cocoa is highly nutritious and packed full of fibre and minerals. However, the chocolate has to be a good quality with a good amount of cocoa.
‘The flavanols (a type of plant nutrient) that are found in a bar of dark chocolate may actually work to protect your skin against sun damage and improve blood flow to the skin increasing skin hydration and elasticity.’
Alex Walker, Marketing Manager at Virginia Hayward, commented: ‘Of the 12 medium Easter eggs we analysed, there were some interesting like-for-like item comparisons worth noting, including portion size.
‘Across the 12 medium Easter eggs we looked into, total servings varied between 3 and 8.’
Source: Food Recipes and News
