Every kid loves to get an Easter basket. But what parents don’t love is watching their kids eat sugary, tooth-rotting junk food by the handful. And then there’s that post-sugar crash that turns those adorable kids into weepy, fussy, tantrum-throwing monsters. So what’s a mom or dad to do? Simple! Instead of loading up your baskets with the usual Peeps, gum drops, and ghastly foil-wrapped milk chocolate rabbits, think outside the box. Here’s how to build a fabulous Easter basket that’s every bit as much fun as the junky kind and way better for your child.

1. Start with a few fun chocolate treats. Make your own chocolate bunnies or Easter eggs from high-quality ingredients, or buy some high-quality chocolate bars. Because yeah… a little chocolate is a must.

2. Add some healthy gummies. Gummies are great because kids think they’re candy but you can make them with super-healthy ingredients. Here’s a gummie recipe from my book, Dr. Kellyann’s Bone Broth Diet. (That’s right—these are even diet food!)

Sweet Black Cherry Gummies Prep Time: 5 minutes • Cook Time 3 minutes

• ¼ to ½ teaspoon coconut oil or coconut oil spray
• ¾ cup cold water
• 4 tablespoons unflavored pasture-raised beef gelatin, such as Great Lakes Gelatin
• ½ cup unsweetened apple juice
• 1 cup chicken broth (preferably bone broth)
• 2 cups fresh or frozen black cherries, pitted and pureed

Brush or spray 24 cups of a mini-muffin pan lightly with the oil. Put the water in a small bowl. Pour the gelatin into the water and let stand for about one minute to soften.

Heat the apple juice and broth in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When the juice simmers, add the gelatin mixture and stir until completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and combine with the pureed cherries. Pour into the prepared muffin pan cups and refrigerate for 3 or more hours, or until firmly set.

To serve, run a knife around the edge of each muffin cup and gently coax out each gummie. Instead of using a mini-muffin pan, you can use Easter molds to shape your gummies. Tie them in plastic bags with festive ribbons before popping them in the basket. If you don’t have time to make your own gummies, stores like Sprouts and Whole Foods sell healthy versions.

3. Toss in some non-sweet healthy treats. Go for nuts, coconut chips, dried fruits, good-quality beef or chicken jerky, pumpkin seeds, and other tasty and sin-free snacks.

4. Now, fill out your basket with lots of fun and frivolous gifts. There are plenty of small treats and toys that will bring a smile to a child’s face on Easter day. Here are some of my favorites for kids of different ages:

• Seed packets and child-sized gardening tools.
• A half dozen “get out of a chore” cards—for instance, “this card entitles you to make dad wash the dishes for two days.”
• Cool socks.
• Tickets to a movie, the zoo, or wherever your child loves to go.
• A “spa day at home”—glittery nail polish, a facial mask, and other girly stuff.
• Gift cards for music or books—or, for an older teen, a gas card.
• Stickers.
• Something personalized—a hat, a pillow, an apron, or stationery.
• A kite—perfect for spring!
• Sunglasses.
• Kid-sized cooking and baking tools.
• Hair clips, bows, and ribbons.
• Stuffed animals.
• A diary.
• A book of favorite family recipes.
• Bubble bath.
• Inexpensive jewelry.
• Legos.
• Playing cards.
• A bouquet of flowers.
• Paints, pastels, colored pencils, and sketch pads.
• Music books or “how to draw” books.

Put all of these ingredients together—a touch of chocolate, some yummy gummies, a few tasty non-sweet treats, and lots of fun and creative toys and little gifts—and you’ll have a surefire hit on Easter day. Better yet, long after other children’s baskets are empty, your kids will still be enjoying the fun gifts you gave them. And best of all, you won’t need to ask yourself that scary question we’ve all pondered at some point… “What’s in those Peeps, anyway?”

Keep Thinking Big & Living Bold!