Holiday Egg Traditions
Antonis Achilleos
While the egg is certainly a high-protein breakfast staple, this versatile ingredient is also a fixture in many traditional spring holiday meals. I polled the Healthy Eats team to find out all about their favorites.
For the Easter holiday, eggs symbolize resurrection and the coming of Spring. My Italian family loves to make two totally different holiday egg dishes. It wouldn’t be Easter brunch without savory deviled eggs and then for dessert, the smooth and creamy egg-yolk based zabaglione.
Liz and her sister have kept up the tradition of coloring eggs for Easter. She says “our favorite part: ‘tie-dying’ eggs at the end. When you’re done with each color, drip in a few drops of a contrasting color, then let the color settle on the egg. A swirl pattern that’s different each time will show up.” This year, the plan is to tackle making their own natural colorings for the eggs.
Katie’s family tradition comes from her great aunt. She bakes cookies shaped like dolls for the girls and rocking horses for the boys. While we don’t have the secret family recipe, Toby’s recipe sugar for cookies would be a great substitute.
During the Passover seder, Toby’s family eats hard boiled eggs in a salt water mixture. The egg (or “Bei-tza” in Hebrew) symbolizes life and the coming of Spring.
Another Easter classic is a dense and heavy ham & egg pie. Get the same flavor for fewer calories with Giada’s Mini Frittatas. If you don’t eat eggs, check out Janel’s vegan-friendly tips for egg swap-outs.
Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC, is a registered dietitian, certified athletic trainer and owner of Dana White Nutrition, Inc., which specializes in culinary and sports nutrition. See Dana's full bio »
