Religious and cultural holidays often go hand-in-hand with the buying, baking and communal enjoyment of certain dishes and foods.
Like many events celebrated in the UAE, Easter is no exception. The Christian celebration, which starts with Maundy Thursday and culminates with Easter Sunday on April 20, has long had close links to foods and treats central to the weekend's observations and enjoyment.
Top of the list of these special culinary treats are the chocolate eggs traditionally given to children (and adults) on Easter Sunday, either gifted by friends and family or ostensibly left by the Easter bunny. But it’s not only eggs that get eaten, there’s also chocolate bunnies, iced biscuits, simnel cake, hot cross buns, chocolate nests and much more. With an abundance of delicious and sugary foods on offer, overindulgence can be a real concern.
“Nutritional science encourages us to look beyond black-and-white labels and consider food within the context of overall dietary patterns, portion sizes and nutrient composition,” says Vibha Bajpaiee, clinical dietitian at Aster Clinic in Bur Dubai. “It's important to recognise that not all chocolate is created equal. There’s a significant nutritional difference between minimally processed dark chocolate and mass-produced milk chocolate confections that are high in added sugars and fats.”
The health benefits of choosing your chocolate
Of the three most popular types of chocolate – milk, white and dark – the majority of Easter eggs are made from milk chocolate. All milk chocolate contains cocoa, milk and sugar, with the proportion of the ingredients varying across different brands. While cocoa itself has myriad health benefits when eaten in moderation, the sugar content in Easter treats is the information to seek when it comes to nutritional information.
“Cocoa, the key ingredient in chocolate, contains biologically active phenolic compounds,” says Bajpaiee. “Dark chocolate contains the highest concentration of cocoa, so dark chocolate’s antioxidant potential may have a range of health benefits. Milk chocolate, in contrast, contains lower cocoa content and higher levels of added sugar, milk fats and often more saturated fat, making it more energy-dense with fewer nutritional benefits. So, we can say, some chocolates are ‘better’ than others from a nutritional standpoint.”
According to a 2019 study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, cocoa has been associated with health benefits that may include improving blood flow, lowering blood pressure and “bad cholesterol”, reducing inflammation and reducing insulin resistance.
“Sugar starts affecting teeth within 20 seconds of consuming it,” says Dr Carla Cyrino, general and cosmetic dentist at Cornerstone Clinic. “Sugars feed the harmful bacteria in the oral microbiome, and these bacteria produce acids that erode our tooth enamel. As acid wears down the surface of the teeth, cavities begin to form.”
She adds: “That’s why it’s better to choose dark chocolate – it not only contains less sugar, but it's also rich in antioxidants.”
How many calories are in popular Easter eggs?
Health guidelines in the UK suggest the recommended daily intake for men as 2,500 calories, 2,000 for women and between 1,600 to 2,000 for children, depending on gender and age. In the UAE, the Ministry of Health and Prevention website features a useful tool to help calculate daily calorie requirements based on age, gender, weight and activity level.
When choosing Easter eggs, experts agree that treats with a high cocoa content and lower sugar are the healthier choices.
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
“Avoid sugary gummies, toffees, marshmallows and candies,” says Dr Cyrino. “Gummy sweets are particularly harmful because they’re not only high in sugar, but also sticky, which makes them cling to tooth surfaces longer. Sticky foods in general require special attention because they adhere more easily to the teeth.”
Adds Bajpaiee: “Chocolates with added nutrient-rich ingredients like nuts or seeds can be a better option than those filled with caramel or fondant creams.”
Options on how to have a healthier Easter
If concerned that you or your children are eating too much sugar, moving the focus from food to shared events and activities is a great way to partake in the fun without fear of a sugar spike or crash.
Easter baskets can be made together as a fun arts and craft activity, then filled with small toys and gifts rather than sweets. For those who love to bake, seek out savoury Easter-themed dishes from around the world to cook together. Easter activities such as making an Easter wreath for the home, egg painting or planting flowers, fruits or vegetables associated with spring are another ideal way to shift the focus from food.
“Children’s long-term health is influenced far more by their everyday eating habits than what they consume on a holiday like Easter," says Bajpaiee. "Allowing children to enjoy seasonal foods in a relaxed, guilt-free way may be protective in the long run. It helps foster a positive relationship with food, reduces the risk of binge-restrict cycles, and teaches children that enjoyment and nourishment can coexist.
'We should focus on creating a healthy, flexible food environment that leaves space for joy, tradition and treats.”
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
England v West Indies
England squad for the first Test Cook, Stoneman, Westley, Root (captain), Malan, Stokes, Bairstow, Moeen, Roland-Jones, Broad, Anderson, Woakes, Crane
Fixtures
1st Test Aug 17-21, Edgbaston
2nd Test Aug 25-29, Headingley
3rd Test Sep 7-11, Lord's
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Rub of Time: Bellow, Nabokov, Hitchens, Travolta, Trump and Other Pieces 1986-2016
Martin Amis,
Jonathan Cape
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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FIGHT%20CARD
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The biog
Hometown: Birchgrove, Sydney Australia
Age: 59
Favourite TV series: Outlander Netflix series
Favourite place in the UAE: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque / desert / Louvre Abu Dhabi
Favourite book: Father of our Nation: Collected Quotes of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Thing you will miss most about the UAE: My friends and family, Formula 1, having Friday's off, desert adventures, and Arabic culture and people
SPEC%20SHEET
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How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
