Last year for Easter I hid a vegan Easter basket for Alex out in Moab. We were camping that weekend, so Gus and I got up early in the morning and ventured out into the desert….hiding an Easter basket!
This year we will be with friends in Steamboat on Easter, so I did my Easter basket early. I also had a bigger challenge as an Easter bunny. Alex isn’t vegan, but this Easter he is keto.
This year was a little more challenging since keto means zero grains and zero sugar. Pretty much all candy was out. No cookies. No sweet drinks. I wanted the basket to be as vegan as possible while staying within the keto goodies that Alex enjoys.
HOW DOES THE EASTER BUNNY MAKE AN ADULT EASTER BASKET?
A KETO/VEGAN EASTER BASKET?
With some creativity and a little help from Amazon, Thrive Market, and the local health foods store…you can make any type of Easter basket that you want!
I was so excited about this adult Easter basket and surprising Alex. I knew he would love it and I love giving thoughtful gifts! The only thing is that I’m typically really bad at surprises because I give it away ahead of time or do things like accidentally emailing Alex the tickets to a surprise….yes I did that…
Last week I kept going to the grocery store and being secretive when I got home and then I had all of these secret packages come and wouldn’t let Alex see them. Naturally, he was getting suspicious about what I was up to, but he knew I was bad at surprises so it didn’t make sense!
Finally, I was waiting for my Thrive box that had the last few goodies in it. For three days my Thrive tracking said I was going to get the box that day. You wouldn’t believe how many times I opened the door and poked my head out to check for that box… By day three I was getting really antsy! Eventually, the truth came out to Alex that I was working on a surprise and I needed what was in that box. Of course, then Alex started messing with me and saying it came, but he thought it was something else, so he opened it….
FINALLY, THE BOX ARRIVED!! I convinced Alex to work in his office, and I got to work right away finishing up the Easter basket and hiding it for Alex. I had a hard time deciding where to hide it because our new place doesn’t have that many hiding spots. Then I had to decide whether to let him come across it or actually send him out searching. I decided on it just randomly being somewhere he would eventually look….the refrigerator.
After all of this was said and done I told Alex he could come out of his office. He reluctantly came downstairs. It looked like he was waiting for something to fly out at him or a bucket of water to dump on his. To his surprise, the house didn’t look any different.
“Where is it?” “Where’s what?” was my response. “The thing…” “What thing?”
We went on like this for a bit without a hint of anything.
Eventually, he opened the fridge and there it was!!
HOW TO MAKE AN KETO/VEGAN EASTER BASKET:
These guidelines can be used for any type of Easter basket.
Container
You need a ‘basket.’ Whether this is an actual Easter basket or not, you will need something to hold your goodies. Last year, I used a small basket that could later be used for organizing. This year I wanted something more useful and interesting to Alex. I got a wok! We love cooking Asian meals and Alex is really good at it! He has been wanting a wok forever, so it was perfect!
Other container ideas: bucket, storage tub, flower pot, garbage can, dog food bowl, mixing bowl, rice maker, crockpot, soup pot, a bag/backpack, or new shoes.
Filling
I recall the Easter baskets that I had as a kid being filled with messy crinkly, plastic. This is not eco-friendly so I encourage you to find something else. You could recycle wrapping from a package or use trash from the paper shredder. If you buy any filling make sure it is recyclable or compostable when you are finished. Another idea would be to buy the person a new shirt, scarf, or sweater and use that as your filling!
Goodies
Candy is the typical Easter basket goods, but think about what else you could get! As health conscious adults neither Alex or I want an Easter basket that is full of junk food….hence the keto/vegan. There are a surprising amount of other delicious treats that are not bad for your body, but are still special!
Some ideas are tea, drinks, coconut based desserts, favorite fruits or veggies, a favorite snack, coffee, books, magazines, something for their favorite hobby, skin care products, or kitchen supplies. The options are endless! I suggest going to Sprouts, Whole Foods, or Natural Grocers and just browsing to see what you can find! Go in with your creative space open and the person in mind.
Last year I bought a couple of candies from Whole Foods, a pack of gum, kale chips, our favorite barbecue Boulder chips, black rice ramen, iced tea, and a vegan magazine.
This year the basket included a wok spatula (for the wok), stevia-sweetened dark chocolate bar, a can of coconut cream, Runa energy drinks, a baby iced matcha can, coconut milk, workout shorts, a single use greens packet, chapstick, xylitol-sweetened gum, Four Sigmatic Coffee packs, turkey jerky that came free in our Thrive box, and a jar of Greek olives.
Hide-and-Seek
Just as we did as kids hide the Easter basket for your special someone to find! Who wouldn’t love searching for an Easter basket just as they did when they were a kid? You can also leave the Easter basket somewhere they will find it without searching.
This is such a fun thing to do and I plan on making it a tradition. The Easter basket doesn’t have to be fancy. It’s all about finding things that are special. Whether they are plant-based, keto, gluten-free, or heavy beef jerky eaters you can make them an Easter basket they will love!
Happy Easter!
Megan
