You can still get your Easter chocolate hit with these healthier versions

EASTER is almost upon us and can be an unhealthy time of year if you struggle to say no to sugar and fat-laden chocolate.

But you can still get a gift – and hit – by choosing healthier versions such as antioxidant-rich dark chocolate, vegan alternatives or those with added ingredients such as nuts or quinoa.

Today, I’ve looked at the Easter gifts that give a hit while looking after your health...

PROTEIN

MYPROTEIN has the perfect gift for gym bunnies – a limited-edition Easter Box, which comes with nine products including crunchy crispy wafers, Myprotein x Hotel Chocolat bars, their limited-edition Easter Egg Layered Bar (tastes amazing), drinks, brownies and, my favourite, a 50ml bottle of White Chocolate FlavDrops.

These aren’t packed with protein, but I put them in plain, low-fat Greek yoghurt or kefir to give flavour with zero calories and zero sugar. On offer at £24.99.

myprotein.com/p/sports-nutrition/easter-box/12779329

COLLAGEN

A DRINK that gives you protein, chocolate and collagen in one go – Vital Proteins has just launched its Collagen Peptides Cocoa to support skin, , , muscles, bones and a youthful appearance.

It has 20g of collagen, which is about the same as you’d get in a protein bar, per serving.

Easily digested and soluble, you can bung it in porridge or have it as a hot or cold drink.

This contains hydrolyzed bovine (derived from cows) collagen, which is a type that absorbs better into the body and is a close match to human collagen.

There’s also fat-reduced cocoa powder, sea salt and steviol sweetener. It smells amazing, but has a bitter aftertaste so not great for someone with a sweet tooth.

£32.99 for a 297g tub. Vitalproteins.co.uk

MUSHROOMS

RADEK’S Chocolate Organic Vegan Lion’s Mane Mushroom Chocolate Bar is made with ethically sourced cocoa beans, coconut sugar and butter, lucuma powder (a tropical fruit full of antioxidants), vanilla and lion’s mane.

Radek’s combined forces with Fungarium to produce this bar – the team at the latter grow the only native Lion’s Mane in . It was cloned from a specimen they found close to their mushroom farm.

This functional mushroom can boost mental performance, memory, mood and focus.

Each 72g bar contains 2,000mg of 1:4 lion’s mane extract powder. It’s not cheap at £6.50 but it is smooth, tasty and so rich you really do only need a couple of squares. radekschocolate.co.uk