Easy Plant-based Easter Recipes from Brunch to Dinner.
You can’t turn on the TV or scroll through social media without hearing about the many negative aspects of menopause.
If you are struggling with any of the 34 official symptoms of menopause, not to mention the many many more it’s easy to see why, however, I prefer to choose to focus on the positive and at this time of year I believe there is so much to feel positive about.
Springtime brings so much to be grateful for and although I love summer, spring comes a close second.
The feeling of emerging from a long dark and damp winter, seeing the spring bulbs emerge from the earth lifts my spirits.
I can’t wait to start planting seeds and nurture my vegetable garden, spring does feel like a new beginning.
Honouring the wheel of the year and the seasons as they pass can support you to not only feel connected to the earth and nature all around you but if you are struggling with annoying or truly debilitating symptoms of menopause it can help to know ‘this too shall pass’.
One way I choose to acknowledge the seasons is through food.
Nourishing the body with seasonal produce is such a quick way to see improvement in menopause symptoms.
If you eat only plant-based foods it can be difficult to make sure you are eating the right nutrients to support the needs of your body through the hormonal upheaval of menopause.
In this post I am going to share some spring and Easter history, rituals you can introduce into your lifestyle to feel more connected to the world around you and then share ways you can nourish your body with a plant-based diet this Easter.
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The Origins of Easter
Easter’s roots can be traced back to pre-Christian pagan celebrations of spring and fertility in the British Isles. The arrival of spring was a time of great significance for ancient peoples, symbolising the end of the harsh winter months and the rebirth of nature. Festivals such as Eostre (or Ostara), named after the Germanic goddess of spring and dawn, were observed around the vernal equinox, typically in late March or early April.
With the spread of Christianity in the British Isles, these pagan spring festivals gradually merged with Christian traditions. Easter became associated with the resurrection of Jesus Christ, commemorating his crucifixion and subsequent rise from the dead. The Christian celebration of Easter typically falls on the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox.
During the medieval period, Easter in the UK was a time of great religious fervour and observance. Churches held elaborate services and processions, and communities came together to mark the occasion with feasting and merriment. Traditional Easter foods, such as lamb, eggs, and hot cross buns, became staples of the holiday feast.
The tradition of decorating eggs for Easter dates back centuries, symbolising new life and fertility. In the UK, children would often participate in egg-rolling contests, where they would roll hard-boiled eggs down hillsides in a symbolic race. This custom is still observed in some parts of the country today. Hot cross buns are a quintessential Easter treat in the UK, traditionally eaten on Good Friday to mark the end of Lent. These spiced buns are marked with a cross on top, symbolizing the crucifixion of Jesus. They are often enjoyed toasted with butter, and their popularity has spread beyond the UK to other parts of the world.
Today, Easter in the UK is celebrated with a mix of religious observance and secular traditions. Churches hold special services to mark the resurrection of Christ, while families gather for festive meals and Easter egg hunts. Chocolate eggs and bunnies have become ubiquitous symbols of the holiday, enjoyed by children and adults alike.
Overall, the history of Easter in the UK reflects a blend of ancient pagan customs, Christian beliefs, and modern-day traditions, making it a vibrant and culturally significant holiday.
Rituals for Easter Celebrations
For many, Easter is the first time since Christmas that a break from work and other responsibilities can be taken.
Making a plan to celebrate this time gives us something to look forward to and plan for.
Hopefully, the long weekend will give you a chance to do something different, shake up your routine and create a new Easter tradition to share with your family, children and grandchildren. Here are some ideas;
- Spring Clean: You might be thinking that this isn’t a fun tradition but opening the windows and doors and having a good clean after the winter is good for the soul. If you are exhausted or overwhelmed by the size of the task, start with one room or one theme. Just tidy, and make sure everything has a home, decluttering alone can make your head feel clearer. Get the family involved, play some music have a little dance and increase your energy.
- Plant potatoes – According to folklore, plants grow better and bear more fruit when planted on Good Friday. This could be due to superstitions that tubers might be evil when they first arrived from Europe in the 1600s. Maybe it was simply the first day when ordinary working men could get a clear day off work to get the job done. If you believe in gardening by the moon, it just so happens that Good Friday is always a good day for planting root vegetables as it always falls after the full moon.
- Sow seeds – To me, gardening symbolises the ever-changing seasons, nothing stays the same and there is always going to be something to mourn and something to celebrate. For nourishing your body, there is nothing better than picking homegrown produce that is immediately used in your kitchen. If you are new to this, start with fresh herbs, they pack a nutritional punch and create so much flavour. As your confidence grows move onto simple ingredients that you enjoy. My family favourites are juicy blueberries.
- Bake – Sweet buns are a traditional Easter bake, in the Plant-Based Easter Recipes download you will find a recipe for cinnamon rolls. Everyone loves some home baking and this is a lovely activity for kids.
- Decorate – Use spring foliage to make an Easter display. A great addition is some mini spring ornaments.
- Craft – Use paints to decorate egg shapes or an Easter bunny for an Easter display, depending on what materials they are made from you could experiment with dyeing them with natural dyes such as beetroot.
Planning Easter celebrations, decorating an Easter table or preparing a vegan Easter dinner menu is a perfect way to focus your mind positively.
Nourish The Soul with Plant-Based Easter Recipes
At the heart of any celebration lies the food that brings us together.
An Easter feast is dominated by animal products and it can be difficult to please the whole family if there is a different dietary preference.
If this is you, then you are in the right place. I have some delicious dishes to share with you.
If you are feeding a small group, finger foods are ideal and fairly simple to segregate from non-vegan dishes.
However, if you are creating an amazing eater meal why not try a vegan Easter menu? Here are some ideas;
- Easy appetizers: Fresh salads using a simple vegan lemon dressing made by mixing tahini, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, miso paste, garlic powder and a little pinch of pepper. Vegan soup is a great option, perhaps something like red pepper sprinkled with pine nuts.
- Vegan Easter Dinner Recipes: Main dishes such as Vegan meatloaf served with tender potatoes and seasonal vegetables or vegan corn chowder, you could even push the boat out with a vegan roast, for other ideas and recipes download the Plant-based Easter Recipes Collection below.
- Vegan Desserts: Carrot cake, lemon poppy seed cake or chocolate cake make a perfect addition to an amazing Easter meal.
Whatever you choose, have fun preparing and sharing your delicious vegan recipes.
Plant-Based Wild Woman Within
I support women to connect to the outer seasons through food and nourish their inner Wild Woman season mind, body and soul.
It is my opinion that we lost touch with our inner archetypes on the path through our busy modern lives which is what can add to the feeling that menopause is an ending of everything good.
I am here to tell you it is not.
Although our ovaries are retiring this just allows us to reconnect with our true self and true calling in life. Menopause is a time to slow down, reflect and review life so far. From here we move into our second spring as the Chinese like to call it. Post-menopause can be 30+ years, how do you want to feel, and who do you want to be?
It all starts by nourishing your body with real food, to regain your zest for life and live it with joy and abundance.
If you would like to chat with me about your unique menopause transition, book a Wild Well-Being call and come away inspired and motivated to begin your journey to optimal health and well-being.