The gentle spring sun becomes more and more favorable to us every day. It is during this period of the awakening of nature that our soul awakens, on the eve of Easter - the brightest and long-awaited Christian holiday that follows Great Lent, aimed at cleansing the spirit and body of a believer.

Easter or the Resurrection of Christ is one of the oldest Christian solemn dates when the resurrection of Jesus Christ is celebrated.

Easter Celebration Period

Christians celebrate Easter for 40 days - as long as Christ himself appeared after the Resurrection to his disciples. Until this period, believers fast, refusing to eat animal products (meat, fish, dairy products, etc.) and alcohol. Only a few times during Lent is it allowed to eat fish and drink wine (Annunciation and Palm Sunday). In 2013 Easter falls on May 5th.

Easter traditions and rituals

In Russia, Easter has been celebrated since the end of the 10th century. The Resurrection of Christ is a national and beloved holiday by all, so it is not surprising that it is accompanied by many traditions, rituals and ceremonies passed down from generation to generation.

Traditionally, on the eve of Easter, people not only fasted, but also put their houses in order, made symbolic gifts and souvenirs with their own hands, painted eggs, prepared Easter and baked cakes.

On Easter, a solemn night service is performed, since this day is the most important holiday in the church calendar. The priests conduct services among their flock, and everyone who has observed Great Lent can confess and receive Holy Communion on this day.

With the onset of Easter night and the next forty days, it is customary to greet each other with the phrase "Christ is Risen!" After the greeting, it is necessary to kiss three times (to be christened). On Easter days, you need to visit your neighbors and exchange Easter cakes, painted eggs, souvenirs with appropriate symbols.

Easter fire is one of the most important attributes of the holiday. It plays an important role in worship and festivities. This is a symbol of the Light of God, bringing enlightenment to all peoples of the Earth after the Resurrection of Christ. On Easter Easter, Christians with bated breath await the ascent of the blessed fire in Jerusalem, which is then solemnly delivered to the countries of the world through the temples of different cities. Believers strive to light their candles from him. After the festive divine service, Christians take home lamps with fire, the maintenance of which throughout the year protects the family from misfortune and bestows God's blessing.

After the festive service, the holy water is illuminated in the churches for the Easter meal: Easter, Easter cakes, colored eggs, wine and those products that believers want to put on the festive table to break the fast after fasting. Eggs are painted in different shades, but the traditional color remains red, as a symbol of eternal life. On Easter cottage cheese, it is customary to put large letters "ХВ" with a lamb. They try to prepare dishes for the Easter table on Maundy Thursday in order to devote themselves to prayer on Good Friday.

On the last week on the eve of Easter (Holy Week), the bells in Orthodox churches are silent, and on Easter itself, the gospel begins to ring joyfully and solemnly. For the next week after the Resurrection of Christ, anyone who wishes has the opportunity to climb the bell tower of the church and call in honor of the holiday.

Recipes for preparing the main culinary attributes of the Resurrection of Christ

Kulich is one of the dishes that must be on the festive table on the day of Christ's Resurrection. To make the celebration a success, it will be useful to use the recipe for the traditional Easter cake presented below.

Traditional Easter cake

Ingredients:

For the test:

Live yeast - 25 grams;
- milk - 200 ml;
- sugar - 1 glass;
- three eggs;
- flour - 800 grams;
- vegetable oil - 120 ml;
- butter - 100 grams;
- a mixture of raisins and dried apricots - 100 grams.

For glaze:

- egg whites - 2 pieces;
- icing sugar - 50 grams.

Preparation fragrant holiday baking begins with the yeast carefully kneading in a bowl. Then 100 ml of milk, two tablespoons of flour and two tablespoons of sugar are added to them. The mixture of ingredients is placed in a warm place for half an hour.

Meanwhile, in a separate container, mix three eggs, butter and sunflower oil, a glass of sugar and 100 ml of milk. The yeast mixture is added to the same container, which should rise slightly. Everything is mixed well, covered with a towel and left at room temperature for an hour.

After an hour, small pieces of raisins and dried apricots are added to the mixture, which should be well mixed with the dough. After that, the dough should come up. As soon as it rises slightly, you need to crush it slightly, repeating the procedure 3 times. Next, the dough mass must be kneaded for 30 minutes, adding a little flour. The dough is divided into pieces and distributed in baking tins, which must first be greased with butter. Easter cakes are baked for 40 minutes in an oven (temperature 200 degrees).

The finished cakes are removed from the oven, covered with a clean towel and thus cooled.

Glaze It is made by beating icing sugar with egg whites with a mixer until a homogeneous white mass is obtained. The tops of each cooled cake are smeared with the finished glaze, after which they are sprinkled with multi-colored confectionery powder.

The calorie content of the dish is 360 kilocalories per 100 grams: 6.9 grams of protein, 14.7 grams of fat, 50.1 grams of carbohydrates.

How to reduce the calorie content of Easter staples

Experienced housewives, trying to keep fit, replace high-calorie wheat flour in a kulich with rye flour. Instead of chicken eggs, it is better to use quail eggs, which contain fewer calories. For dyes, it is also better to take quail eggs. To reduce the amount of carbohydrates in the kulich, it is advisable to replace granulated sugar with honey or fructose.

Meat dishes on the Easter table should be presented from veal or rabbit meat, since these products are considered lighter and more dietary, fish is also welcome.

Kefir diet cake recipe

Ingredients:

Kefir - 500 ml;
- honey - 500 grams;
- quail eggs - 9 pieces;
- vinegar;
- soda;
- rye flour - 800 grams;
- a mixture of dried fruits, nuts and candied fruits - 100 grams.

Kefir, soda quenched with vinegar, and eggs are mixed, then flour is slowly added to them. The consistency of the mixture should become elastic, and not liquid, as on pancakes. The dough must be kneaded well, excluding the possibility of lump formation. It is recommended to grind dried fruits, candied fruits and nuts with a blender and only then add to the dough. Next, the mass is distributed in baking tins and sent to the oven for 45 minutes (200 degrees). To decorate the top of the cake, you can make whipped egg whites or melt chocolate with vegetable oil.

The calorie content of the dish is 167.0 kilocalories per 100 grams: 4.2 grams of proteins, 1.1 grams of fat, 35.2 grams of carbohydrates.

Home decoration for Easter

Decorating a home with Easter attributes and original decorations is a fascinating and fun activity that all family members can take part in. So, what decorative themed elements can you make yourself?

"Miracle basket". In an ordinary small wicker basket with a high handle, put woolen threads of different green shades, they will play the role of spring grass. On top of the improvised "greenery" put multi-colored dyes, artificial flowers, fabric butterflies. Wrap the handle of the basket with a green ribbon and a beautiful bow. Such an unusual Easter basket can be a decoration for a festive table, a gift for a loved one, or a creative decor for the kitchen.

"Easter ball". In any store for decoration we buy an inexpensive ball of threads and wire, wrap it with multi-colored ribbons, artificial flowers, sequins, plastic dyes, decorative cherries, bows, feathers and everything that comes to mind and will be at hand. Such Easter balls are hung from the ceilings of the hallway, nursery, living room.

"Easter tree". To create this composition, you will need a dry volumetric branch of any tree. A branch of a suitable size is set in a vase and dressed up like a Christmas tree. But this time, not New Year's toys are used, but dyes of different colors made of plastic, birds made of fabric, decorative butterflies, ribbons. Willow twigs can be used instead of the usual bare branches.

Goodness and joy to you on the bright holiday of Easter!

Easter is approaching, which means that boiled chicken eggs, traditionally painted in bright colors, will appear on every table.


On Easter Sunday, as usual, families will compete, whose egg is stronger and, of course, after eating them. And later, for a few more days, adults and children will have to finish their Easter eggs, some of them will take them with them to work and study. In this regard, the question arises, how many eggs can you eat without harm to health?


A calorie bomb?


It is generally known that there are about 75 kilocalories per 50 grams of hard-boiled eggs. Its nutritional value is 0.5 g of carbohydrates, 6.5 g of protein and 5 g of monounsaturated fats, which are found in the yolk.


It would seem that there are few calories, but hard-boiled eggs are digested by the stomach for a very long time - at least 3 hours. They certainly shouldn't be eaten at night. On the contrary, soft-boiled eggs are easy to digest, and nutritionists do not prohibit including them in dinner. By the way, the opinion that raw eggs are healthier is wrong. Raw egg white is poorly absorbed and burdens the stomach. In addition, in its raw form, the risk of contracting salmonellosis increases. Remember to wash your eggs thoroughly before eating.


But the difference between homemade and factory eggs is quite obvious. Laying hens, in the conditions of industrial poultry farming, practically do not move, which leads to a shift in the balance of fatty acids and other changes in the composition. Many consider factory eggs to be dietary, but this is not entirely true. Eggs of domestic chickens are much more useful because of the amount of trace elements and vitamins, and even under conditions of increased calorie content, they are more useful than factory eggs.


It is also believed that this product increases cholesterol levels. Indeed, there is a lot of cholesterol in eggs: the average egg is 213 mg. According to nutritionists, a person is not recommended to take more than 300 mg of cholesterol per day, and one egg, according to these calculations, covers his limit by more than two-thirds. An increase in total blood cholesterol is dangerous for humans, but it has practically nothing to do with chicken eggs. In addition, studies have shown that this product does not raise bad cholesterol, on the one hand, it increases the amount of cholesterol in the blood, on the other hand, it reduces its concentration with the help of phospholipids.


How many pieces?


The breakdown of eggs into trace minerals can scare anyone. And this is harmful, and that is not useful. But nutritionists do not advise to completely abandon this very useful product in reasonable quantities. After all, eggs allow the body to receive fats and proteins useful for humans. On Easter days, it is worth controlling the amount of eggs consumed so that these few days do not damage the figure and health. For a healthy diet, it is not recommended to eat more than three eggs a day.

The table sags from baked meat, cheesecakes, homemade sausage. You think to yourself: "The diet will wait 1-2 days, nothing terrible will happen, and then I'll pull myself together again." This is mistake! Your emaciated body will store up huge reserves at a sprinter's pace. What strategy is recommended to choose before the festive table?
Choose foods that contain the fewest calories. Also, remember to put a small amount of food on your plate.

1 Eat so much so you don't feel hungry.

Your treat should be : vegetable salads, salads with the addition of lean meat or cheese (try to choose salads that do not contain mayonnaise), i.e. salads dressed with olive or sunflower oil, as well as vegetables in their natural form. Why can't you eat your fill? Enough choose foods that are low in calories. This gives a feeling of satiety, especially if you eat often, but little by little, and it is best to drink a glass of water if you are feeling hungry. By the way, we still need to enrich the body with valuable vitamins, which are in short supply in the spring. How many calories? 3 tablespoons of lettuce (lettuce, tomatoes and radishes, drizzled with a teaspoon of olive oil) is 100 kcal; a plate of vegetable salad with yogurt - 200 kcal.

2 Eat without remorse

You shouldn't give up on traditional Easter dishes : stuffed eggs, jellied poultry and jellied meat. In the latter case, there is one condition: the jellied meat must be cooked in low-fat broth. Why such recommendations ? because there are few fats and carbohydrates. In addition, eggs and jellied meat, as they say, are one of the most nutritious foods. Egg white is easier to digest than meat protein. The broth, however, is a stomach balm. How many calories? The egg itself is about 70 kcal, stuffed eggs - about 200 calories, jelly (glass) - 50 calories, broth - 250 kcal.

3 You can eat a small portion

This group includes various types of yeast dough, as well as traditional Easter cake (with the addition of dried fruits and nuts), shortbread dough with a little vegetable or butter, homemade cookies, as well as ham and lean meats . Why is it better to eat this ? Because baked goods contain much less fat and, as a rule, it is less sweet. Thus, it does not cause digestive discomfort in the stomach. Baked goods and stews are low in animal fat and high in protein, which improves metabolism. How many calories? Easter cake (large piece) - 280 calories, 3 slices (100 g) of baked veal - 124 calories, 100 g of stewed turkey - about 90 kcal.

4 Avoid if you can

Most harmful to your body cream and whipped cream cakes, including choux pastry, some cheesecakes and curds, meat pates, smoked barrel, and fatty sausages . What's wrong with them? In smoked meats and sausages contains a lot of fat and cakes contain a lot of sugar. Remember that nutritionists advise eating lean ham, puff pastry, which contains both fat and sugar. Therefore, if you cannot resist something from this group, then try a piece of pie that was made at home. This will ensure that there is not very much fat in it. How many calories? 100 g of pie (two slices 1 cm thick) is about 360 calories, 100 g of sausage - 270 kcal; a slice of cake (about 180 g) is 550 kcal, a portion (100 g) of Easter cake with nuts and dried fruit is 440 kcal, and a slice of cheesecake (120 g) is 305 calories.

On the eve of the Great Sunday of Christ, many people who watch their weight begin to worry about the calorie content of Easter cakes, which are a traditional Easter treat. After all, it is difficult to give up baking, and you absolutely do not want to gain excess weight. Therefore, many housewives are looking for recipes for low-calorie products that have the least energy value. But what does the calorie content of a dish depend on? And are there any diet cakes at all?

In our body, when we eat any food, the process of its "combustion" begins. Ultimately, all components of the eaten delicacy decompose into carbon dioxide and water with the release of energy. It is on the basis of the amount of heat energy (calories) received that scientists decided to measure the energy value of products.

To determine the calorie content per 100 grams of a product, scientists burn it in a special device that calculates the amount of heat released during combustion. It is this value that is prescribed on all food packages. Therefore, in order to determine the calorie content of a product, you do not need to carry out laboratory tests at home. But what about the Easter cake? How to calculate the calorie content of homemade baked goods?

Each ingredient in the cake has its own energy value. Therefore, in order to determine the number of calories for a given dish, it will be enough to add up the calorie content of all the products that make up it. Easter cakes are mainly made from yeast dough with the addition of nuts, raisins and other candied fruits, which significantly increases its energy value. But since there are a lot of cooking recipes, then the calorie content of the products will be different for each option.

The energy value of the resulting dish will depend on what products you choose for your Easter cake.

But in addition to the calorie content of the products that are part of the Easter cake, you should also know about the content of nutrients in it: proteins, fats and carbohydrates. After all, it is they who take part in the construction of the tissues of the human body. And, accordingly, our health will depend on their correct ratio.

Calorie content of Easter cake, depending on the recipe

After abstaining from food, our body, responding to a change in diet, at the pace of a sprinter will begin to make huge reserves, which negatively affect the figure. Therefore, with the onset of Easter, you should correctly leave the fast, controlling your appetite. This also applies to Easter cakes, which can be made less high in calories and save yourself from extra pounds.

Easter cake recipe for 331 kcal

It is quite difficult to bake so that it turns out not only beautiful, but also delicious. But still, if you observe all the proportions from the recipe and adhere to the rules for baking cakes, then it is quite possible to do this even for novice housewives. For the holiday, you can bake an Easter delicacy, which contains 331 kcal, 6.8 gr. proteins, 14.4 gr. fat, as well as 43.8 gr. carbohydrates.

If you want to make a similar product, use the following products:

• yeast - 100 g;
• yolks - 8 pcs.;
• cream - 375 ml;
• flour - 1250 g;
• sugar - 250 g;
• butter - 200 g;
• salt - 1 tsp;
• raisins - 100 g.

The cream needs to be slightly warmed to keep it warm. Add yeast to them and mix well. Then make a dough by adding half the flour and leave everything in a warm place for 10-15 minutes. After that, grind the yolks with sugar, add salt and softened butter. Pour flour into the prepared mixture. Next, we connect everything with the dough, which by this time should already have risen. After kneading the dough and adding raisins or other candied fruits (optional) to it, leave in a warm place for 1 hour.

Easter cake recipe for 317.3 kcal

There are quite a lot of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. Their nutritional value per 100 gr. the product is 9.6 grams, 5.7 grams and 53.3 grams, respectively. According to this recipe, the Easter delicacy turns out to be very tasty and at the same time not too high in calories.

For cooking, you need such products

In warm milk, dilute 1 tbsp. a spoonful of sugar and yeast. Next, you need to shift 8 eggs, salt and the rest of the sugar. Add the juice of 1 lemon to the resulting mixture (leave a little on the glaze). When the dough from milk and yeast is suitable, you need to add the egg-sugar mixture and mix well. Pour the flour into a large bowl and add the mixture. After that, knead the dough and add raisins to the cakes. Bake in a mild oven (180 degrees).

Easter cottage cheese recipe for 281.5 kcal

In addition to Easter cakes, it is considered one of the traditional Easter treats. Each housewife prepares it in her own way. But the classic recipe consists of the following ingredients:

• cottage cheese - 1 kg;
• eggs - 4 pcs.;
• cream - 200 ml;
• icing sugar - 500 g;
• butter - 200 g;
• walnuts - 100 g;
• candied fruits - 300 g.

For cooking, you need to grind the cottage cheese through a sieve, add softened butter to it. Then mix eggs and sugar. Then you need to add the egg mixture and cream to the curd mass. Add candied fruits and chopped nuts to the preparation. We put everything in a special form, previously covered with gauze. The calorie content of this dish will be 281.5 kcal.

Low-calorie diet cake recipe

The benefits of an Easter product are not only in proteins, fats and carbohydrates. It is rich in vitamins such as A, B1, B2, B5, B9, H, PP, as well as compounds: phosphorus, choline, chlorine, cobalt, manganese and molybdenum. But to make a diet cake at home, you can replace some high-calorie ingredients with products with a lower energy value. So, for example, instead of heavy cream, you can take fat-free. Eggs are not taken whole, but only protein is used. Also, regular wheat flour can be replaced with rye or oatmeal. And for sweetness, sugar substitutes are added to the cakes.

There are a lot of recipes for dietary Easter cakes. Moreover, the calorie content of each of them is different. Therefore, having counted all the calories, you can choose the option you want for the festive table. To prepare a yeast-free dietary cake with a calorie content of 225 kcal per 100 grams, the following ingredients are needed:

• eggs - 2 pcs.;
• oat flour - 175 g;
• water - 90 ml;
• baking powder - 5 g;
• raisins - 50 g;
• prunes - 30 g;
• orange juice - 50 ml;
• olive oil - 1.5 tbsp l .;
• vanillin.

To make Easter cake, first soak dried fruits in warm water. Then, combine the flour and baking powder. Then beat the eggs with olive oil, water and orange juice. Mix everything well and add flour with baking powder. Put chopped dried fruits into the resulting mixture. The finished dough is poured into molds and the cakes are baked at a temperature of 180 degrees.

Diet Curd Easter Recipe

You can also do. It will differ slightly from the product prepared according to the classic recipe. But this does not mean at all that it will turn out tasteless. Of course, in any of the recipes, in order to reduce calorie content, you need to use low-fat cottage cheese. But thanks to the presence of various dried fruits, the Easter treat will be enjoyed even by people who are not at all worried about being overweight.

To prepare cottage cheese Easter, which will contain 85 kcal per 100 grams, you need the following ingredients:

• low-fat cottage cheese - 500 g;
• homemade milk - 100 ml;
• water - 100 ml;
• agar-agar - 6 ml;
• raisins - 30 g;
• dried apricots - 20 g;
• vanillin.

The first step is to grind the cottage cheese through a sieve. Then put water mixed with milk and agar-agar on the fire. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 minute. Combine the resulting mixture with cottage cheese, add chopped dried fruits and vanillin, and then stir everything well. In the next step, we will prepare the form. We cover the pasochny with cling film. Then pour into the mold and press the curd blank well. At the end, close the filled pasta box with cling film and put it under a press. It is advisable for Easter to stand for a couple of hours just in the kitchen, and then you need to send it to the refrigerator or another cold place for 8-10 hours.

During fasting, our body rebuilds, getting used to lean and healthy lean foods. But after getting out of it, the lost kilograms quickly return due to flour and high-calorie foods. Therefore, for those who do not want to gain weight, it is best to first calculate the calorie content of the meals consumed, trying to use dietary recipes for Easter cakes.

Easter cake rich in vitamins and minerals such as: vitamin A - 22.2%, vitamin B1 - 53.3%, vitamin B2 - 55.6%, choline - 17.6%, vitamin B5 - 14%, vitamin B9 - 11, 9%, vitamin H - 15%, vitamin PP - 11.6%, phosphorus - 14.9%, chlorine - 17.3%, cobalt - 25%, manganese - 24.8%, molybdenum - 11.3%

Why is Easter cake useful?

• Vitamin A responsible for normal development, reproductive function, skin and eye health, and maintenance of immunity.
• Vitamin B1 is a part of the most important enzymes of carbohydrate and energy metabolism, which provide the body with energy and plastic substances, as well as the metabolism of branched-chain amino acids. Lack of this vitamin leads to serious disorders of the nervous, digestive and cardiovascular systems.
• Vitamin B2 participates in redox reactions, enhances the color sensitivity of the visual analyzer and dark adaptation. Insufficient intake of vitamin B2 is accompanied by a violation of the condition of the skin, mucous membranes, impaired light and twilight vision.
• Choline is a part of lecithin, plays a role in the synthesis and metabolism of phospholipids in the liver, is a source of free methyl groups, acts as a lipotropic factor.
• Vitamin B5 participates in protein, fat, carbohydrate metabolism, cholesterol metabolism, the synthesis of a number of hormones, hemoglobin, promotes the absorption of amino acids and sugars in the intestine, supports the function of the adrenal cortex. Lack of pantothenic acid can lead to damage to the skin and mucous membranes.
• Vitamin B9 as a coenzyme, they participate in the metabolism of nucleic acids and amino acids. Folate deficiency leads to impaired synthesis of nucleic acids and protein, which results in inhibition of cell growth and division, especially in rapidly proliferating tissues: bone marrow, intestinal epithelium, etc. Insufficient consumption of folate during pregnancy is one of the causes of prematurity, malnutrition, congenital malformations and developmental disorders of the child. A strong association has been shown between folate and homocysteine ​​levels and the risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Vitamin H participates in the synthesis of fats, glycogen, the metabolism of amino acids. Insufficient intake of this vitamin can lead to disruption of the normal state of the skin.
• Vitamin PP participates in redox reactions of energy metabolism. Insufficient vitamin intake is accompanied by disruption of the normal state of the skin, gastrointestinal tract and nervous system.
• Phosphorus takes part in many physiological processes, including energy metabolism, regulates acid-base balance, is a part of phospholipids, nucleotides and nucleic acids, is necessary for the mineralization of bones and teeth. Deficiency leads to anorexia, anemia, rickets.
• Chlorine necessary for the formation and secretion of hydrochloric acid in the body.
• Cobalt is part of vitamin B12. Activates enzymes of fatty acid metabolism and folic acid metabolism.
• Manganese participates in the formation of bone and connective tissue, is part of the enzymes involved in the metabolism of amino acids, carbohydrates, catecholamines; essential for the synthesis of cholesterol and nucleotides. Insufficient consumption is accompanied by a slowdown in growth, disorders in the reproductive system, increased fragility of bone tissue, disorders of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.
• Molybdenum is a cofactor of many enzymes that provide the metabolism of sulfur-containing amino acids, purines and pyrimidines.

You can see a complete guide to the most useful products in the appendix.