Cadbury Creme Eggs, Jelly Bellies and Peeps -- oh my!

These are just a few of the sugary treats students hope to find in Easter baskets this weekend. However, there are ways to avoid the infamous Easter sugar binge while still satisfying that sinful sweet tooth.

Paul Jensen, owner of Chocolate Madness, 224 E. Calder Way, said the upcoming April 16 holiday is a "chocolatier's delight" and added that the store sells three times the amount of chocolate in the week leading up to holidays like Easter.

Penn State nutrition lab counselor Catherine Vitelli (senior-nutrition) said she has three tips for avoiding the dreaded sugar overload.

First, ask for other fun "treats" like a new CD or T-shirt.

Secondly, monitor the amount of candy eaten to avoid excessive caloric and sugar intake. For example, grab a handful of jellybeans for a snack between classes, and let that be the indulgence for the day. Do not eat multiple handfuls of jellybeans. That is when sugar causes weight gain, Vitelli said.

Lastly, never sit down on the couch with an Easter basket or bag of candy. It is likely that more candy will be eaten, leading to more calories than necessary, she said.

Vitelli said the problem with too much sugar is like any other food -- too much of one food means there is too little of another in the diet. But if that sweet tooth will not go away, it is OK to indulge occasionally. A weight gain will not come from eating too much sugar; it will come from consuming too many calories, especially empty calories that are in sweets, because they have no nutritional value, she said.

"The sugar in candy is a simple sugar that quickly increases the blood sugar levels before a rapid fall in blood sugar, causing a downer effect," Vitelli said.

The rapid fall causes the body to feel tired after a big dose of sugar or even a large meal.

Fat slows the rate that blood absorbs sugar. For example, eating a candy bar with almonds will not raise blood sugar levels as quickly as a plain chocolate bar. The blood sugar levels will increase to the same level with or without the added fat from almonds -- the only difference is the sugar in the almond chocolate bar will be absorbed over a longer period of time, Vitelli said.

"Every 15 grams of sugar in a product is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of sugar," Vitelli said. Cadbury Crème Eggs have 25 grams of sugar. This is more than 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar in one Cadbury Crème Egg.

This is an example of the types of food that are digested rapidly, leaving the body hungry, Vitelli said. An apple, which might have the same amount of calories as a Cadbury Crème Egg, takes the body longer to digest. The apple will leave the body feeling fuller longer and has more nutritional value than a Cadbury Crème egg.

"Fiber is what leaves the body feeling full and satisfied," Vitelli said. "The more fiber a food has, the longer the body is satiated. This is why whole grain is better than white bread."

But fear not, sugar addicts -- cardiovascular activities can help reduce the risk of weight gain caused by excessive empty sugar calories.

Vitelli said a Power Bar is 230 calories, about the same calorie count as five Peeps. The average person cycling for 6.2 miles at 10 mph will burn off the five Peeps, successfully avoiding weight gain.

This weekend, Vitelli said to enjoy a sweet treat, but in moderation, as with any food.