Easter Candy Leftovers: How To Reuse Peeps, Chocolate Bunnies And More

From Mother Nature Network's Robin Shreeves:

According to Robyn O’Brien, over the past few weeks, Americans have spent the equivalent of half the Food and Drug Administration’s budget on Peeps, chocolate bunnies, jelly beans and more.

That means about 90 million chocolate Easter bunnies, 700 million marshmallow Peeps, and about 16 billion jelly beans — enough to circle the Earth three times — were sold this Easter, according to the National Confectioners Association.

All of those bunnies, Peeps and jelly beans, along with lots of the other sweet treats, add up to about $2.3 billion dollars. That is half of the FDA’s $4.5 billion budget. I find that correlation very significant. To me, it shows that while many of us are asking the FDA to place bans and harsher rules on what is allowed in foods as far as artificial ingredients, but there are still many, many people who are willing to buy foods that contain these ingredients. Around holidays, these foods are purchased mainly for children in mass quantities. It’s certainly a mixed message we’re sending to the FDA, isn’t it?

Another problem is the leftovers. Not all of that candy gets eaten by the children who receive it. I know that much of the candy that was given to my children (not by me or my husband), will not get eaten. What are some options for leftover Easter candy?

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Comments

[geddy lee is a god]

12:31 PM on 04/10/2012

Hmmm. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I don't care for the homeless shelter option. Shelters are not personal waste facilities where you can unload all the crap you don't want. I'm sure homeless shelters (or any kind of shelters) appreciate any type of donation, but giving them unused chocolate bunnies and peeps that your family doesn't want is in poor taste IMO.

[Moose Luck 99]

11:42 AM on 04/10/2012

If you wouldn't eat it yourself do not give it to a homeless shelter!

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http://larouchepac.com/node/22137

[meelee]

10:01 AM on 04/10/2012

You should never have purchased it to begin with. It is totally responsible to throw this form of garbage in the trash. Save yourself from diabetes.

[MJinCanada]

01:39 AM on 04/10/2012

For a nifty version of deviled eggs, try mixing the yolks with mayo or yogurt and brinjal pickle (Indian pickled eggplant).

[CHARLIE X]

11:14 PM on 04/09/2012

if you still have any left in october, pawn it off on the neighborhood kids on Halloween, problem solved!

[SimonBao]

09:56 PM on 04/09/2012

I am accustomed to various "Green" outlets publishing useless articles about recycling things in ways that no sensible person would resort to.

But this article is uncommonly dumb. In what household is there such a thing as "leftover candy?" Candy isn't especially perishable, candy is not like hard-boiled Easter eggs.

It is not "leftover," it is still candy. It doesn't need to be "recycled." It just needs to be properly stored and eaten in moderation until it runs out.

Shaking head in disbelief that this article would actually be posted here.

[trailerguy]

10:24 AM on 04/10/2012

huffington can't hire real reporters, so we get fluff. this year nobody in my famlily bought easter candy to speak of. the best way is not buy this stuff in first place