A toddler’s treat and a dieter’s joy

When my son was born, my husband and I decided that we would refrain from giving our baby sugar or processed foods for as long as we could help it. He’s 1.5 years old now and we’ve successfully managed to keep it that way, even through all the birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and other celebrations. How did we manage it? Well, we followed one golden rule. At every occasion, I made sure there was a treat for him too (without sugar or any of the other taboos) so that he didn’t feel left out when everyone else was drooling over their dessert bowls.

Recently, on Father’s Day, while the rest of us were enjoying a luscious chocolate brownie cake (for all you chocolate lovers who are now dreaming of cake, you can get the recipe for that here), I made these mango popsicles for my toddler. Here’s what they look like:
My toddler was reluctant to try it initially (probably because this was the first time I was giving him something this cold) but once he took a few licks, he was hooked on. And not just the tiny tot, but the others in the room too wanted a bite out of this one. You will probably enjoy these the most at times like after a meal when you feel like you need a “little something” that hits the spot without hitting your waistline.

Recipe: (makes 4 popsicles)

3 Fresh ripe mangoes

Up to 1 glass skim milk

Cut the mangoes into big chunks and put it into a blender. Squeeze out as much of the pulp from the mango seed as you can before discarding it. Add the milk in installments and blend together till you get a thick puree. Fill this puree into a popsicle tray and freeze for at least 4 hours prior to eating it.

You can try this with any fruit that you think blends well in flavour with milk.