Me: Darling, would you like a snack? Some juice, a banana or some strawberries, perhaps?
My two year old, hugging my legs: NO. No, Mama no snacks... I want ice, please, OK, thank you.
Ice? He means ice cream. And it's 8.30am.
Now, I'm pretty sure I'm not the only parent to be begged for ice cream at all hours of the day.
I mean. I get it, two year olds lead a hard life. I would also like to sit and eat endless bowls of ice cream at all hours of the day and night but that’s just not how life works.
But lately I've had some 'special ice' in the freezer that's helped fill the gap of sugary-sweet ice creams in my house.
They're the new superfood purees from Super Cubes, an Australian owned and made product with the unique selling point of being 'scoopable frozen fruit'.
These all-natural, dairy-free, vegan-friendly purées are a healthy alternative to ice cream, with no added sugar or preservatives. They also contain an average of half a serve of fruit in one serve.
Available in three flavours including Mango, Banana and Strawberry, the 1L tubs are delicious and much healthier than the ice cream my son (and yes, me too - I have a sweet tooth) would normally go for.
So, with my two year old hugging my legs in an effort to convince me he loves me when really he just wants “ICE MAMA, ICE”, I've felt totally OK giving him a spoon and tub of Super Cubes banana puree at 8.30am on some days - which he's clearly loving.
The best part is that the purees can be used in different kinds of foods we'd be eating anyway - like smoothies.
As I poured my two year old his smoothie, I realised that only took me two minutes to make. It's 8.32am.
That's a saving of five to 10 minutes I'd usually spend making him try to finish his breakfast of cereal, two slices of toast and peeling an apple. Convenient for me, and for him too, it would seem.
Now, for pancakes. We topped them with banana frozen puree, and Mr Two devoured both the smoothie and pancakes.
I made myself a granola bowl and top it with one scoop of each flavour - banana, mango and strawberry. I mean, I shouldn't have to choose just one, right? All in moderation, of course...
My toddler smiled ear to ear with his strawberry smoothie moustache, while telling me how much he loves “moodies” (smoothies) so much that I catch him trying to feed his six-week-old brother his smoothie (don’t worry, we were watching him the whole time).
Now, bring on 4pm so I can make a delicious Super Cubes superfood strawberry puree "Mummy smoothie" (just add a dash of your favourite alcohol and blend with ice. Hello, summer daquiri!).
I love that Super Cubes' superfood purees are something both he and I can share. They're super versatile, so we can have them as part of breakfast, as a snack or a treat, as a substitute for sweet ingredients in recipes, or as a healthier but still delicious dessert. It's a game changer for my family.
Super Cubes' superfood purees are available at Woolworths, find them near the frozen fruit.
Have you tried these? Let us know your thoughts below!