10+ Sweet Potato Recipes For Baby-led Weaning
Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite vegetables for baby-led-weaning. They’re so versatile and can be used in almost any food. They’re a common ingredient in different cuisines around the world.
If you’re looking for a list of sweet potato recipes for baby-led weaning, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, I’ve listed a few of my favorites. Some recipes were those I created myself, and some I’ve tried around the web.
Feel free to add your own sweet potato recipe in the comment section. Let’s get started
Benefits of Sweet Potatoes for Babies and Toddlers
Sweet potatoes have tons of benefits for babies and kids. They contain a lot of vitamin A which is essential for proper eye functioning. They also contain fiber, which helps prevent constipation in babies.
Sweet potatoes are also high in carbohydrates, giving babies energy to go about their day. Other vitamins they contain include vitamins C and E.
Vitamin C in sweet potatoes helps boost your baby’s immune system, while vitamin E acts as an antioxidant to protect the body from free radicals (source)
Why do babies love sweet potatoes?
Babies love sweet potatoes because of their sweet and sugary flavor. This makes sweet potatoes a great first food for babies.
Besides its great taste, sweet potatoes are versatile. So you can mix them with meat and fish to make it easy for babies to eat.
How to prepare sweet potatoes for babies and toddlers
Mash them up
Mashed sweet potatoes are one of my favorite baby and toddler recipes. They’re so easy to make and you can add any spices of your choice.
Mashed sweet potato, also called sweet potato porridge is a popular staple in Nigeria where I’m from.
Baked
If you’re in a hurry and need a quick sweet potato recipe for your baby or toddler, you can bake them in the oven at 425 degrees until soft.
To make them a little tastier add some salted butter.
Fry them up
Who doesn’t love sweet potato fries? Even babies and toddlers love this recipe.
If you have a little time on your hands, you can fry up some sweet potatoes for your baby.
Just make sure they aren’t too crisp so that it’s not too hard for your baby to chew.
Add them to other foods
Ever tried sweet potato muffins, and pancakes?
It’s a creative way to make sweet potatoes for babies and toddlers.
By making them into pancakes and muffins, you’ll have more freedom to add other vegetables in there as well.
Make them into fritters
Fritters are my favorite sweet potato recipes for babies. To make fritters, you just need to fry up some grated sweet potatoes.
You can add whatever veggies or fruits you have lying around the house to make it healthier.
Make soup with them
Sweet potato soup is delicious and easy to make.
If you’re looking for ways to help your toddler practice using a spoon, then sweet potato soap is the way to go.
FAQs About Sweet Potatoes For Babies
Is sweet Potato okay for baby-led weaning?
Sweet potato is great for baby-led weaning. Because of their naturally sweet nature, babies love them. So it’s easy for parents to add in other vegetables to increase the nutrition of sweet potatoes.
How do you cut sweet potatoes for baby-led weaning?
You can cut sweet potatoes for baby-led weaning by cutting them into spares, wedges, chunks, or half depending on the age of your baby.
Babies ages 6-9 months should eat larger pieces of sweet potatoes, so it’s best to cut them into wedges or serve them whole-baked sweet potatoes.
Between 9-12 months, babies should be able to pick up smaller pieces of food so you can serve sweet potatoes in spears, or chunks
When can a baby eat sweet potatoes?
A baby can begin eating sweet potatoes as soon as they’re ready to start solids, which is around 6 months.
Some parents feed their kids sweet potatoes starting at 4 months old, but the general recommendation is 6 months because that’s when they start showing all the signs of readiness to start solids.
How much sweet potato can a 6-month-old eat?
A 6-month-old can eat sweet potatoes at least once a day. You can either serve it in its original form or bake it into another food like a muffin.
Feeding a baby too much sweet potato can result in diarrhea and bloating because sweet potatoes contain a lot of fiber.
Can I give my baby sweet potatoes at 4 months?
Some doctors give the okay for parents to start feeding their babies sweet potatoes at 4 months old.
But the general recommendation is to wait until 6 months before feeding your baby solids, including sweet potatoes.
This is because 6 months is when most babies will show all the signs of readiness for starting solids.
Make sure you check with your doctor to see what they recommend before you start your baby on solids.
Should you peel sweet potatoes for baby food?
You should peel sweet potatoes for babies just starting solids between 6-9 months old. That’s because sweet potato skin is tough and can be hard for babies to chew and swallow.
If you’re making baby food with sweet potatoes, you may still want to peel it first because your blender may not be able to blend the skin smoothly enough for your baby to swallow.
When they’ve become very good at eating solids, (between 10-12 months) they’ll be able to eat baked sweet potatoes with the skin on.
Is sweet potato easy to digest for a baby?
Sweet potato is easy for babies to digest because they contain a lot of fiber. Fiber aids in the digestion of food.
Should I warm up sweet potato puree for a baby?
Sweet potato purée tastes good both hot and cold. You don’t need to warm up sweet potato purée for your baby.
Keep in mind that some babies prefer sweet potatoes warm, so serve it the way your baby prefers.
Is sweet potato heavy for babies?
Sweet potatoes can be considered a heavy vegetable for babies because of the amount of carbohydrates and fiber they contain.
Feeding too much sweet potatoes to your baby can result in diarrhea and an upset stomach
Can sweet potato upset a baby’s stomach? Can they cause gas?
Sweet potatoes can cause upset stomachs in babies because of the amount of fiber they contain. Feeding too much sweet potato to your baby can lead to diarrhea and bloating.
Sweet Potato Recipes For Babies And Toddlers
