Delicious Sweet Potato Rice For Babies – A twist on Classic Risotto

My sweet potato rice for babies is a delicious twist on the classic risotto that everyone in the family will love.

It’s so easy to make and can be combined with other vegetables for a more nutritious dinner.

My Inspiration For Creating this Sweet Potato Rice For Babies 

I’m married to an Italian so risotto is a common staple in my family. I try to make it at least once a month.

A few years ago during sweet potato season, my mom brought over a huge bag of sweet potatoes for me to use.

After making the usual sweet potato wedges, baked sweet potatoes, and sweet potato fritters, I ran out of ideas on how to use the rest of them.

So I decided to create a risotto recipe using some of the sweet potatoes.

Since I was doing baby-led weaning with my youngest at the time, I had to make the recipe baby and toddler-friendly. 

That’s how this sweet potato rice recipe was born.

Recipe Tips For Success 

Precook your ingredients ahead of time

To cut down on cooking time, you can prep your ingredients in advance.

Brown rice takes twice as long to cook compared to white rice, so I make it the day before. This way I can just combine it with the rest of the ingredients in one pot.

It cuts cooking time in half.

If I’m using other vegetables like carrots and mixed veggies, I’ll boil those ahead of time too. It just makes cooking this sweet potato risotto a little easier.

Boil your rice with chicken stock 

To increase the flavor of the sweet potato rice for your baby, you can boil the rice in chicken broth. But If you don’t have chicken broth, you can just use water. 

Ingredients For BLW Sweet Potato Rice Risotto 

Sweet potatoes – you can’t make sweet potato rice for babies without sweet potatoes. To make them easier to cook, you need to cube them. 

Carrots – carrots are optional but they serve two purposes. They help make the sweet potato rice more colorful. They also increase the nutritional value of the meal because carrots contain a lot of nutrients.

Red bell peppers – bell peppers also add to the beautiful color of this risotto for babies. Besides the color, bell peppers also have additional nutrients. You can use any color of bell peppers you want. 

Rice – my family only eats brown rice. It’s our personal preference, so that’s what I used for this recipe. You can choose to use white rice of any variety if you prefer. Because brown rice has more starch content, it’ll give you more of the risotto consistency than any other variety. 

Seasoning – you’re free to use any seasoning of your choice. I used Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and bouillon cube  

Step-by-Step Instructions 

Cook the rice until it’s halfway done

Add the carrots and sweet potatoes

Saute the onion and peppers

Combine the sweet potato rice, and spices, and enjoy!

Jump to Recipe

Why Sweet Potatoes Are Good For Babies and Toddlers

Sweet Potatoes contain tons of nutrients that babies and toddlers need to grow. They are a good source of Vitamin A which helps in the proper development of the eyes. They’re also a good source of Fiber to aid in digestion (source)

What to pair with Sweet Potato Rice For Babies

Pair it with chicken 

You can serve this recipe with chicken drumstick, shredded chicken breast, or cubed chicken for older children.

Pair it with tofu

Tofu is an excellent source of protein for babies. Tofu is plant-based so it’s better for the environment and vegan. 

Try my easy tofu meatballs recipe for a great side dish.

How To Serve Sweet Potato Rice For Baby-led Weaning

6-9 Months old

Allow your baby to scoop the sweet potato rice with their hands. They will be more confident eating this way.

9-12 months old

Between 9-12 months, offer a preloaded spoon for your kids to feed themselves. This will encourage independence. 

12 – 24 months and older

Serve in a bowl and offer a spoon for your toddler to eat from. At this age, they’ll be able to scoop food on their own with a spoon.

Cooking Directions For Sweet Potato Rice for Baby

• Place the rice in a pot and add the water. Cook on medium-high heat uncovered until it’s halfway done. Check the rice for softness every 15 minutes (add more water if needed). 
• When it’s halfway done, add the sweet potato and the carrots. Mix together gently. Add more water as needed until the rice, sweet potatoes, and carrots are soft.
• Remove the rice from the stove and set aside.
• Place a skillet on medium heat. Add the oil and wait until it’s hot. Then saute the onion and garlic for 1-2 minutes. 
• Add the bell peppers and saute as well for another 1-2 minutes.
• Add the sweet potato and carrot rice mixture to the skillet. Mix together with all the other ingredients and cover. Reduce heat to medium-low. Let it cook for about 10 minutes or until the food is piping hot. 
• Remove from the heat and serve when cooled. 

Sweet Potato Rice For Baby Storage Tips

Can I refrigerate sweet potato rice for babies?

In the fridge, you can refrigerate sweet potato rice for up to three days. Make sure you store it in an airtight container and freeze it if you’re going to have leftovers.

Can I freeze sweet potato rice for baby-led weaning?

You can freeze sweet potato rice for babies for as long as you need. 

To reheat frozen sweet potato risotto, allow it to thaw completely in the fridge or on the counter. Then heat it in the microwave.

Reheating Sweet Potato Rice For Babies

Place the sweet potato rice in a microwave-safe bowl and heat at high power for 2-4 minutes or until the rice is hot.

Tips for Picky Eaters

Don’t pressure

Give your baby or toddler a chance to say no. It’s okay if they don’t like what we serve them. Keep trying. 

It takes at least 30 exposures for a baby to begin liking a food, so don’t give up.

Make it into a game

Sometimes I create games around the food I serve to get my kids interested in eating. 

A game we’ve played in the past is called “Here comes the airplane… open the garage”. This encourages them to open their mouth as I bring the food in like an airplane.

Sometimes my kids will try new foods this way.

Related recipes 

• Creamy Cheddar Rice For Baby-led Weaning
• BLW Brown Rice & Mushroom Risotto
• Feeding Rice In BLW: Answers To Your Burning Questions

Did you make this baby-led weaning lunch recipe? 

Let me know in the comments how it turned out!