First Food Recipe for your Baby - Sweet Potato Puree

Sweet potato is an excellent choice as a first food for your baby. Its nutritional value and delicious taste make sweet potatoes a perfect choice as the first food for your baby. This root vegetable has a delicious flavour and its creamy layers and smooth consistency is simply liked by little ones.

Starchy carbs that are high in fibre are FAB for your baby’s gut flora, as well as their metabolic and hormonal health.

Nutritional Benefits of Sweet Potato for your Baby

High level of beta-carotene and vitamin A: Sweet potatoes are one of nature’s highest sources of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene helps the body to produce vitamin A. More than 100% of daily recommended intake of vitamin A is present in sweet potatoes.

Rich in vitamins and minerals: It has a good amount of vitamin D that helps in building strong bones and teeth. Vitamin D also beneficial for a healthy heart. All the important Vitamins from B1 to B6 and also B9 is present in sweet potato and this helps with the development of different organs and assists your baby in achieving their milestones.

Boosts Immunity: One sweet potato has about half of the daily recommended Vitamin C. Vitamin C has antioxidant properties and can also be helpful in boosting the body’s defence system. Babies are vulnerable to common infections like the common cold. Including a sweet potato in your baby’s diet will strengthen the immune system of the baby as it is the best source of powerful disease-fighting antioxidants like vitamin A, vitamin C, and Vitamin E

Resolves constipation: When a baby is introduced to solid foods, there are chances of developing constipation as the digestive system of the baby is not fully developed. Due to sweet potatoes high fibre content is helps to assist in your baby’s digestion.

Sweet Potato Puree Recipe

PREPARATION TIME: 10 minutes

COOKING TIME: 60 minutes

SERVES: 6

INGREDIENTS

2 large sweet potatoes
1 cup water or homemade chicken
bone broth
1 tbsp. grass-fed ghee, coconut oil
or extra virgin olive oil
Optional:
• 1⁄2 tsp of ground cumin

How to cook sweet potato for your baby

INSTRUCTIONS

Steam Option:

Wash, peel and roughly chop sweet potatoes into small cubes.
Steam sweet potatoes over medium heat and cover. Cook for approximately 25 - 30 minutes or until cubes are soft through to centre. Continue to step 3.

Roast Option:

1. Wash and prick sweet potatoes, then roast whole at 200 C for 1 hour or until sweet potatoes are soft all the way through.
2. Leave them to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and roughly chop into cubes.

Turning into puree

Step 3 is optional for both steaming and roasting. If you want to turn your meal into puree, then you need step 3. If you want to offer baby led weaning finger food, then you would perform the steps 1 and 2, and ensure your baby has hand-held sized portions to safely eat.

3. Place sweet potatoes in a blender or food processor. Add liquid, ghee, coconut oil or olive oil and cumin. Puree on high until smooth, adding additional liquid if necessary.

Sweet Potato for Baby Led Weaning

My ultimate favourite way to have sweet potato is roasted. You could also offer the sweet potato air fried!

When it comes to baby led weaning, initially speaking you want foods that are easily broken down in your baby’s mouth. So when you roast foods, ensure you aren’t roasting them to a crisp. They will appear more soft than adults might like, but it means your baby can learn how to eat without the risk of choking too.

Harder foods are a choking hazard for babies and generally should be avoided until they are confident eaters.

Sweet potato is a great first food for babyled weaning, provided it is prepared as above.

Additional notes

You can also add ingredients that have already been introduced and are well tolerated. You’ll know by now I’m a lover of mixing with protein and fat - why don’t you add some bone broth and olive oil into the puree? Or when you’re roasting, use some duck fat or olive oil!

Simply steam or boil if required and add into the mix before blending, with additional liquid if needed. Or introduce new ingredients when your baby is ready. Cumin is optional, or replace or add other spices and herbs before blending such as 1⁄2 tsp of ginger, 1 tsp chives or 1⁄2 tsp coriander.

It’s best to avoid added salt until after 12 months of age, or older. My children are 3 and 5 and I still don’t add salt to their meals.

Sweet Potato Baby Food Storage

Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months