Sweet Potato Baby Food 3 Ways
Make your own nourishing homemade sweet potato baby food! This recipe can be adapted from the plain version to be sweetened with apples, or made savory with fresh herbs. Serve your baby the best!
For babies who love to feed themselves, also check out these 20 Wholesome Finger Foods for Baby.
We love making our own baby food! When you make your baby’s food, you can be sure she’s getting the freshest, most nutritious ingredients possible.
Sweet potato baby food is great to start with because it’s nutrient dense and versatile. You can even bring it with you in refillable pouches (more on that below!) They’re convenient, less expensive than store-bought, and easy to fill with the Squooshi feeding station.
Making Homemade Baby Food is Easy!
Like many first time moms, I am wandering into the unknown of baby food for the first time. It’s exciting, but also a little overwhelming. What should she eat first? Should I make my own baby food? If so, how do I make my own baby food? And how long will this take?
Well I am here to tell you that it’s as easy as I could have hoped! Not only is it easy, I love making my own baby food because I can be sure my daughter gets whole foods that are in season. If babies only eat a little bit, you want to be sure that what they do get is the best quality. Making my own baby good is the easiest and cheapest way for me to do this.
Why Sweet Potatoes are a Super Baby Food
Sweet potato is an excellent first food for baby. We love sweet potatoes because…
- They’re high in vitamins A, C, potassium, beta carotene, copper, and manganese.
- They’re gentle on baby’s digestive system.
- Sweet potatoes are mild and sweet tasting, which is appealing to little palates.
How to Make Sweet Potato Baby Food
To start, you’ll need soft-cooked sweet potatoes. You can do this in the slow cooker or Instant Pot and it works really well! This is the method we recommend if you’re making your sweet potato baby food plain.
You can also chop and steam your sweet potatoes. Steaming retains more nutrition compared to boiling! If you’re going to try different flavors in your baby food, this is the method that works best, because you’ll be combining the sweet potatoes with other ingredients (see below.)
Once the sweet potato is cooked, allow it to cool. Then pour sweet potato and a bit of water into a food processor or high-powered blender and blend until smooth.
Two More Flavor Variations
To make savory sweet potatoes: Add three carrots and some fresh thyme leaves to your sweet potatoes while they cook.
To make sweeter sweet potatoes: Add a peeled, chopped apple and a pinch of cinnamon to your sweet potatoes during cooking.
Using Squooshi Pouches and the Filling Station
If you’re interested in taking your baby food on the go, you might consider using a refillable pouch. These pouches are great! And filling them is a breeze – no mess!
When we tried the pouches with my daughter, she kept almost all the food in her mouth! Plus, they’ll be great to keep frozen and then take out when we’re on our way out the door.
They even make a Squooshi Filling Station for an easier time filling your pouches. Simply plop your baby food into the station, attach a pouch to the nozzle, and press down. Once you’re done, the filling station goes right into the dishwasher.
The pouches are easy to clean too. The bottoms zip open, so you simply wash them in some hot, soapy water. I find it convenient to use a bottle brush because it fits just perfectly.
Sweet Potato Baby Food 3 Ways
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet potato
- 3/4 cup water
Variations
Thyme/Carrot
- 3 medium carrot
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme, fresh
Instructions
- Peel and cube sweet potato. (If making a variation, peel and chop apple or carrots as well.)
- Add sweet potato and water to a small saucepan (along with apple and cinnamon or carrot and thyme; use only 1/2 cup water if adding apples).
- Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer for 13-15 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender. Allow to cool slightly.
- Pour everything into a food processor or blender. Pulse until the desired consistency is reached.
Nutrition
www.superhealthykids.com
Natalie Monson
I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.
Learn More about Natalie
So easy, and baby loves it
I really appreciate this article. Your sharing great article us. I really like this article and very useful also. Thanks for sharing the great article.
Thank you so much for this article. Please how long can I refrigerate it for?
They’ll last 3-5 days in the fridge- but it freezes great too! We like to freeze them in individual portions. They’ll last about 6 months in the freezer. 🙂