When introducing vegetables into your baby's diet, consider starting with sweet potatoes. They have a pleasing taste, are packed full of nutrients, and, due to their fiber content, help maintain a healthy digestive tract.
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These days, we've settled into a pretty predictable routine. Caroline begins to stir around 7 AM and babbles to herself until one (usually both) of us goes into her room. After a diaper change, a feeding, and some cuddle time (usually with a book or two), we're ready to start our day.
Tomorrow will likely be business as usual, but it definitely won't feel that way. Everything about the day is going to feel special because tomorrow is the day our sweet baby girl turns one!
Needless to say, we're in full party prep mode over here!
The party is on Saturday, and I have a bunch of details to take care of before then. (Plus a whole lot of housework...) Now that we're no longer making regular trips to the pediatrician's office, I stand a decent chance of getting everything done in time.
Long story short?
Caroline wasn't showing us signs that she was still hungry. We read her behavior as contentment. Rather than dish up more food, we just moved on to the next part of our day.
She hardly fussed, so it didn't occur to us that she might want more. I started letting her nurse a little longer. We put more formula in her bottles. We increased the size of her meals.
JACKPOT.
The fussiness she had been showing disappeared (for the most part). Her belly started rounding out and her weight started moving in the right direction. When I saw the jump in her weight at the doctor's office, I scooped her up off the scale and actually danced down the hall with her.
I don't think I can describe how relieved I felt in that moment. Not knowing what was wrong was so, so frustrating. But we worked through it. We figured it out. And we made changes that helped put her on the right path again.
But isn't that part of being a parent? Facing periods of helplessness, figuring out an escape plan, and gaining strength from it so you can handle whatever's thrown at you next?
With the endless follow-up appointments and lab tests behind us, we can focus on the fun things now.
Like shopping. And trying new food. And wearing a new hairstyle.
And turning one.
Sweet Potato Purée
This recipe gives the measurements I use when making purée to freeze. Adjust the amounts accordingly based on your needs.
Cook Time: 10-15 minutes
Total Time: 15-25 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 6 pounds sweet potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into thick pieces
- Place the sweet potatoes in a large pot. Add enough cold water to just cover them.
- Bring the water to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer the potatoes until fork-tender, about 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the slices.
- Reserve 2 cups of the cooking water and drain the rest. Rinse the sweet potatoes under cold water until they're cool enough to handle.
- Remove the peels from the sweet potatoes. They should come right off without any effort.
- Using a food processor, purée the sweet potatoes in batches until smooth, adding some of the cooking liquid if necessary.
To freeze:
Allow the purée to cool to room temperature and spoon into clean ice cube trays. Wrap the trays in plastic wrap and place in the freezer to set overnight. Pop the cubes out of the trays and transfer them to freezer bags labeled with the date and the contents. You can keep the sweet potato purée in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How To: Use Sweet Potato Purée
What if you make and/or freeze a batch of sweet potato purée and your baby decides he/she doesn't like it anymore? If you're left with a whole lot of sweet potato purée in your freezer, here are some ways to use it up:
- Chocolate-Filled Sweet Potato Cupcakes
- Ginger Sweet Potato Muffins
- Sweet Potato Chocolate Pudding
- Sweet Potato Crackers (kid-friendly!)
Need more homemade baby food recipes? Try these:
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