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These sweet potato recipes for toddlers are so helpful in introducing new foods and flavors to little mouths.

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As the parent of a toddler, you’re probably aware that toddler likes and preferences change so rapidly.

One day they’ll eat everything you cook. The next, they aren’t interested in the food(s) they previously enjoyed.

If you’re struggling with how to get toddlers to eat veggies, these recipes will help!

That’s why finding sweet potato recipes for kids that are colorful and fun can be helpful for introducing or even reintroducing sweet potatoes and other foods and flavors. 

Research shows that it can take many times of introducing the same food before a child will even try it. So, set your expectations accordingly. 

Introducing Sweet Potatoes for Toddlers

Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, making them more attractive to young eaters. They also aren’t known to be an allergenic food, so they are usually safe for introduction. But, if you have any concerns, always check with your doctor. 

Sweetpotatoes for toddlers are a very nutrient-dense and versatile food.

We love them because you can serve them in different ways (raw, baked, cut in small pieces, cut in finger shapes, paired with fruit, paired with another food they like, etc.) to help toddlers become more familiar and comfortable. 

If you need more creative ideas, here are 20 ways to use sweet potatoes. Many of these fall into the category of sweet potato finger foods, which are great and easily held by babies and toddlers.

Manage Your Expectations

I find that not going into every meal expecting it to be a home run can be grounding.

And when I’m introducing a new food, I always pair it with something familiar and just continue to expose my daughter, even if she doesn’t touch it the first 10 times! This is a huge part of intuitive eating for kids.

But think about it this way – each time you put it on their plate, you are exposing them to a food.

I always try to pair a “new(er)” food with a familiar food when introducing foods to my toddler. For example, if serving pasta, you could combine regular with sweet potato pasta, like in this sweet potato zoodles recipe.

There are so many kid friendly sweet potato recipes out there, which is why I think introducing sweet potatoes to kids and toddlers is beneficial in so many ways. 

Sweet potato recipes for babies are also an easy way to increase exposure and get them used to the flavor. 

Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, making them more attractive to young eaters. They also aren’t known to be an allergenic food, so they are usually safe for introduction. But, if you have any concerns, always check with your doctor. 

Sweet Potato Benefits for Kids

Are sweet potatoes healthy for toddlers? You bet!

A medium sweet potato contains around 100 calories, 4-5 grams of fiber, and is also high in Vitamins A and C, both of which are important for immunity.

Vitamin A is also involved in vision, and Vitamin C helps with skin, nail, and hair health. Remember that the nutrition facts panel goes by adult nutrition needs, so everything will be relatively higher when you are considering a serving size for a toddler or child. 

My favorite thing about sweet potatoes is their high amounts of antioxidants, which can help reduce inflammation in the body and contribute to overall wellness.

Many antioxidants have been linked to a reduced risk of chronic disease.

You know sweet potatoes are rich in antioxidants thanks to their bright orange hues. Usually, bright colors signal a high antioxidant content (red grapes, blueberries, tomatoes, etc).

What makes sweet potatoes for kids even more appealing is that they come in many different colors and varieties, all with slightly differing nutrition content.

Depending on the region in which you live, you may find white, orange, purple, red or even yellow varieties. 

Better yet, many of these sweet potato dishes for toddlers also have other fruits and veggies served alongside or with them, increasing the nutrient density even more. Like this sweet potato pizza crust!

Ideas For Sweet Potatoes For Toddlers

When baby led weaning, I have started with sweet potatoes for baby led weaning for both of my children for the reasons listed above. They also have a great texture when cooked and mashed for babies, and they can be held as a finger food.

For younger mouths, pureeing sweet potato spinach baby food is a great way to make sweet potato for baby and expose your little one to new flavors. 

But, there are several other out-of-the-box ideas to incorporate sweet potatoes for toddlers too! When thinking about what to eat with sweet potatoes, you can include just about anything!

Sweet Potato Snacks for Toddlers

Snacks are a great way to incorporate more sweet potatoes and vegetables, in general. They can be as easy and fun as you make them.

Sometimes you have to get a little creative in getting kids to eat sweet potato recipes. 

For example, consider mixing sweet potatoes into a quickbread or muffin recipe. Or, mashing it with onions in a ground meatball recipe. 

Another great thing about many kid friendly sweet potato recipes is that they are freezer friendly and frozen meals for toddlers are life savers!

While I wouldn’t serve this every day, my toddlers also love this instant pot sweet potato casserole.

While there is sugar in there, there’s also oats and some fat for satiety, along with the healthy sweet potatoes!

Swap the Traditional Recipe for a Sweet Potato Recipe

These don’t have to be bland, but instead, are fun ways to serve sweet potato for kids. For example, burgers and nachos. 

• Swap out an all-beef burger or turkey burger for a sweet potato turkey burger. It’s still a burger and tastes similar, but it has so much more nutrition (and color!) with the addition of sweet potatoes.
• Make your own nachos. Swap out salty, nutrient-void tortilla chips for sweet potato coin shapes. Let children choose their toppings, and once you cut the vegetables, let children decorate the “sweet potato nachos” with them. Choose different protein options (beans, chicken, beef, pulled pork) and see which they like best!

Serve With A Safe Topping

Most kids enjoy cheese, so having that as a “safe” topping can be helpful and mesh well with other flavors and ingredients in a kid friendly sweet potato recipe. 

In the sweet potato nachos recipe above, the cheese melts over all of the other vegetables, and looks familiar to little minds. 

Have a Fun Dip

Lastly, I tend to have fun dips as side options. 

Some options I use include ketchup, hummus, guacamole, salsa or even ranch dipping sauce.

These can be fun toppers and may help increase the chances of your little one trying something new, especially if they are familiar sauces to them. 

Comment below and let me know if you have any success with these kid friendly recipes!