Gourmet Baby Food- Red Beans & Organic Sweet Potato

Oh the fun of blending has just begun!

Has any other new momma, when introducing new foods, just shudder at the idea of just creating one solitary taste for their child to try? Because I am very much falling into that category.

When children are being introduced to new foods, it is very important to try only one food at a time. The reasons for this are logical and rather straight forward- you look for any sort of reaction, from rashes to constipation. Really anything abnormal may (MAY) be considered a reaction. This is something that I teach all of my Moms who are starting the solids leap, and I am sure the same advice is being given by every pediatrician across the globe.

However, there are a few common things that are overlooked during this time period that I think is really worth mentioning. One of them is that, if you have a creative or culinary mind (aka me- I LOVE food) it is HARD to just give your child one ingredient at a time. That’s not how we eat! How boring is that!

Also, unfortunately, constipation is SUPER common during this transition period. Which, again, logically makes sense- our babes have had only liquid nutrition up until this point, and now we’re having their tummies work really hard and putting something with a bit more sustenance and a lot less water. What do we think is going to happen?

If your baby does experience some constipation or diarrhea, luckily, the fix is easy. Don’t freak out like I did! For constipation, remember a little bit of water can go a long way to help with those solids. Also, fiber, fiber, fiber is your friend during this time. For a baby a little will go a long way, but it’s just an important thing to note. If you’re dealing with diarrhea, try adding less water to your foods, or add some banana or apple. Both help ease and sooth diarrhea symptoms. If your child is experiencing very frequent diarrhea (this is variable, use your own judgement since every child is different), consider stopping food and introducing that item at another time.

Now that problems have ceased, let’s turn to one of the first blends I gave my Bodie baby, a Red Beans and Organic Sweet Potato blend. I’ll be honest; this was the second solid food I gave him (after pureed zucchini). Again, I may not be walking my talk right this moment, but I had such a hard time only introducing one food at a time. In my excitement, I decided instead to choose foods that rarely have allergen reactions. Looking for a good article about the most common food allergens for your infant? Check back here soon, I will be posting a blog about common foods that cause reactions in babies. Shameless teaser right there.

What’s so great about this blend? Why did I go to these two ingredients? Well, with both, they are WHOLE FOOD ingredients that are not straight carbohydrate. As I mentioned in my last blog post, the argument for beginning babies on rice cereal, or something close to that in nature, is really fading thin with more research. Unfortunately, at this point, it’s a cultural norm- and it’s hard to change culture as we all know. But, proper education does combat that!

Other reasons I thought this blend was just perfect for my baby? I LOVE sweet potato. I think the taste is superb- just a bit of sweet, and a ton of nutrient quality. Sweet potatoes are considered a starchy vegetable, meaning they are treated like a carbohydrate in the body more than a vegetable. But, this is a great plant carbohydrate to start your baby on. Plus it’s high in many nutrients- it’s high in Vitamin A which is a common infant deficiency that helps eyesight, Vitamin C which helps with immunity and keeping your kiddos healthy, as well as folate, a nutrient we’re all common with during pregnancy. But, just because the pregnancy is over doesn’t mean that this nutrient is no longer important! Folate helps with growth- which, news flash, your baby is doing a TON of right now. Fiber is also found in sweet potato and, of course, those red beans. Fiber, as mentioned, really helps with keeping the bowels going- but not much is needed! All beans are also high in iron, which makes it another great reason to start with these foods.

Take note with the ingredients that the beans, if you’re not making from scratch, or UNSALTED. It is very important during this period not to mess with electrolyte balance, as well as infants don’t have the capacity to taste salt at this time. So NO salt or added sugar.

That being said, Bodie tried this blend and gave it 5 tongues out! This is a good sign; Bodie only sticks out his tongue for things he really enjoys.

Red Beans & Organic Sweet Potato Recipe Yields: ~ 2 cups or 8–16 servings (depending on how much your little one is able to eat

• 2 cups diced sweet potato, steamed (about 1 large or 2 medium)
• 1/3 cup red beans unsalted
• 1/2- 1 cup breastmilk, formula, homemade baby stock, water

Place all ingredients in blender and blend! Place in air tight containers. This meal will be good for 3–5 days in the fridge or up to 6 months in the freezer.

Let me know how you like the recipe and repost!

Thanks for stopping by, hope your child loves this as much as mine did.

– Petra

Originally published at mommiesnmunchkins.net.