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Baby food recipes

Baby Food with Sweet Potato and Parsnip: A Simple Recipe

Sweet Potato and Parsnip Puree for Babies: A recipe for 2 servings with a video, tips on age, consistency, and variations, as well as how to freeze it and take it on the go.

By the LIINI editorial teamUpdated 6 min read13 sources

Sweet potato with parsnip mash recipe
Contents

In short

To make this sweet potato baby food, boil the sweet potato and parsnip until tender, drain the cooking water, puree both until smooth, and stir in some canola oil—it’ll be ready in about 25 minutes. It’s suitable starting when you begin introducing solid foods—that is, no earlier than the beginning of the 5th month and no later than the beginning of the 7th month. The BLV and SGE specifically recommend parsnips for the first vegetable puree. You don’t need salt or sugar; it will keep in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, in the freezer for up to 2 months, and you should only reheat each serving once.

Sweet potatoes and parsnips make a mild, slightly sweet puree that can be easily cooked ahead of time and frozen. Here you’ll find the recipe with a video, tips on age and shopping, and variations.

Recipe: Sweet Potato and Parsnip Puree

  • Age: starting with the introduction of solid foods
  • Servings: 2
  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cooking time: 15 minutes
  • Freezing: suitable

Ingredients for 2 servings

  • 150 g sweet potato, about 1 small one
  • 150 g parsnips, about 1–2 small ones
  • 300 ml water for cooking (to be discarded)
  • 4–6 tablespoons of fresh water for pureeing (60–90 ml)
  • 2–4 teaspoons of canola oil (10–20 ml), or 1–2 teaspoons per serving

Preparation

  1. Get ready. Wash your hands. Wash and peel the sweet potato and parsnip, then cut both into cubes about 1 cm in size.
  2. Cook: Place the vegetables in a small pan (saucepan) with 300 ml of water, cover, bring to a boil, and let them simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cubes can be easily mashed with a fork. Leave out the salt, spices, and bouillon.
  3. Drain and mash. Pour out the cooking water—that’s what the BLV recommends for sweet potatoes. Puree the vegetables with fresh water until smooth.
  4. Stir in the oil: Stir in 1–2 teaspoons of canola oil per serving.
  5. Let it cool and serve. Let one serving cool to lukewarm, stir it, and check the temperature with your own spoon. Cool the second one quickly right away and put it in the refrigerator or freezer.
The video shows how it is made. The amounts and steps in the recipe above follow the recommendations of expert bodies. Playing the video loads it from YouTube, which sets its own cookies.

When is it okay to start feeding my baby sweet potato baby food? Age and Consistency

You should start introducing solid foods no earlier than the beginning of the 5th month and no later than the beginning of the 7th month, as soon as your baby shows signs of being ready to start eating solid foods. For the first vegetable puree, the Swiss Society for Nutrition (SGE) and the Federal Office for Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs (BLV) specifically recommend parsnips in addition to carrots. The British National Health Service (NHS) lists sweet potatoes among the foods suitable for babies starting at about 6 months of age.

  • Try them one at a time: According to the BLV, test each new food for a few days before adding the next one; this will help you identify any intolerances. If your baby is familiar with both vegetables, cook them together.
  • Make it coarser: Start by pureeing it until smooth; later, according to the BLV, the puree can be coarser. “Eating Right from the Start,” a guide from Austria, recommends coarsely pureed or mashed foods between 6 and 9 months, and sliced or diced foods between 9 and 12 months.
  • Finger foods: According to the SGE, you can start offering cooked vegetables cut into pieces—such as tender sweet potato and parsnip sticks—no earlier than the 7th month. More about baby-led weaning.

Sweet Potatoes and Parsnips: Good to Know

  • Sweet potatoes instead of potatoes: Botanically speaking, according to the German Federal Center for Nutrition (BZfE), sweet potatoes belong to the bindweed family, while potatoes belong to the nightshade family. According to the BLV, you can use them occasionally as an alternative to potatoes. Because it contains a lot of oxalic acid, depending on the variety, which leaches into the cooking water, you should pour the water out. When you include the parsnip, this amounts to 150 g per serving—the same amount as the vegetables and potatoes in the BLV basic recipe (100 g vegetables, 50 g potatoes).
  • Oil is part of it: According to the BLV, canola oil provides valuable fatty acids. According to the BZfE, sweet potatoes contain carotenoids, which are fat-soluble; therefore, the BZfE recommends adding a little oil or fat.
  • Purchasing and Storage: According to the BZfE, small, firm parsnips are particularly tender and will keep in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. When buying sweet potatoes, choose ones that are firm, with intact skin and no sprouts, and store them in a dry, dark place, ideally at 12 to 15 °C.

Variants

  • With meat or fish: According to the BLV, meat should be included regularly by the 7th month at the latest; the BLV recipe calls for 10 g per serving. For 2 servings, cook 20 g of lean meat or boneless fish, such as salmon, cut into small pieces, from the start until everything is thoroughly cooked.
  • Vegetarian: Instead of meat, cook 20 g (2 tbsp) of whole-grain oat or millet flakes and add some fruit puree. According to “Gesund ins Leben,” this increases the absorption of iron from grains and vegetables. Don’t add milk; it reduces iron absorption.
  • Less sweet with broccoli: Replace half of the parsnips with broccoli florets. Broccoli tastes less sweet and, according to the BLV, is low in nitrates.
  • Carrots or pumpkin: Instead of parsnips, you can use carrots (as in carrot puree with apple ) or pumpkin (as in pumpkin puree with rice).

Storage, Freezing, and On the Go

Sweet potatoes and parsnips are not on the BLV’s list of nitrate-rich vegetables (fennel, kohlrabi, beets, spinach, Swiss chard). So you can make this baby food in advance, just as shown in the guide “Make Your Own Baby Food ”:

  • Refrigerator: According to the BLV, if it is cooled quickly, it will keep for up to 24 hours.
  • Freezer: When frozen in individual portions, it will keep for up to 2 months at −18 °C, according to the BLV and the German Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG). Small cups or an ice cube tray, labeled with the date, work well.
  • Warming up: According to BIÖG, you should thaw frozen baby food just before feeding, either in a water bath or in the microwave. Stir well, check the temperature, and reheat each serving only once; throw away any leftovers.

When you’re on the go, transport the cooled porridge in an airtight container with an ice pack, and don’t heat it up until you get there. If you don’t have a microwave, a battery-powered baby food warmer can help: The LIINI® 2.0 PRO baby food warmer holds up to 350 g, requires no temperature adjustment, and charges via USB-C; according to LIINI, it’s suitable for both store-bought and homemade baby food. For more tips, see the guide “How to Keep Baby Food Warm on the Go.”

From LIINI

LIINI® 2.0 PRO Baby Food Warmer, Beige, IP66LIINI® 2.0 PRO Baby Food Warmer, Beige, IP6699.95CHFincl. VATView product

Frequently Asked Questions

When can my baby start eating sweet potatoes?

Starting when you begin introducing solid foods—that is, no earlier than the beginning of the 5th month and no later than the beginning of the 7th month of life. The British NHS lists sweet potatoes among the foods suitable for babies starting at about 6 months of age. Start with a few spoonfuls, finely pureed.

Can I freeze sweet potato mash?

Yes. If quickly cooled and frozen in portions, it will keep for up to 2 months at −18 °C. Once you’ve thawed the porridge, reheat it only once and do not refreeze it.

Are sweet potatoes too sweet for a baby?

Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, so according to the BLV, you don’t need to add any sugar. The NHS also recommends offering less sweet vegetables, such as broccoli or cauliflower, so your baby can get used to different flavors.

How long does parsnip puree last in the refrigerator?

According to the BLV, up to 24 hours if you cool it quickly after cooking. Reheat each serving only once, and throw away any leftovers.

Sources

  1. Nutrition for Infants and Toddlers: Complementary Feeding, Federal Office for Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs (BLV)
  2. Nutrition for Infants and Toddlers: Recipes, Federal Office for Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs (BLV)
  3. Nutrition for Infants and Toddlers: Frequently Asked Questions, Federal Office for Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs (BLV)
  4. Fact Sheet: Infant Nutrition in the First Year of Life (2024, PDF), Swiss Society for Nutrition (SGE)
  5. Vegetable, Potato, and Grain Porridge, “Healthy Start to Life” Network
  6. Recipes for Baby Food, kinderschulthaft.de, Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG)
  7. Hygiene Related to Infant Nutrition, kindergesundheit-info.de, Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG)
  8. Complementary Foods: Eating Right from the Start (AGES, Ministry of Social Affairs, Federation of Social Insurance Carriers)
  9. What to Feed Your Baby Starting at About 6 Months, NHS Best Start in Life
  10. Storing and Reheating Food, NHS Best Start in Life
  11. Sweet Potatoes Are Trending, Federal Center for Nutrition (BZfE)
  12. How-to: Parsnips, Federal Center for Nutrition (BZfE)
  13. About Carrots, Federal Center for Nutrition (BZfE)
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