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Sweet potato and lentil baby food recipe


Sweet Potato, Lentil & Apple, Stage 2 Baby Food Recipe

Last updated on By Liza Huber 4 Comments

Sweet potato mixed with lentil and apple is a nutrient-rich, yummy, and easy-to-prepare stage 2 baby food. (Ideal for little ones 7 months and up.)

We like this meal option regardless of whether you’re going the baby food route or a Baby Led Weaning approach where you use more foods in their existing state. The consistency of this lentil baby food is very chunky.

Lentils are a powerhouse food, loaded with vitamins, protein and antioxidants, but they can taste pretty bland on their own. When mixed with a classic flavor combo, like sweet potato and apple, most babies will gobble it up!

When can babies eat lentils?

Lentils are generally considered a Stage 2 baby food. Stage 2 is the starting solids age, which usually comes between 6 to 8 months.

This baby food recipe is super easy to make while the family enjoys this nourishing lentil soup.

Which type of lentil is best for babies?

These legumes come in a variety of colors, flavors, and textures. They’re high in protein, fiber, and folate. Lentils are considered a top “functional food” due to their high nutritive value, polyphenols, minerals, and other bioactive compounds. There are differences in the level of nutrients and how they cook, but all types of lentils make a great first food for babies.

They’re also packed with iron and zinc, two essential nutrients babies may be deficient in. Before combining foods, make sure your baby has already tried each one individually. Always be certain your baby’s food is a consistency they can handle.

Use organic ingredients whenever possible. This recipe yields about 18oz.

At the final food processor stage, make sure the chunks are small and soft, so baby can gum them without risk of choking.

How to Make Lentil, Sweet Potato & Apple Stage 2 Baby Food Print Recipe

Sweet Potato, Lentil & Apple, Stage 2 Baby Food Recipe

Lentil mixed with sweet potato and apple is a nutrient-rich, yummy, and easy-to-prepare stage 2 baby food. (Ideal for little ones 7 months and up.)

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Keyword: babyfood

Servings: 18 oz

Author: Liza Huber

  • 1 sweet potato – washed peeled and chopped.
  • 2 apples of any variety – washed peeled and chopped.
  • 1 cup water or low-sodium vegetable stock
  • 1/4 cup lentils (red, green, or yellow lentils)

  • Bring the water or stock to a boil over high heat in a small pot. Add the lentils and let boil for 1 minute.

  • Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed and the lentils are very soft.

  • Pour water into a large pot until it is about 1.5” deep and bring to a boil over high heat.

  • Place the sweet potato and apple into a stainless steel steamer basket and place the basket into the pot. Make sure the water isn’t touching the bottom of the basket. Cover and steam for 10 minutes until sweet potato is cooked through and very soft.

  • Place the lentils, sweet potato and apple into a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth, but slightly chunky.

This puree can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer.

Adapted from Sage Spoonfuls

Ingredients

– 1 small sweet potato – washed peeled and chopped
– 2 organic apples of any variety – washed peeled and chopped
– 1 cup water or organic vegetable stock
– 1/4 cup lentils (red, green, or yellow lentils)

Directions

  • Bring water or stock to a boil over high heat in a small pot.
  • Add lentils and boil for 1 minute.
  • Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed and the lentils are very soft.
  • Pour water into a large pot until it is about 1.5” deep and bring to a boil over high heat.
  • Place the sweet potato and apple into a stainless steel steamer basket and place the basket into the pot. Make sure the water isn’t touching the bottom of the basket. Cover and steam for 10-12 minutes until sweet potato is cooked through and very soft.
  • Place the lentils, sweet potato, and apple into a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth, but slightly chunky.

If you use a larger sweet potato, it may need to steam a bit longer than the apples.

This puree can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer.

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Liza Huber

Liza Huber is an award-winning author, wife, mother of 4, and CEO and Founder of Sage Spoonfuls - the award-winning homemade baby food system that allows parents to easily make, serve, store and take their healthy, homemade baby food on-the-go.

Latest posts by Liza Huber (see all)

Filed Under: Ages + Stages, Baby, Baby Food, Food & Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: baby food, recipes, vegetables

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    Sweet Potato, Lentil and Cheddar Croquettes

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    These delicious sweet potato, lentil and cheddar croquettes are a great food for baby led weaning, as well as a good way of sneaking in some veggies to fussy children.

    One of the first recipes I posted to Little Grazers, this Sweet Potato, Lentil and Cheddar Croquettes is very popular.

    I love how versatile lentils can be. I use them often in soups, chilli, bolognese, curry and a great source of protein and fibre.

    A couple of my favourites are:

    • Lentil Bolognese
    • Lentil Shepherds Pie
    • Lentil Curry 
    • Roasted Butternut Squash and Lentil Curry
    • Mini Zucchini Parmesan Lentil Patties
    • Mexican Lentil Bake
    • Aubergine, Sweet Potato Lentil Curry

    For these Sweet Potato, Lentil and Cheddar Croquettes, I use red lentils, they have a much softer texture and are almost like a paste when cooked compared to chunkier brown or green lentils, which hold their shape.

    Just a few ingredients combined make this recipe perfect for forming into little croquettes that your little ones can pick up and devour.

    I don’t add salt to these when making for little ones, but if making for older children or adult, you may want to adjust the seasoning. You could even add some spices or herbs of choice.

    When cooking the lentils, it’s important to let them sit with the lid on for 10 minutes, with the heat off, once the majority of the liquid has absorbed, as the steam trapped underneath will continue to cook them and make them lovely and soft. If you don’t follow this important step, the mixture will be too wet and impossible to form into any shape.

    For the sweet potato, I pierce and cook in the microwave, again this avoids any excess liquid, which helps the consistency of the mixture. If not cooking in the microwave, I recommend steaming over water, to avoid the mashed sweet potato from being too wet.

    All these steps ensure this recipe, doesn’t need any flours and keeps it gluten free.

    If your little one is allergic to eggs, you can ensure this binds together by either adding more cheddar or using a flax egg, which you can make by combining 1 tbs of flaxseed meal to 3 tbs of water, this will be a replacement for 1 egg in a recipe. Once combined allow the mixture to sit for approx 10 minutes until it has a beaten egg like texture.

    To spray the Sweet Potato, Lentil and Cheddar Croquettes with oil before cooking, I use either olive oil or avocado oil in my Misto Sprayer, but if you don’t have one of these, you can carefully brush over the top with a silicone pastry brush, this just helps them to brown in the oven, because they are not being fried.

    I love packing these in the kid’s Yumbox lunch box with a dip (usually tomato based) like my Low Sugar Ketchup. They are also a great side alternative to homemade chips (fries).

    They should freeze perfectly too, just add back to the oven for a few minutes to heat through.

    Ingredients

    • 100 g Lentils, uncooked, 1/2 cup
    • 300 g sweet potato, raw, 10.5 oz
    • 70 g carrot, grated, 2.5 oz
    • 100 g cheddar, grated, 3. 5 oz
    • 1 large egg
    • 40 g frozen peas, 1/4 cup
    • 1/2 tsp paprika
    • olive or avocado oil
    • 240 ml low sodium chicken or vegetable broth, 1 cup

    Instructions

    1. Add the lentils to a saucepan, cover with the broth, bring to a boil and simmer till all liquid is almost absorbed, turn off heat, cover with a lid and leave for 10 mins. 
    2. Pierce sweet potato with a fork and microwave for approx 6 mins, until soft to touch (if you don't have a microwave you can steam)
    3. Remove skin from sweet potato and mash until smooth.
    4. Preheat oven to 200c or 400f
    5. Add lentils to a bowl, along with sweet potato, cheddar, carrot, paprika and combine
    6. Add the egg and mix till combined
    7. Stir in the peas
    8. Form into croquettes or patties (approx 15) and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper
    9. Spray or brush over the top with olive or avocado oil
    10. Bake in the oven for approx 30 mins, until firm and lightly golden.
    11. Enjoy!!

     

    Snap a photo and hashtag #littlegrazers or tag me @littlegrazers on Instagram!

    © All images and content on Little Grazers are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior consent.

    We kindly ask that you share this recipe via the share buttons and not via screenshots.

    If you use or re-create my recipes I kindly ask:

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    Warm Lentil and Sweet Potato Salad

    Warm your soul with this warm lentil and sweet potato salad with sauteed coleslaw and delicious balsamic dressing. The perfect lunch for an afternoon snack or a soothing dinner for any evening of the week.

    Note: This post was originally published in 2013. It has since been updated with a new copy and photos, but the recipe remains the same and just as delicious!

    We've been working a lot in the THM kitchen lately on refining old recipes. When I started THM, I didn't expect that 6 years later I would still be working on this little space of mine. And I certainly never thought that it would become a job. THM has been and always will be a creative outlet for me, but like any kind of creativity, it evolves, changes and grows into something new.

    The same goes for the warm lentil and sweet potato salad.

    SIMILAR: Farro Salad

    I originally made this recipe years before I started blogging. It was a classic that C and I had for lunch (goat cheese was an addition!), and I knew it would be one of the first recipes I would share on my future blog. I never thought that I would start this blog and that thousands of people would one day cook this recipe at home. Had I known, I would have thought twice before dumping a whole bag of uncooked lentils on my parents' kitchen table as a "backdrop" for LOL photos.

    But 6 years have passed, and although the recipes are still delicious, the photos need some tweaking. So Jess and I went through the old footage and decided we needed to reshoot, recheck and update to make THM the best ever in 2019. This warm lentil and sweet potato salad was high on the list.

    To those of you who did not stay away from this crazy journey of mine - thank you! And take this as a reminder to dream big, take the leap and know that you will ALWAYS lament what you said on the internet years ago?.

    Warm Lentil Salad Tips
    • You can use dried or boiled lentils - we prefer dry, but if you're in a hurry, feel free to use canned!
    • Add raw cabbage to simmered lentils to simmer slightly - cabbage can be difficult to digest, so we recommend simmering it a bit to aid digestion.
    • Goat cheese is optional but adds a nice spicy flavor so we recommend
    • If you can't find fresh thyme, feel free to use dried thyme (halve the amount)
    • If you have pomegranate vinegar on hand, it can be a great substitute for balsamic vinegar.

    Print

    Warm salad of lentils and sweet potatoes

    • Preparation time: 10 minutes
    • Total time: 40 minutes
    • Portations: Portations 1 x
    • 1 cup dried green lentils (or 1 19oz can of boiled lentils)
    • 2 cups water
    • 1 sweet potato
    • 3 cup cabbage, chopped spoons balsamic vinegar
    • 1 tbsp. spoon maple syrup
    • 2 tbsp. tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
    • 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
    • salt and pepper, to taste
    • 1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
    1. Soak lentils in water for at least 30 minutes. *Skip this step and steps 5-7 if using canned lentils.
    2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
    3. Cut sweet potatoes into pieces. Drizzle or lightly drizzle with olive oil.
    4. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
    5. Rinse the lentils, then add to a medium saucepan and cover with water.
    6. Bring the lentils to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
    7. Lentils are ready when all the water has been absorbed.
    8. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and cabbage to the lentils and simmer until the cabbage wilts.
    9. Toss sweet potatoes, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, thyme, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.
    10. Let cool slightly before adding goat cheese (if you don't want it to melt).
    11. Store in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

    Did you like this salad? Here are a few others you might like:

    • Film salad with watermelon, feta and mint
    • Moroccan salad from Kinoa and Nuta
    • Salad with cinquefoil of tsukkini with lemon and herbs

    tags: without gluten

    lentil -pendant soup from the Chechevitsa - 1000.

    menu

    Lentil puree soup

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    Composition/ingredients

    5

    Change composition

    servings:

    Step by step cooking

    Cooking time: 30 min PT30M
    1. Step 1:

      How do you make red lentil soup? Prepare the indicated ingredients. Red lentils are better than other varieties, giving a delicate puree-like texture, so I recommend choosing it. But if you wish, you can take another variety. Medium sized onions and carrots. The water is hot. Tomato paste and fresh tomato, I will use tomatoes in their own juice. Salt, pepper to taste. For serving, you can cook sour cream and fresh herbs.

    2. Step 2:

      Wash, dry and peel the vegetables. Carrots can be cut, grated (the type of cutting does not really matter, since all the ingredients will be interrupted by a blender in the future. But the smaller the shredder, the faster the vegetables will cook). Onion cut into cubes. Lightly sauté the onions and carrots in a heavy bottomed saucepan.

    3. Step 3:

      Sort the red lentils. Rinse under running water to clean water.

    4. Step 4:

      Add washed lentils to sautéed vegetables and mix all ingredients thoroughly.

    6. Step 5:

      Pour in the required amount of water and bring the soup to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium.

    7. Step 6:

      Add chopped tomatoes without skins and tomato paste. You can take fresh or in your own juice - whichever you prefer. Salt and pepper, stir. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer the soup over low heat for about 20 minutes. The indicated time may vary depending on the variety of lentils. Ideally, it should melt. (When the specified time is up, taste the lentils, they should be absolutely soft. If not, cook more)

    8. Step 7:

      Puree the soup with a blender. Serve hot, topped with (optional) fresh sour cream.

    Important! Whether or not the amount of water for the soup is specified in the recipe, it's best to be guided by your own preferences (thick or thinner soup you like), as well as the size of your pot and the products taken for cooking. Do not forget that the author has his own opinion on the amount of ingredients in the soup, which may not coincide with yours. In practice, this means that if you are cooking for the first time, you should not boil the whole pan at once. Make soup for tasting - for one or two people. To do this, reduce the amount of all ingredients according to the recipe to 1-2 servings, and take the amount of water from the calculation: from one glass per serving - if the soup is planned to be very thick, up to 1. 5-2 glasses - if more liquid. Do not forget to take into account that some of the liquid will boil away during the cooking process. By tasting a small portion of the soup, you can adjust both the amount of liquid and the proportions of the ingredients to your liking. In the future, like most experienced housewives, you will be able to pour water for soup and lay the ingredients “by eye”.

    Since the degree of salinity, sweetness, bitterness, sharpness, acidity, hotness is individual for everyone, always add spices, spices and seasonings, focusing on your taste! If you are adding any of the seasonings for the first time, then keep in mind that there are spices that are especially important not to shift (for example, chili pepper).

    Lentil contains many micro and macro elements, minerals and vitamins, which make the product very valuable for health. Lentils are enriched with iron, thanks to which a person can maintain normal hemoglobin levels and prevent the development of anemia.

    Learn more