Although vegetable purees might not be your baby's favorite, the sweet taste and creamy texture in this Zucchini Sweet Potato Puree will have them wanting more!
When starting solids, it's often best to start with vegetables so your baby doesn't start off getting used to the sweet taste of fruit. At least this is what I was taught!
But I haven't found it to be a rule in real life.
That's because the vegetable food group is so broad that it contains foods of all kinds of different tastes, textures, appearances, and nutritional profiles.
What I have found however is that babies are more likely to refuse bland veggies – the kind that have a high percentage of water so when cooked they are just mushy.
So that's why I love to make this sweet potato puree for a baby. It has this delicious sweet taste and creamy texture that can be paired with pretty much any "bland" veggie. Zucchini being one of them.
So really any sweet potato veggie combo is a winner in our house. But this time I chose to pair it with zucchini (or courgettes for some).
Zucchini Sweet Potato Puree Ingredients
To make this Sweet Potato Puree, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Sweet Potato: it would be best to use organic, but non-organic ones just need a thorough wash and peeling of the skin. We do prefer orange sweet potatoes as they give a great orange color to the puree, but other sorts will also do well in this recipe.
- Zucchini (courgette): similar as to the sweet potatoes, you'd want to choose organic ones. That way you don't need to peel off the skin for babies under 8 months of age. Non-organic ones would need thorough washing and peeling.
Zucchini Sweet Potato Puree Nutritional Benefits
- Sweet Potato: they're one of the best sources of vitamin A. Actually its precursor beta-carotene which also gives it a nice yellow/orange color. They're also a good source of fiber (so can help as a remedy for constipation) as well as minerals such as copper, manganese, and potassium.
- Zucchini (courgette): a good source of numerous micronutrients such as vitamins A and C, and minerals manganese, and potassium. They also contain a good amount of carotenoids which act as antioxidants in the body and promote good overall health.
- Olive oil: this is our go-to fat and oil in most cases. It has such a perfect fatty acid profile which consists mostly of monounsaturated acids which make olive oil one of the best foods that promote heart health. And add some more calories to this puree recipe.
How To Make Zucchini Sweet Potato Puree
Wash and peel. Especially if you have a non-organic sweet potato and zucchini they'll both need thorough washing and peeling of the skin. This is to ensure that no pesticide residues go into our Sweet Potato Vegetable Puree.
If you have organic ones, then peeling off the sweet potato and zucchini (courgette) skins might not be necessary but if you're offering to a child younger then 8 months, I'd recommend peeling them nonetheless.
Babies that have just started eating solids could have a hard time digesting the skins even in puree form which might cause tummy issues that can easily be avoided.
Cut. This Sweet Potato Vegetable Puree requires thermal processing (e.g. cooking, steaming, baking, etc.) and will later be processed into a puree so it really doesn't matter how you cut them.
I just cut them into cubes so that they fit easily into my baby cooker, but if you're baking, steaming over a pot, or boiling, I'd say bigger bits will also do.
Process. I prefer steaming the sweet potato and zucchini. That's because steaming is the process that retains the most nutrients in foods. And the best investment I made into my baby's nutrition was buying a baby cooker. I have this one but really any that steams and blends (2 in 1) is perfect.
You can also cook in water (don't put too much water) or bake in the oven.
I don't really like baking because it dries up the foods too much so they don't have that nice creamy texture in the end. But in this recipe it might just work if the zucchini is not over baked.
If steaming or cooking, make sure to leave the water from the steaming/cooking process to add to the puree if needed.
Cool. I prefer to let it sit and cool for about 10 minutes before blending. But if you're in a hurry you can blend immediately.
Blend. Put all the ingredients in the blender (don't forget the olive oil!) and blend until a smooth consistency is reached.
You might need to add some water (teaspoon by teaspoon) to reach a smooth puree consistency, although I never had to. The zucchinis contain enough water to provide that consistency.
Possible Zucchini Sweet Potato Puree Variations
Mashed. If you’re over the puree stage or transitioning from purees to finger food then this recipe is great if you modify the “how-to” part. You’d still want to follow all the how-to instructions until you reach the "blend". Instead of blending simply mash, add some olive oil, and mix.
Lumps. If you’re just a step away from finger food, you can also blend or mash one half of the cooked/steamed/baked sweet potato and zucchini and then leave the rest in pieces before mixing together. Don't forget to add the olive oil! That way your child will get used to new textures.
Finger food. Both the sweet potato and zucchini can be great finger foods. When cutting them before steaming/cooking/baking, choose longer and thinner sticks if your baby is still on the palmar grasp or cut into cubes if they've mastered the pincer grasp. I'd recommend baking here as the zucchini will be much firmer and therefore easier for your child to hold.
More Puree Recipes You Will Like:
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Zucchini Sweet Potato Puree for Baby
Ingredients
- 1 medium-sized sweet potato
- 1 medium-sized zucchini (courgette)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil extra virgin
Instructions
- Wash the sweet potato and zucchini
- Peel both the sweet potato and zucchini
- Cut into cubes and either put in a baby cooker or over boiling water to steam
- Steam for about 20 minutes (until soft) or until the baby cooker is finished
- Make sure to keep the water from the steaming
- Allow to cool for about 10 minutes
- Put in a blender and add the olive oil
- Blend until smooth
- If required, add water teaspoon by teaspoon until the desired consistency is reached
Silvia Ascencion
Can we freeze this? If so, for how long?
Ana
Hi Silvia,
Yes, you can freeze it for 3 months.