Leah's Favorites: Sweet Potato Wedges

Well hello again! I kinda dropped off the blogging world for awhile, but these last few weeks I was thinking that I really should post some of the food and recipes that Leah has been eating recently. That way, when I am racking my brain for toddler food ideas with other little ones down the road, I won't be kicking myself for never recording what I fed Leah.... and maybe I can help someone else out there as well with new ideas for picky eaters.

These last few months, Leah has gone through a rough patch with food. Not only is she allergic to dairy, eggs and peanuts, but she also became very picky in what fruits and veggies she would eat and for about 2 months, refused to eat any kind of meat (now she is back to eating at least ground turkey and ham or turkey lunch meat). Basically, she was a vegan, and I was constantly struggling to come up with meals that she would/could eat and that were nutritionally beneficial to her growing body. I found a few substitutes that she would eat and then had to start getting creative on how to serve the same foods over and over again =)

Instead of cows milk, Leah is drinking coconut milk. I was hesitant about it at first because it doesn't have a lot of nutrients, but now that she is older and milk is not a very big part of her diet, I feel much better about it. Most brands of coconut milk also have added calcium, which is a big plus. She doesn't do yogurt or cheese...wish I could find a substitute (that's affordable and tastes good) for these things as well.

Instead of peanuts butter, I give Leah almond butter. She really doesn't get much of this, but when we need a quick lunch on the go, it is so nice to have an almond butter and jelly sandwich as an option. Occasionally, I also give her a little bit to dip her pretzels into, which she thinks is the best thing ever.

Instead of meats, I was giving Leah lots of beans. She loves black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, and white beans. I had to get creative with how to serve it, but we do lots of mexican dishes, chili's and different kinds of hummus. Leah also loves avacadoes! She eats one almost every day.

So, basically, Leah's diet consists of:

Grains: whole wheat bread, pasta, brown rice, quinioa, oatmeal, pretzels, chex
Veggies: sweet potatoes, avacadoes, peas, broccoli, carrots, beans, cauliflower
Fruits: bananas, apples/applesauce, grapes, kiwi, watermelon, blueberries, cherries, strawberries, pears
Meats: ground turkey, ham/turkey lunch meat

So, I'm going to be posting some of Leah's favorite meals over the next few weeks. Maybe they will be helpful to other mommas looking for toddler friendly meals. Please let me know if you have any suggestions or meals that your toddler just loves. I'm all ears!


I thought I would start with SWEET POTATOES. Seriously. I don't know what I would do without them. Leah loves loves loves sweet potatoes...as long as they are roasted. Heaven forbid you would try to serve them to her any other way. She doesn't eat them if they are baked, mashed or boiled, just roasted =) Luckily, that is also my favorite way to eat them, so I can't really complain! She eats them on almost a daily basis, for lunch or dinner. I love them because they go great with any veggie and meat. The picture above is a typical lunch for Leah - roasted sweet potatoes, broccoli and turkey.

Here is what I do.....

Sweet Potato Wedges

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-2 inch cubes
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Seasonings - Dried Basil, Thyme, Oregano

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Fill a large bowl with cubed sweet potatoes. Swirl enough olive oil to coat the potatoes and add seasonings to your liking.

3. Spread potato mixture evenly onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for 20-30 minutes until potatoes are tender and starting to brown, stirring once or twice.

*I make big batches of these sweet potatoes and freeze them so that I can pull them out for a quick lunch or dinner. If you let them cool completely before freezing them, they tend to not stick together as much when frozen. I defrost them in the microwave for about 45 seconds before serving. They are such a quick and easy part of any meal that Leah eats!