Sweet Potato Fries + the Importance of Starting Finger Foods

and One Fry Recipe to Rule Them All

Once your baby is around 9 months old, finger foods become a key part of their mealtime adventure. (we were a few weeks late to this but YOLO - who’s really keeping track for the 2nd kid)

Not only do they introduce new flavors and textures, but they help develop those tiny motor skills like grasping, pinching, lifting, and guiding food to their mouth all help strengthen coordination and independence. Are you going to want to help them get the food into their mouth, yes. Should you, not really. Is it going to be so hard to watch the food fall onto the floor, absolutely yes. Does it make clean up a royal pain in the butt… also yes. But it gets better soon, I promise!!! (at least that’s what I keep telling myself.

So where to start? Soft foods are the way to go. Think avocado slices, ripe banana, roasted zucchini, or cooked carrot sticks. The goal is to offer something they can pick up easily but that squishes without much effort in their little hands and mouths. And if they somehow shove the entire thing into their mouth, its super soft and falls apart so it’s not insanely panic inducing.

One of our go-to options? Sweet potato fries. They’re soft, naturally sweet, and hold their shape without getting too crispy. Perfect for practicing that pincer grasp and chewing. Plus, they’re a great blank canvas for introducing herbs and spices.

Here are FIVE seasoning combos we love for flavor exploration (skip the salt if you’re keeping things extra low-sodium for baby - but truth be told, I love a little pinch. It makes everything more delish):

• Savory Italian: Dried basil, oregano, garlic powder

• Cheesy and Savory: Parmesan, garlic powder, paprika

• Garlicky Ranch: Dried dill, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley

• Herby + Bright: Lemon zest, chopped parsley, grated Parmesan

• Smoky BBQ Vibes: Smoked paprika, garlic powder, a touch of ground mustard

And now for the fry recipe we’ve made on repeat in our house: