Food for Postpartum: the mighty sweet potato

When I am asked what foods can be nourishing and easy to prepare postpartum, sweet potatoes always top my list. I love that they are nutrient dense and have a pleasing hint of sweetness that makes a nice contribution in a variety of recipes.

As part of Nested Mama’s prenatal doula support services, I offer meal prep assistance to stock your freezer before baby. And postpartum, I’m happy to prepare you a hot meal and then hold your little one so you can eat it with two hands while it is still warm.

Today I’m sharing with you some of my favorite recipes that I make frequently in my house and recommend to my doula clients. All of these are low-effort and packed with veggies and protein - which makes them a double win.

Skillet Sweet Potato Chicken Hash with Eggs from Skinnytaste
This one-pan meal is packed with plenty of protein and nourishing sweet potato. It comes together quickly and requires minimal attention while cooking, which is ideal at busy times.

PO-TACOS from Weelicious
With a base of roasted sweet potatoes, Po-tacos are great for using up leftover chili, shredded chicken breast, or topped with a variety of meat, beans, cheese, guacamole, or whatever you have on hand. Our family really enjoys them with plain greek yogurt, ground sausage, pesto, and asparagus.  And, it has the added bonus of letting your kiddos customize what toppings they like, which always increases mealtime enthusiasm at our house.

One-pan Sausage with Sweet Potato and Asparagus from Primavera Kitchen
I love a good sheet pan dinner - throw it in the oven and your work is done. Clean up is simple, too. Here, the flavors of the three ingredients pair so well and can be prepped in just a few minutes.

Crockpot Beef and Sweet Potato Stew
This stew also works well in the a pressure cooker, which means you can prep and freeze ahead of time. When ready to use, just a quick thaw and a drop in the pressure cooker give you a delicious stew with relatively little effort. The combo of cinnamon and apricots really sets this apart from other stews, making it a nutritious option for comfort food.

Got a favorite sweet potato recipe? I’d love to know! Drop it in the comments below.
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