Pregnancy guidance, in plain English

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are safe and excellent during pregnancy. They are rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C, potassium, and fibre.

Safe to eat
Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are one of the most nutritious vegetables you can eat during pregnancy and are completely safe throughout all three trimesters. They are an outstanding source of beta-carotene — the plant-based form of vitamin A that is converted in the body at a controlled rate and is completely safe in pregnancy, unlike the retinol form of vitamin A found in liver. Beta-carotene is essential for your baby's immune system, vision, and cell development. Sweet potatoes also provide vitamin C, potassium, fibre, and vitamin B6. Their natural sweetness makes them versatile and appealing even when appetite is unpredictable in the first trimester. They can be baked, mashed, roasted, added to curries and soups, or used as a base for a nutritious meal. The skin is edible and nutritious — wash thoroughly before cooking if eating the skin.

What to be aware of

  • Wash sweet potatoes thoroughly before cooking, especially if eating the skin.
  • Sweet potatoes are high in natural sugars — a healthy choice but worth being mindful of alongside other carbohydrates if managing gestational diabetes.
  • Beta-carotene from sweet potatoes is completely safe in pregnancy — it is only retinol (from liver and some supplements) that carries risk.

NHS guidance: https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/vitamins-supplements-and-nutrition/

Pregnancy-safe recipes

These recipes are designed with pregnancy safety in mind.

Baked sweet potato with black beans and feta

Baked sweet potato with black beans and feta

A filling, iron-rich lunch or dinner — beta-carotene from the sweet potato, plant-based iron from the beans, and calcium from the feta.

Pregnancy tip: Pierce the sweet potato several times before baking — this allows steam to escape and gives a fluffy interior. The feta should be from pasteurised milk, which all supermarket feta is.

Ingredients

  • 2 large sweet potatoes
  • 1 x 400g tin black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 50g feta cheese, crumbled
  • Half a red onion, finely diced
  • Juice of half a lime
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • Salt, pepper, and fresh coriander

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Pierce sweet potatoes all over with a fork.
  2. Bake for 45–55 minutes until completely soft when pierced.
  3. Warm black beans with cumin, salt, and pepper in a small pan.
  4. Split the sweet potatoes, fluff the interior with a fork.
  5. Top with black beans, diced onion, crumbled feta, and lime juice.
  6. Scatter with fresh coriander and serve.