Introducing sweet potato as an early food for your baby is really beneficial. Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, soft, and full of key nutrients babies need to grow.
Starting around 6 months, you can serve mashed, pureed, or boiled sweet potato. It’s rich in vitamins A, B, and C plus fiber, potassium and beta-carotene. These all help the baby’s development.
Because the flavor and texture appeal to little ones right away, mixing sweet potato with vegetables they don’t love as much encourages healthy, balanced eating habits early on.
So sweet potato makes an ideal first food. It’s easy for babies to eat and digest while packing a nutritious boost. Focus on serving it plain or mixed with other vegetables or fruits. Then watch your little one grow!
Is it better to steam or boil sweet potatoes for baby?
There are lots of healthy ways to cook sweet potatoes for your baby to eat starting at 6 months old. You can boil, bake, steam or stir-fry sweet potato to serve as an easy-to-eat puree or mash without lumps.
Focus on well-cooked sweet potato that is very soft all the way through but not watery. Then mash or blend it to make the perfect first food for your little one.
Also, both steaming and boiling are great methods for cooking sweet potatoes to serve to babies.
Here’s a comparison between them –
Steaming
Pros
Cons
Boiling
Pros
Cons
For the highest nutrient retention, steaming is slightly better. But boiling is totally fine too. The most important thing is that the sweet potato comes out very soft all the way through for the baby’s still-developing digestive system. Either cooking method works great! Choose what’s easiest for you.
Benefits of Sweet Potatoes for Babies
Sweet potatoes are a tasty root veggie enjoyed worldwide. They’re not exactly like regular potatoes, but they share a similar name. Sweet potatoes have their own unique nutrients. Let’s see why they’re great for babies –
1. Vitamin A and Beta-Carotene Boost
Sweet potatoes are an awesome choice for your baby’s food, loaded with Vitamin A crucial for healthy eyes. They’re also rich in beta-carotene, a compound that turns into Vitamin A in the body.
2. Builds Immunity
Vitamin C and E boost immunity and fight infections common in infants. These vitamins are superheroes against the common cold and infections that little ones often catch. Plus, they contribute to healthy and radiant skin.
3. Mineral Powerhouse
Sweet potato provides essential minerals for bone-building like calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. Sweet potatoes are a one-stop shop for essential minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc.
These minerals play key roles in developing and fortifying your baby’s bones. On top of that, nutrients like iron and vitamin B6 in sweet potatoes can help prevent anemia.
4. Prevent Constipation
In every 100 grams of sweet potatoes, you’ll find approximately 3 grams of fiber. This fiber helps prevent constipation while maintaining a healthy digestive tract and gut in babies. The fiber also promotes healthy bowel movements and digestion for your little one.
5. Good Calories for babies
On top of the digestive benefits, sweet potatoes offer great nutrient value with minimal fat and calories.
Each 100-gram serving packs about 86 calories and 0.1 grams of fat. So babies get nothing but beneficial calories that aid physical development, especially for underweight infants.
Can Babies Be Allergic to Sweet Potatoes?
Sweet potatoes are not considered a common allergenic food and generally do not cause allergic reactions in babies. This makes them a great veggie to introduce during the transition to solid foods.
However, some mild side effects can occasionally occur. The most common include a bit of stomach gas, bloating, or indigestion since babies’ digestive systems are still maturing. Babies may spit up more frequently too.
If the sweet potatoes had dirt or bacteria on them, more troubling symptoms like vomiting and diarrhoea are possible. But thoroughly washing sweet potatoes helps prevent this issue.
For most babies, sweet potato causes no reactions at all and provides great nutrition early on. Focus on proper storage and washing and start slow with just a little bit to watch for any discomfort.
How to Cook Sweet Potatoes for Baby?
When preparing food for your baby, a crucial step is to thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables before peeling or cutting them, and sweet potatoes are no exception. Ensure you clean them really good to remove any dirt, then peel the skin to reveal the soft-textured flesh. Let’s see further process –
1. Steaming: Steam brings a special tenderness. Peel, and slice sweet potatoes in half, place in a pan with shallow water, and steam on medium for 20-25 minutes until they’re tender. Use a steaming rack for that classic steamed veggie taste and look.
2. Baking: Make sweet potatoes soft and tasty by preheating the oven to 200ºC. Poke holes in them, bake for 45 minutes until they’re as soft as you like. Cut them in half, scoop out the insides, and mash or puree.
3. Boiling: The easy way. Peel sweet potatoes, and toss them in a pressure cooker for three or four whistles. You can also chop them into pieces before cooking. Save the water to use in making sweet potato puree or mash.
4. Roasting: For a straightforward and flavorful choice, begin by preheating your oven to 200°C. Remove the skin from the sweet potatoes and cut them into small cubes. Coat them evenly in a small amount of olive and here you go.
How to Store Sweet Potato?
Choose sweet potatoes with smooth and bright skin, little blemishes, and uniform color. Avoid those with deep holes or cuts, as they might have worms. Check for any discoloration or oozing, especially if not stored well. Buy from a trustworthy market, preferably organic, to avoid pesticides.
No need to put sweet potatoes in the fridge; keep them at room temperature. Eat them within a week.
For longer storage, keep them in a cool, dark, and dry place, like a cellar at around 15ºC. But don’t keep them for more than a month.
Store Cooked Sweet Potato Puree
For refrigeration, transfer the sweet potato puree into an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for a maximum of three days.
If freezing is your choice, spoon the puree into ice-cube trays and let them freeze until solid. Once fully frozen, easily remove the cubes and transfer them to a freezer bag or container before placing them back in the freezer.
Quick Recipe of Sweet Potato for Babies
Want to make yummy sweet potato purees for your baby’s first foods? These easy recipes let you give your little one all the deliciousness of sweet potatoes in a smooth, easy-to-eat form.
Look for firm, fresh sweet potatoes without bruises or soft spots. The variety – orange, yellow, purple – doesn’t matter. They all pack great nutrition.
1. Sweet Potato Puree
Mixing carrots and sweet potatoes not only enhances eyesight but also provides a Vitamin A boost. Perfect for babies transitioning to mixed foods.
Ingredients
1 medium sweet potato
1 cup water
Instructions
1. Begin by dicing the sweet potatoes into small, manageable pieces.
2. In a pot add diced sweet potatoes while adding one cup of water. And give it a boil.
3. Once it has cooked thoroughly, allow it to cool to a safe temperature.
4. Use a blender to convert boiled sweet potato into soft puree. This enhances the texture and ensures that the dish is suitable for babies who have just started exploring foods.
2. Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup
This yummy soup has a healthy broth full of protein to help your baby grow. It’s great for babies trying non-vegetarian foods.
Ingredients
Boneless chicken
Water
1 sweet potato
Instructions
1. First, boil boneless chicken and sweet potatoes separately until they are soft and fully cooked. Remember to save the chicken stock; it comes in handy later.
2. Peel the sweet potatoes and then slice them into small pieces. Put them in a blender along with the cooked chicken pieces. Add some chicken stock to achieve the desired consistency and blend the mixture.
3. After blending thoroughly, pour this puree into a bowl, and there you have it—your homemade sweet potato and chicken baby food is ready to go.
3. Sweet Potato and Banana Mash
This mash is perfect for babies aged 6 months and above.
Ingredient
Sweet potatoes
Bananas
Water
Instructions
1. Bake or steam the sweet potatoes and mash them.
2. Add finely chopped banana pieces to the mashed sweet potatoes.
3. Mix and use water to get the right consistency.
4. Your sweet potato and banana baby food is ready! If your baby prefers purees, blend the mixture until smooth.
Conclusion
Both steaming and boiling are great methods for cooking sweet potatoes to serve to babies. Steaming retains a bit more nutrients and natural sweetness. However, boiling is the most basic preparation using just a pot and water, so very easy to control consistency.
Super soft sweet potatoes are key for happy baby tummies! Just cook them until a fork easily pokes through, and don’t worry about perfect methods. Use whatever works best in your kitchen.
