When you think of ‘convenience’ food for babies, you probably think of jars of commercially prepared puree. But making your OWN baby food really isn’t as difficult – or as time consuming – as you might think. And one of the easiest foods to prepare for your baby is the sweet potato!<\/p>\n
The sweet potato richly deserves its reputation as a ‘superfood’. Ranked the ‘number one healthiest vegetable’ by experts, the sweet potato is an excellent source of vitamin A. It also contains lots of vitamin C and a healthy dose of vitamin B6, iron and fiber.<\/p>\n
What’s more, sweet potatoes are easy for babies to digest, are rarely the cause of any allergic reaction and make a wonderful ‘first food’ (with your doctor’s consent, of course).<\/p>\n
Ideal from around 6 months of age – or earlier if recommended by a medical professional – sweet potatoes can easily be pureed to a smooth texture and have a taste that little ones tend to find very appealing!<\/p>\n
How to prepare sweet potatoes for your baby<\/strong><\/p>\n The easiest method of all is to bake a sweet potato in its skin for around one hour at 375 deg F, until tender. Pierce a hole in the skin before you start to allow the steam to escape as it cooks.<\/p>\n You can then cool the potato to a safe handling temperature, cut in half and scoop out the flesh. Small to medium sized potatoes tend to work best, as larger potatoes may have a ‘woody’ texture and taste less sweet. The flesh is then ready to serve just as it is, or to use in a recipe.<\/p>\n Sweet potatoes may also be peeled, diced then steamed – or boiled in a little water – until tender. Steaming is the best option, as it preserves more of the water-soluble nutrients for your baby. If you choose to boil them, however, then add the cooking water back<\/em> into the puree, to ensure your little one doesn’t miss out on any of the nutrients that may have leached into it.<\/p>\n Cooked, cooled sweet potato dice also make a fantastic finger food, particularly when dusted with a little cinnamon!<\/p>\n Here’s a simple recipe to help you introduce sweet potato to YOUR little one, combining this nutritious veggie with the sweetness of apple.<\/em><\/p>\n Sweet Potato and Apple Puree<\/strong><\/p>\n 1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced<\/p>\n 1 small dessert apple, peeled, cored and diced<\/p>\n 1\/2 cup pure, unsweetened apple juice*<\/p>\n *You could also use a low sodium chicken\/vegetable broth or plain water.<\/p>\n Put the sweet potato and apple dice into a small saucepan.<\/p>\n Pour in the apple juice and bring to the boil.<\/p>\n Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 5 to 10 mins, until the dice are tender.<\/p>\n Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sweet potato and apple dice to a blender and process until smooth, adding as much of the cooking liquid as you wish until baby’s puree is the texture you desire.<\/p>\n Christine Albury is a mother of five and lives in Abaco. She is the owner\/editor of Homemade Baby Food Recipes<\/a> – your complete guide to solid feeding during baby’s first year.<\/p>\n