Sweet Potato - The Perfect First Baby Food

May, June and July are the perfect months to buy sweet potato in Australia. For maximum goodness - chose ones with orange flesh because they are very rich in beta carotene and other carotenoids, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Folate (one of the B complex vitamins). Sweet potato can be introduced as one of the first foods for babies and can be prepared in lots of different ways.

Because you may only use small amounts at a time in your recipes - I thought it might be worth mentioning that you should store your sweet potato in a cool, dark place with good ventilation and use it within 2 weeks. It's best not to store it in the refrigerator.

Here are some ideas for using sweet potato in your baby purees

"Super Yummy" Veggie Puree

1 or 2 slices of sweet potato - peeled and chopped

1 carrot - peeled and chopped

1 handful of baby spinach leaves (adding spinach with sweet potato is a perfect way to introduce the taste to your baby)

1 small knob butter or a drip of olive oil *(optional)

300ml water

Place chopped veggies in Bébédelice steaming basket
Pour water into heating chamber
Turn knob to ‘steaming’ position & press ‘on’ button
Tip steamed veggies with a small knob of *butter or a *drip of olive oil into blender compartment and blend for 10 seconds or until smooth. If smoother consistency required tip some of the captured cooking liquid in with the vegetables. Spoon a little into your baby’s bowl and serve lukewarm.

* I was always told by my nurse that babies need some fat in their diet to help with the development of their brains. But - I have left this as optional because you can leave it out. I will do some more research on this and will write a blog on "fats" for babies soon.

When your babies is ready to start eating meat (around 8 months) then some lean beef is a great addition to the above puree. You could also add tofu as an alternative to meat. Remember Leanne Cooper's tip that an easy guide for how much protein your bub may need is to offer an amount that is about the same width and thickness as their palm!

There are lots of other veggies you can add with sweet potato such as zucchini, leek, peas, cauliflower, broccoli etc, etc. Some people also cook sweet potato with cinnamon as a puree for babies. I haven't tried this because I think sweet potato has enough flavor on its own - but you might like to try it.

Best go and get cooking. I think I will make lamb and sweet potato for our dinner tonight. mmmmmmm

Jennifer x