How to Cook Sweet Potato for Baby

Sweet potatoes are nutritious foods prepared in many ways; it is not only nutritious but tasty and easy to make, which is why it is a great addition to a kid’s diet. Everyone knows about potatoes‘ soft and mushy texture when they are boiled; just blend this up with some water or extra veggies, and you’re on your way to making a delicious puree for both babies and grown-up kids.

When making baby food from sweet potatoes, the important thing to note is the right consistency for the age range of the baby; in this article, I will be talking about that, I will also be sharing some great tips to note when making a sweet potato baby food, and I’ll be sharing a delicious sweet potato baby food recipe.

Sweet Potato Nutrition Facts

Tips to Note while Making a Sweet Potato Baby Food

Sweet potatoes are delicious and easy to make, especially for babies, but there are still a few tips you should note when making yours which include:

Choosing good potatoes- when shopping for sweet potatoes, look for medium sweet potatoes with an even color without scratches on the surface. The large Potatoes are more starchy and would result in a thick puree.

Adding little spices from time to time- the puree made from baby potatoes usually consists of just sweet potatoes and water, which is just enough for the recipe. Still, from time to time, you could switch up the preparation method, like roasting the potatoes and peeling off the skin before blending to get a sweet caramelized flavor.

Adding some curries, little bits of herbs like cinnamon, crushed dried rosemary, and veggies like Carrots would also improve the food and even your baby’s senses because of the changes; this would also help you know what method of preparation works best for your baby.

The right consistency is the good thing about the potato puree is its flexibility; you could always add more water for a light consistency and less water for a thicker consistency. Sweet potatoes are root vegetables, and root vegetables normally absorb a lot of water, so you’ll have to be mindful when making yours and always feel free to add little quantities of water to get a fine texture and consistency.

Light or thin potato puree is good for babies within the age range of 6-8 months, while the thicker puree is good for babies within the age range of 8 months and above.

Store the extra puree- if you end up making too much potato puree, you could always store them In a refrigerator or freezer; it would last for about four days in a refrigerator when stored in an airtight container and last for up to 4 months in a freezer. You should note that the puree should not be frozen again if it was previously in the freezer.

Cooking Methods for Making Sweet Potato as a Baby’s Food

The three most common ways of making a tender sweet potato that could be further mashed to form a puree includes:

Boiling- this method of cooking sweet potatoes is common and easy to follow; it involves placing the sweet potatoes inside a pot containing water that is enough to cover the potatoes, and then it is boiled for about 15-20 minutes or until it is tender when pierced with a fork. After that, the boiled potato chunks are then transferred to a blender and converted to a smooth paste or puree.

Steaming is one of the preferred methods to make a sweet potato puree or baby food. It is almost like boiling, but it involves placing the sweet potatoes above boiling water with a steamer basket. Steaming is one of the guaranteed ways to preserve the nutrients of the sweet potato since it doesn’t require much contact with water and exposure to heat.

Roasting- baking your sweet potato before blending is a good way of adding a sweet caramelized flavor to your puree; this method involves baking the potatoes in an oven, the oven is first preheated to 400°F, and the potatoes are then placed on a baking tray (you could either place them whole with some piercings made on them using a fork or slice them up and place them properly on the baking tray without them overlapping). However, if the potatoes are large, it is advisable to slice them in half.

Bake for about 30- 40 minutes or until tender with the skin wrinkled; once ready, let it cool first before peeling off the skin and blending to a smooth fine consistency.

 

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Cooking Time for a Sweet Potato Baby Food

The table below contains the estimated cooking time for making sweet potatoes as baby food.

Cooking Method

Cooking Time

Blended boiled sweet potatoes

15-20 minutes

Blended Oven-Baked sweet potatoes

30- 40 minutes

Blended steamed sweet potatoes

12-15 minutes

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