Benefits Of Sweet Potato In Babies
There are many benefits of sweet potatoes when it is integrated into the diet of babies. Besides being very healthy, it gets a good reception from the little ones and they don’t put too much trouble ingesting it. Therefore, we present the virtues of this food in children’s meals.
Benefits of sweet potato in children’s diet
In addition to being a source of energy, the sweet potato contains high amounts of vitamin C, it is easy to digest and children can begin to ingest it from six months of age.
Another of its benefits is that its sweet touch pleases babies and it is easy to integrate it into their meals. In addition to these, we can list other very important advantages of sweet potatoes:
Boosts the immune system
Sweet potatoes contain large amounts of vitamin C, so they have antioxidant properties and can help strengthen the immune system, according to an article published in the journal “Nutrients.” This benefit is very important for young babies, because they are at an age when they must avoid getting sick. Eating sweet potatoes may lower your chances of catching a cold.
Contains vitamin D
Vitamin D is very good for the body because it helps increase energy, strengthen bones and generate many benefits to the heart, according to the magazine “In Vivo.” This supplement is also known as the ‘sunshine vitamin’; It is very necessary for the development and growth of the little ones.
High calorie food
Unlike adults, babies need to gain weight more quickly, since they are in full growth. Sure, always exercising adequate weight control.
Each 100 grams of sweet potato contains around 90 calories, making it one of the best options for the child to gain more weight.
Good supply of vitamin A
Besides all the vitamins mentioned above, the sweet potato also has a high amount of vitamin A; in fact, it is almost as tall as that of the carrot.
Beta-carotene, which is generated with this vitamin, helps prevent eye problems and cardiovascular disorders, according to an article published in the journal “Scientific Reports.” For that reason, sweet potatoes with orange pulp are more recommended than those with yellow or white pulp.
Great food for pregnancy
Due to its great contribution of folic acid, they also recommend taking it during pregnancy, especially when the requirements of this supplement are quite high. In addition, it helps improve brain functions and prevents different types of diseases.
Sweet potato preparation methods
Another of the qualities of this food is that it has multiple ways of being prepared. However, for babies to get the full potential of all the benefits of sweet potatoes, they must be prepared following some guidelines.
- They should be cooked with little water, because part of the mineral salts remain in the cooking broth. Most of the nutrients are found inside the tuber.
- It is important to peel and wash them before the baby eats them, because they are much easier to digest.
- Another method of cooking them is steaming, which causes the nutrients to be better preserved.
- Starting at six months of age, you can start combining sweet potatoes with other foods such as peas or zucchini.
- Sweet potatoes can also be pureed with a tablespoon of olive oil, but should not be salted until the baby is one year old.
Why wait to start solid foods?
To begin integrating sweet potatoes into babies’ diet, parents must wait until they are 6 months old. This is because your little one gets all the nutrients he needs from breast milk or fortified baby formula.
Even the chances of a baby acquiring an allergic reaction when eating a food are much lower if it starts in the right time. In addition, the little one will have problems falling asleep if he begins to receive solid foods early in his meals.
Feeding babies is essential for their development and growth; therefore, parents must take into account whether they are integrating the right foods into the baby’s diet or on the contrary, they are not getting the nutrients their body requires. The sweet potato, in short, is a good option when starting with solid foods.
