Benefits Of Sweet Potato For A Child

The benefits of sweet potato for the child

In addition to being an excellent source of energy, sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin C. Sweet potato is an easily digestible root, which allows a child to start eating it as soon as they turn six months old.

Another benefit of sweet potato is its sweet taste, which makes it appealing to young children, who are often skeptical of new flavors.

These are just two of the many good aspects of sweet potatoes. We list below the other main benefits of sweet potatoes.

Sweet potatoes strengthen resistance

Sweet potato is rich in vitamin C, which is why it has antioxidant properties and helps to strengthen the child’s resistance.

This is very important for a small child who is at an age where illness should be avoided. By eating sweet potatoes, a child’s risk of catching the flu or other infectious disease is reduced.

Sweet potato contains vitamin D.

Vitamin D is a very important compound for the body as it increases energy, strengthens bones and does good for heart health. Vitamin D is an important factor in a child’s growth and development.

Sweet potatoes are high in energy

Unlike adults, young children need to gain weight quickly – especially during the first year of life. During this time, the child grows faster than at any other stage of his life. The child’s weight triples during the first year of life, and he or she grows in two years to an average length of 30 to 40 centimeters. For such growth to be possible, a child needs enough calories.

100 grams of sweet potatoes contains about 90 kilocalories, which makes sweet potatoes one of the best options for the food of a child who needs more weight.

Sweet potato is a source of vitamin A.

In addition to the vitamins C and D we have already mentioned, sweet potatoes are also rich in vitamin A. The content of vitamin A in sweet potato is almost the same as in carrots.

Vitamin A precursor beta-carotene prevents vision problems, certain types of cancer, and cardiovascular disease.

Sweet potatoes are also a good option for expectant mothers

Sweet potato is also an excellent food for the expectant mother thanks to the folic acid it contains. Folic acid improves brain function and prevents the onset of certain diseases.

Ways to make sweet potatoes

One of the advantages of sweet potatoes is that it can be used to prepare many different dishes in different ways. In order to get the most out of sweet potatoes, it is advisable to follow the following guidelines when preparing them.

• Use very little water to cook the sweet potatoes. The reason for this is that water absorbs some of the mineral salt. Most of the nutrients in sweet potatoes are inside the root.
• Wash and peel the sweet potato before feeding it to the baby. This makes it easier for a child’s body to digest sweet potatoes.
• A good way to make sweet potatoes is to steam it. This preserves as much of the healthy ingredients of sweet potatoes as possible.
• Combine sweet potatoes with other ingredients. After the child is 6 months old, sweet potatoes can be combined with other ingredients such as peas or pumpkin.
• Prepare sweet potato puree. Add a small amount of olive oil to the puree to bring flavor, but do not add salt if the child is less than a year old.

Why should solid foods not be fed to a child under the age of six months?

It is recommended that the expansion of the baby’s diet be started at the earliest when the child is six months old. This means adding new liquid, semi-solid and solid foods to the child’s diet. Before the age of six months, the child receives all the nutrients he or she needs from breast milk or breast milk substitute.

The chance of an allergic reaction is much lower when foods are presented to the child at the right time. In addition to this, your baby may have difficulty sleeping if he or she is fed solid food too early.

Proper nutrition is a vital part of a child’s growth and development, which is why parents need to pay close attention to the nutrition the child is fed. Sweet potatoes are definitely a great option when the child is introduced to solid foods.