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News - This Month's Superfood - Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a great alternative to ordinary potatoes, rice or pasta with a meal and packed full of healthy nutrients.

They belong to a group of vegetables containing antioxidants alpha and beta-carotene which gives the vegetable its orange colouring. These antioxidants are responsible for mopping up and destroying ‘free radicals’ in our bodies. This basically means trying to eliminate ‘naughty’ rogue cells that can cause illness and disease.

Also the sweet potato has a good supply of Vitamin E, one of the lesser known vitamins, and Vitamin C that aids the absorption of iron from our diets. These vitamins along with the antioxidants are thought to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancers in later life, therefore particularly beneficial to introduce them into the diets of young children.

Sweet potatoes, like normal potatoes can be served in many ways from boiled, mashed, pureed (great as a first weaning food), roast wedges, as part of Mediterranean vegetables or even the base of a nice hearty thick soup. Children often like the sweeter taste of this variety of potato and it can assist in introducing another vegetable packed with healthy vitamins and minerals or eating other vegetables they dislike by serving them together.

Cooking Ideas

Roasted: Cut into small cubes, place in a shallow backing tray, sprinkle with olive oil and cook in a medium oven (approx 200oc) for 30 minutes or until cooked. To add to the flavour herbs like rosemary can be sprinkled on top or add other vegetables like cherry tomatoes, courgettes, carrots, broccoli to make a Mediterranean vegetable dish.

Snack: Cut the sweet potato into finger sized wedges, roast as above and serve as a snack with a tomato dipping source.

Soup: Sweet potato can be the base of a hearty winter soup served at snack time in mugs or cups, introducing the children to different texture and way of eating food. It is fun for them to see the blender in action if there are safe facilities to do so!

Mashing: Grate a very small amount of nutmeg and mix into the mash for added flavour. A great accompaniment for sausages or chicken pieces.

Stew: Sweet potato can be used as a base of a vegetable stew or added to meat casseroles using a basic stock recipe.

Sweet Potato Pancake: in a large bowl mix 2 large grated sweet potatoes, 2 finally chopped carrots, a small finely chopped onion, juice of half a lemon, 2 beaten egg eggs and 3 tablespoons of cornflour.

Warm 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a pan, either poor the mixture in to make a large pancake or spoon in to make small individual pancakes. Cook for approximately 2 minutes each side and serve.

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