Can Babies Eat Yams?

Yams are plants which form edible starchy tubers, cultivated especially in temperate and tropical regions in Africa, Asia, Oceania and in the Caribbean.

In Africa, yams are boiled, fried or roasted before consumption, because African yams contain some substances, which can cause illness, it they are eaten raw.  In some regions of Africa raw yams are left to dry in the sun, and they are milled to get a brown powder, which once mixed with boiling water result in a thick starchy paste, usually eaten with soups and sauces. In Brazil yams are usually boiled and served cut in slices, along with cheese spread as a breakfast option.

In the Philippines and in Indonesia purple yam is used for preparing desserts, while in Vietnam, the same type of yam is used for making soup and for dying cotton clothes. The mountain yam, also known as nagaimo is a type of yam grown in Japan, and it is an exception to the cooking rule. It can be eaten raw and grated. Japanese yams are usually consumed as ingredients in noodles.

Yam is a good source of vitamins C, B5, B1, B9 and for manganese, potassium and phosphorus. It is low in protein content, so it is recommended to add some protein rich food to the diet, in order to aid the healthy growth in children.

Yams In Babies’ Diet

Yams can be given to babies starting at the age of 6 months old. They represent an excellent source of vitamins and important minerals, which help in the healthy development of babies, however you need to serve yams in a combination with protein rich food, as they are low in proteins, which play an important role in muscle and bone development.

Purple Yam Baby Puree

Ingredients: 1 cup of Okinawan sweet potato, ½ tsp of grated ginger, 2 tbsp of canned coconut milk, water.

Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Wash and dry he sweet potato. Prick the outside with a fork a few times to make steam vents then wrap the sweet potato in foil. Put it on a sheet pan and bake it for about 60-90 minutes, until it is soft all the way through. Take the sweet potato out of the oven and let it cool. Put a cup of Okinawan sweet potato into a blender with the coconut milk and ginger, and blend until soft, adding water as needed.