Meal Ideas: Sweet Potato Fries

I guess the title of this post is a little erroneous. I don't mean for this to be a meal by itself, but a good compliment to a meal. In any case, thanks to my Mom for giving me the idea!

What you need:
1 small Sweet Potato
Approx. 1 tsp olive oil
1 pinch of salt (optional)

To Make:
*Cut skin off of sweet potato.
*Cut sweet potato into desired length and thickness for fries. I prefer skinner, smaller pieces because they cook faster and are easier for Elise to eat.
*Put pieces into a bowl and toss with olive oil. The amount of oil you use may vary, depending on the size of your sweet potato. Add a teeny, tiny pinch of salt, if you want.
*I use a toaster oven to make mine. I bake them at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until the sweet potato can easily be pierced by a fork. Make sure you flip the pieces every few minutes or so, or they will burn. (I'm guessing the temp/time would be the same for a conventional oven)
*Let cool, and serve!

Carb Count:
It depends on how much you give to your child. Sweet potatoes have a carb count of 26.8g of carbs per 5.2 oz (according to calorieking.com). So if I give Elise 2 oz. of sweet potato fries, then she is getting about 10g of carbs, using the formula I talked about in this post. I always weigh them after they are cooked.

Why It's a Great Meal:
*Elise will eat it.
*I can make a bunch and re-heat the extras for another meal.
*Cheap to make.
*Easy to make with very little clean-up.
*Sweet potatoes have a low glycemic index rating. That’s because the sweet potato digests slowly, causing a gradual rise in blood sugar.
*Sweet potatoes are a good source of protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium.