21 Best Foods for Healthy Weight Gain in Babies
When the baby is born the most generic question goes like, “What’s the baby weight? “. Well, that’s the importance of weight for babies’ health from day one. The weight gain in babies and health are interrelated and always reciprocating, but note that lean babies do not mean to be weak. Active babies reaching all their milestones on time are much healthy.
Once the little baby reaches or nears 6 months the mother would have done a whole lot of research on what, how, when are the questions on the food that is supposed to be given to the baby. We are here with 21 such most important foods for weight gaining in babies and toddlers. Well, the list is endless but to shortlist these are in the top 20 not to part off with. Let’s know more on 21 Best Foods for Healthy Weight Gain in Babies & Toddlers.
21 Best Foods for Healthy Weight Gain in Babies
1. Breast Milk
Breast Milk is the topmost weight-gaining food for the newborn baby. A mother must ensure breastfeeding the baby every 2 hours and also ensure that your baby is taking long and sufficient feeds. It’s important for a mother to have nutritious foods and take supplements if suggested by her doctor. Check this article to know how to increase breastmilk naturally.
2. Potato
Rich in carbohydrates Potatoes is a good source of Vitamin C and B6, Phosphorus. Potatoes are great weaning foods due to their soft consistency, less allergic, and everybody’s favorite weight-gaining food. It’s not difficult for babies to digest this but it’s always good to start in lesser quantity. A tip, introduce any new food in the morning so that it’s easy to monitor allergies if any.
Food Form: Purees, Khichdi, with Rice, Potato Mash, Rice and Potato balls, Pancake and Soups. Click here to see Recipes with Potato for Babies
3. Sweet Potato
Sweet Potato is extremely tasty and healthy, easy to cook and mash it’s an excellent first food for the baby. Sweet Potatoes are rich in Vitamin A, Calcium, and Folate. The best time to serve it is for breakfast or lunch.
Food Form: Purees, Khichdi, Pancake, and Soups. Click and check here for Recipes with Sweet Potato for Babies
4. Banana
Power-packed with dietary fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and a very good source of Vitamin B6, and is an energy-dense nutritious food. Helping in digestion and easily digestible Bananas are a whooping 100 + calories contributor just in a single piece. Great finger food and an immunity booster providing instant energy to babies and kids.
Food Forms: Pancakes, mixed porridge, purees, smoothies, cakes, shakes, desserts, and pudding Click here for Recipes with Banana for Babies.
5. Ghee
When it comes to good health and the right way of nutrition in babies, Ghee is one of the best healthy options one can have. Ghee for babies is equally important as any other food. Though the right amount of Ghee or clarified butter is very much required in the daily diet, it’s always good to start with the babies. Homemade ghee free of adulteration is best to start with for increasing immunity as well.
Food form: Add it to porridges, hot rice, Sathumavu, breakfast menu like khichdi and dosas, idly and few desserts
6. Ragi
Ragi, Nachni, or Finger Millet in short it’s the bone-building Calcium-rich, Iron-rich fiber-rich food for the baby. Perfect first food for baby to toddler to kids and to include the adults as well. Easily digestible and a great immunity booster this is a must to include for the babies diet for a healthy weight gain
Food Form: Ragi cereal or porridge, Ragi milk, Ragi dosa, Ragi idlis, Ragi roti, Ragi ladoos, Ragi cake and cookies, Sathumavu, Ragi health drink for milk, Ragi lassi the list is endless. Click for Ragi Recipes for Babies
At the Tots & Moms store, we have sprouted ragi powder, do check out
7. Coconut Oil
Good source of weight gain and easily digestible can be used while cooking baby food. Good for internal and external use, available specifically for both purposes. Ensure to buy pure and organic coconut oil for babies, check here.
Food form: Use few drops of it for cooking any baby food.
8. Fruits
Ideal for healthy weight gain and nourishment for the baby. Power-packed with nutrients and minerals it’s a highly important part to consume and feed at least one fruit for the baby. The fiber content in fruits helps keep the baby’s gut health too.
Food form: Raw slice and eat directly, fruits salad, fruits smoothies, fruit shakes, purees, and the list is endless for fruits. Click here for recipes using Fruits.
9. Yogurt
Most of all dairy products can be given to babies below a year. Curd or yogurt for babies can be introduced as early as 6 months. Providing good nutrition, Calcium, vitamins, and great weight gain properties. Yogurt is easily digestible due to the bacteria present in it. Avoid market available Yogurt especially flavored due to its high sugar presence.
Food form: Curd rice, smoothies, buttermilk, fruit-flavored Yogurt, lassi with Palm sugar, or Organic Jaggery powder. Click here for recipes using yogurt for babies.
10. Egg
High in Protein, saturated fats, Vitamins, and minerals Eggs are perfect for baby growth and development. Regulates nervous system and Brain. Consulting a doctor for introducing Egg before 1 year is advisable. Starting with yolk at 10 months + is safe if introducing before 1 year.
Food form: Boiled Egg, Scrambled Egg, Egg omlette, Egg rice or french toast, Egg dosa, desserts, pudding, and cakes. Click here for Recipes with Eggs for babies
11. Avocado
Healthy fat and rich in calories and dietary fibers, Avacado is rich in minerals and Vitamins. This is a great nutrition source for weight gain in babies. You can introduce eggs as early as 6 months for babies.
Food form: mash, puree, milkshakes, smoothies, flavored yogurt, sliced and cubed we can consume as it is, desserts, purees, and dips.
12. Oats
Oats is the only cereal that contains legume-like protein and assists gain muscle and body mass in babies and kids. Oats can be included in babies’ diet from 6 months due to the high fiber content in them which makes them easily digestible.
Food form: Porridge, Pancake, Cookies, Khichdi. Click here to find recipes with Oats for Babies.
Click here for Oats Based Products from Tots & Moms
13. Pulses
Pulses help in healthy weight gain in babies and kids due to the high calories present in them. Rich in Proteins, Calcium, fiber, and iron it’s heavily nutritious and easily digestible. The essential fatty acids present in them initiates brain development. Ideal to be given at breakfast or lunchtime.
Food form: Dal khichdi, dal soup, dal halwa, south Indian dishes like idly, dosa and sambar, dal rice and sambar. Click here for easy recipes with Pulses for babies.
14. Butter
Butter being the richest source of fat helps in brain development and baby’s physical development. It is packed with healthy calories and loaded with Vitamins too. Ensure that you buy only plain butter or unsalted butter for babies.
Food form: Can be added to Khichdi, soups, porridges, sandwiches, garnished on chapathis and parathas it’s the best ways to introduce butter.
15. Full Fat Milk
For toddlers, you can give a glass of milk daily and ensure that you give full-fat milk without adding any water or removing cream. The growing kids need the healthy fat present in milk and hence this is important. Note that for babies less than 1 year its only mother’s milk or formula is suggested, however, you can include other dairy products as mentioned earlier.
Food form: Shakes, fruit shakes, custard, desserts, payasam.
16. Cheese
Milk products rich in Proteins and Calcium, Vitamins D, C making it a good source for weight gain. Cubes or slices its a good finger food and with a good texture making it smooth and tempting for the kids to resist, it’s definitely benefiting for the growth and weight gain in babies.
Food form: Slices or cubes right from the packet we can give as finger food, sandwiches, and fruit salads. Click here to check Cheese recipes for babies.
17. Dry fruits, Nuts, and Seeds
Almonds, cashew nuts, walnuts, raisins, pista, dried apricots, and seeds like sesame seeds, pumpkins seeds, flax seeds, and melon seeds are power-packed with healthy essential fat helping in gain weight. These are great immunity boosters and good for brain development too. Dry fruits can be made to Dry Fruits Powder and stored and one can add them in various desserts, fruits, purees, and milk mixes that can be given to the babies and kids. This is definitely food for weight gain in babies and kids.
Food form: Add it to porridges, Health mixes, Sathumavu, Cereals, desserts, milkshakes, payasam, dry fruits laddoo, in milk, and seeds to the bread, salads, and snacks. Click here for more recipes with Dry Fruits and Nuts.
Click here to buy Dry Fruits Powder and Nuts & Seeds Powder from the Tots & Moms Store.
18. Kerala Banana
Kerala Banana porridge prepared from natural Kerala Banana Powder or Kannan Kaya powder from the land of Ayurveda is an ideal food for weight gain in babies. Health Benefits and Medicinal Uses are its easily digestible early food, doesn’t cause cough or cold, acts as a treatment of indigestion due to its high content of dietary fiber. In short Kerala Banana is a power-packed nutritious food for babies and toddlers.
Food Form: Porridge, Halwa, Milkshake, Dessert. Click here to see Recipes using Kerala Banana for Babies.
Buy Kerala Banana Powder online from our Organic Baby Food Store.
19. Chickpeas
Chickpeas or Kabuli Chana or Garbanzo beans are incredibly nutritious for the baby, toddler, kids, well for adults too. Chickpeas are packed with protein, making them a highly desirable part of a vegetarian diet. Rich source of fiber, iron, folate, manganese, zinc.
The fiber in chickpeas is insoluble, it’s actually important for healthy colon function and helps prevent colon cancer in later life. Protein content available is very essential for their muscle development in the body, good for bone growth, mainly acts as a laxative, helps in Brain Development, and good eyesight. It can be easily included in Indian Recipes and many recipes of other country’s origin very easily for weight gain in babies and kids.
Food Form: Purees, snacks, patties, health mix, boil and consume, with rice and sambar. Click here to see recipes with Chickpea for Babies.
20. Sathumavu
Sathumavu, Mixed Millets Flour, Sirudhaniyam Sathumavu, Healthy mix powder, Millets energy powder, Millets drink, Ragi health mix, Multi Millets powder or traditionally Ragi seri is the one and only incredible Health mix recipe with combinations of perfect proportions of Millets, Cereals, Pulses, and Dry Fruits to make one energy mix powder or Sathu maavu as it’s traditionally known as. The best nutritious First Food given to babies from 6+ months of age. The health drink or porridge prepared from Sathumavu Health mix is an excellent weight gaining and early food the babies and toddlers. In many parts of India, the whole family wishes to savor this as a health drink.
Food Form: Porridge, health drink, dosas, idly, snacks, baked foods, pakodas, patties, crackers, cookies, etc. Click here to see Recipes with Sathumavu for Babies.
You can buy Sprouted Sattu Mavu, Millets & Nuts from our Organic Baby Food Store TOTS AND MOMS FOODS.
21. Jaggery
Jaggery is a natural sweetener and perfect weight-gaining food for babies. It’s a great immunity booster in babies and toddlers and kids and helps in fighting cough. Aids digestion and prevents constipation. Rich in Iron, minerals and anti-oxidants it’s a good blood purifier and delivers instant energy. Organic Jaggery is the beat to opt and give the toddlers for better natural health. Read here to know when and how much jaggery to use for babies.
Food Form: It can be added to Desserts, purees, savories, milk, purees, south and north Indian foods, health mixes, juices, sweets, etc. Buy Organic Jaggery here.
Video: 21 Healthy Weight Gaining Foods for Indian Babies with recipe links :
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