Once your baby has crossed the breastfeeding stage, you can include a range of solid foods in his/her diet. During this time, weight gain in babies is one of the important features you should monitor regularly to know if your baby is physically and mentally healthy. This article talks about foods that aid your baby’s weight gain. Read on to know more.
Before focusing on foods that cause weight gain in babies, you should know the reasons for your baby’s lack of weight gain. This is critical because your baby has to grow to a certain extent at each stage to ensure his/her complete physical and mental development. Usually, babies are underweight because of the following reasons:
• Being very particular about the choice of foods he/she eats
• Eating very slowly
• An underlying illness
• Hyperactive baby, but not having enough food to meet these high energy levels
• Lack of appetite
• Lots of distractions while eating
Talk to your doctor if your baby is underweight, and he/she will check for one of the above factors to devise proper treatment. In addition, you should include the following foods that help in healthy weight gain in babies.
A 1-year baby weight gain food chart will contain most foods listed here. These foods are highly nutritious and provide your baby with the much-needed nourishment to put on weight quickly.
If your baby is less than 6 months old, you shouldn’t feed him/her anything other than breastmilk. Add foods like garlic, spinach, nuts, chickpeas, milk, etc., to your regular diet to increase your milk supply. Ensure you include a lot of healthy proteins in your meal. This way, you can feed your baby more breastmilk than before and eventually help him/her put on weight.
Bananas can be given to your child once you have started him on solids. Mash about ½ ripe banana in a bowl. Mix it with a few drops of milk or ghee. Feed this to your baby slowly.
A glass of boiled, lukewarm, full-fat creamy milk in the morning and evening can bring about weight gain in babies. This milk is rich in calories, calcium, and other essential vitamins and vital minerals, thereby promoting natural nourishment in babies.
Sweet potatoes are rich in fibre, and help in natural weight gain in babies. Boil and mash them well before feeding your baby. Sweet potatoes don’t cause any strain on your baby’s digestive system as well.
As they are rich in protein, eggs are one of the first foods you should consider for the natural nourishment of your baby. From 6 to 8 months, you can feed only a small portion of the yolk part of the boiled eggs. However, after he/she is about 1 year old, you can start giving your baby 1 full boiled egg every day.
You can add 1 teaspoon of pure cow ghee to your baby’s food. It not only enhances the taste of the foods but also induces weight gain in babies. Ghee also clears the digestive tract of babies.
You can include all types of lentils one by one in your baby’s diet. However, ensure that the lentils are cooked well before giving them to your baby. Lentil soup, mashed lentil rice with a dash of ghee, etc., are good options if you want your baby to gain weight.
Rice is rich in carbohydrates; hence, it can promote weight gain in babies. Boiled and mashed rice can be mixed with ghee, salt, and dal to make a staple lunch for your baby. You can also mix mashed rice with a few spoons of milk and sugar to introduce different flavours to your baby.
Rich in probiotics, yoghurt is an excellent choice to help your baby put on weight. You can feed a bowl of yoghurt mixed with salt to your baby as a healthy snack, or you can add yoghurt to mashed rice as well. Essential minerals, like calcium, present in yoghurt, play a significant role in the overall nourishment of your baby.
Since they are full of healthy monounsaturated fats, avocados are great for helping babies gain weight. Mash a ripe avocado well, and feed about ½ of it to your baby daily to see the results. You can also add mashed avocado to your baby’s regular food.
Tracking your baby’s weight at regular intervals will help you understand if he/she is on the right path of physical and mental development. If your baby is less than 6 months old, you can alter your diet to improve your breastmilk supply to ensure your baby gets enough milk at all times. If you have started solids for your baby, you should remember to include foods rich in proteins, healthy fats, and essential vitamins and minerals in his/her diet. This gives babies the natural nourishment they need and helps improve weight gain in babies. Also, make sure to secure your baby’s future by investing in the right health insurance policy.
To know more about Wellness and other health related tips, visit the wellness corner.
Source: acko.com, cheerschildcare.com
Disclaimer: This blog provides general information and discussions about health and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this blog, website or any linked materials are not intended and should not be considered or used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Kindly contact your doctor before starting a new medicine or health regime.
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Published on December 9, 2024