Best Food Items That Can Help with Weight Gain in Children

All parents want their children to grow happily and healthily. But one of the challenges of parenthood is to make sure that the children are getting the correct amount of nutrition regularly and healthily gaining weight.

Remember, every child needs to gain weight as they mature and grow, but for some kids, gaining weight becomes a big challenge. This can increase the chances of becoming overweight and developing obesity.

If you want your child to gain a healthy weight, you need to provide them with the right weight gain foods for kids, which are healthy and delicious. Here, in this post, you will learn about some of the best food that will help with weight gain in kids.

Healthy Foods for Weight Gain: Which are They?

Just like there are some unique weight gain foods for men, there are also some food items that will help in increasing the weight of children. They are

  • Potatoes

When you're looking for weight gain foods veg, potatoes are the best option. It contains carbs that get converted into glucose, which the body utilizes for energy. This vegetable contains amino acids, dietary fiber and carbohydrates, which can lead to a healthy weight gain.

Potatoes are tasty and also one of the favorite food items among children. You can mash them up and then serve them as a side dish. Otherwise, you can stir-fry it and add a bit of seasoning to it. You can also treat your children to this vegetable's other variant – sweet potato.

With sweet potato, you can make a lot of things, such as sweet potato fries, sweet potato soup and even sweet potato pancakes. Since both normal and sweet potatoes contain starchy carbohydrates, they will help babies and children to gain weight in a healthy manner.

  • Bananas

When you're looking for weight gain food for babies, bananas are the ones you need. They are viewed as the best source of energy and also contain healthy carbohydrates for increasing the body. Experts say that bananas have 105 calories, which in return makes it a "GO-TO" snack for everyone, even for all those kids who are pretty active.

Children can consume this fruit in the form of fruit salads, eaten directly, milkshakes and creamy desserts. Bananas are always available in every Indian supermarket and will also fall under your budget.

  • Dry Fruits

Dry fruits for Healthy Weight

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The previous generations used to believe in the healing effects of dry fruits. But they are one of the healthiest food items for children to gain weight. These magic portions are not just equipped with crucial nutrients but also increase plenty of fibers.

It will provide your little tots with a lot of calories, which will increase their body weight. Apart from increasing weight, dry fruits will also increase your kid's immunity. You can grind these dry fruits to create a homemade powder, which can mix it up with milk.

Otherwise, you can give them to your kids as a snack while they conduct their favorite activities. Pistachios, dates, apricots, almonds and cashews are some of the popular dry fruits that you can give your kids.

  • Tofu

Tofu is a unique food item and contains essential amino acids, calcium, protein, selenium, plant-based iron, phosphorus, and manganese. This nutrient-dense food product contains high levels of healthy fats and proteins, which will help with weight gain in kids. Tofu contains 76 energy, 8.08 grams of protein and 4.8 grams of fat.

  • Jaggery

Jaggery is a non-refined sugar, and it's much more-healthier than refined sugar. It's prepared from date palm and sugarcane juice. Jaggery contains all the important minerals, such as iron, which are collected during the preparation work, which involves the usage of iron vessels.

So, if you wish to add some extra calories to your kid's diet, you should opt for organic jaggery for all the delicacies that they love. But make sure not to overuse it because it can have some similar effects, just like refined sugar.

  • Healthy Beverages

Healthy Beverages for health weight

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Making smoothies with substantive ingredients, such as nut butter, fat yoghurt or coconut milk, will surely help your kids gain weight. Another great beverage option for weight gain foods for toddlers is hot cocoa with whole milk. It will not taste delicious but will also increase their body weight.

You can also provide your little tots with protein shakes paired up with nut butter, protein powder, chocolate milk or avocado. But it will be much better to opt for homemade shakes that will contain all the natural ingredients.

  • Lentils and Beans

Lentils and beans contain high levels of protein. They are a great weight gain food Indian option and are highly beneficial for children. 

Experts say that every 100 grams of lentils and beans contain 300 calories.

Beans are viewed as an outstanding source of soluble fiber that cures irritable mood swings and regulates blood sugar levels. If your kid is a fussy eater, try feeding them beans cooked in the way they like.

  • Chicken

Chicken is a high protein and high-calorie food item for children. It also contains phosphorus, which is a crucial mineral that offers support to both the bones and teeth. It is also highly beneficial for the liver, kidney and also the functioning of the whole nervous system.

  • Honey

Honey for Weight gain

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Honey is viewed as a great alternative to sugar, and it's composed of 82% of carbohydrates and 17% of water. This promotes healthy and effective weight gain in children. It's a natural sweetener and has low levels of fat. 

You can add a spoonful of honey to pancakes, cornflakes, sandwiches and toast. But make sure not to feed your children too much honey.

Parting Words

It's highly essential for children to have proper weight so that they can stay in good condition. That's why you must provide your kids with food items that contain high levels of healthy fat and protein.

So, when you want your child to gain proper weight, try to become creative with all the food items that are mentioned in this post. Your children will not just love the food, but you will surely see them healthily increase their weight.


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Zandu Ayurvedic Team

Zandu Ayurvedic Team has a panel of over 10 BAMS (Ayurvedacharya), boasting a collective experience of over 50 years. With a deep-rooted understanding of Ayurveda, they are committed to sharing their expertise & knowledge through our blogs.
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