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A lot of parents will agree to the uphill task that getting kids to eat nutritious food (read vegetables and raw fruits is). I found an easy way to get my child to gobble his – I simply pasted a height chart in our home and have got him to keep marking milestones on it. While it is scientifically proven that a child’s height is determined by genetics – mostly genes from the father’s side. Kids generally end up between the average of their parents’ heights and the height of the parent of the same sex. They also follow the growth pattern, so if a boy’s father had a growth spurt later in the teen years, the child may also shoot up around the same time. But yes, nutrition does play a role in helping your child achieve his or her maximum height. Before getting the list of best foods for kids to grow taller, we shall understand the following.
Make sure the kids get the proper minerals, vitamins, proteins, carbs and fats they need to power their little bodies. Also, ensure that your child drinks enough water every day. Calcium is extremely important for growing bodies, helping the bones grow longer and stronger. Kids ages 1 to 3 need 700 mg of calcium every day, ages 4 to 8 need 1,000 mg and ages 9 to 18 need 1,300 mg. Follow on to know the best foods for kids to grow taller.
Here are 8 best foods for kids to grow taller:
1. Eggs & chicken
Proteins are nutrients that play the biggest role in increasing your kids’ height, and eggs and chicken are a great source of proteins. If you are a vegetarian, try and add more daals (lentils) and pulses or paneer (cottage cheese) into the diet of your child.
2. Milk & milk products
Milk is considered a complete food but contains that one nutrient so essential for bone growth and health – calcium. It is great for the growth of bones as well as for strength. If your child is lactose intolerant, do consult a doctor for the right calcium supplements or add fruits like water chestnut and spinach in his diet. You could even replace dairy milk with soy milk, in moderation.
3. Soybeans
Soybeans are a great source as they are a vegetarian food that is rich in proteins. They are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to dairy products.
4. Oatmeal
This cereal is rich in protein and has low-fat content. Oatmeal can be incorporated into both sweet and savoury dishes and even puddings and cakes.
5. Spinach
Spinach is the king (or queen) of green vegetables as it is a great source of not just minerals like iron and calcium (so essential for proper growth) but also contain zinc and other important nutrients.
6. Carrots
Carrots are rich in Vitamin A which helps in the synthesis of proteins in the body. Raw carrots have the highest content of this vitamin so add them to salads or grate them to combine them into any pasta sauce or knead them into the dough – it will also enhance the taste of the chapattis.
8. Fresh fruits
Fruits that are rich in Vitamin A such as mangoes, cantaloupe and peaches will help your kids grow taller and strengthen their bones when they are added to their diet. Bananas, that are rich in phosphorus also work like magic. Phosphorus contributes to 50% of bone minerals by weight and is an important mineral. This mineral is generally available in large quantities in our diet, however, calcium to phosphate ratio has to be maintained in the body. A study has found that carbonated beverages displace this vital mineral from our body, when consumption of carbonated beverages is detrimental to your kid’s health.
9. Whole grains
Get your kids to eat whole grain foods whenever they can! They are the healthiest option when it comes to grains as they are rich in Vitamin B and iron. Whole-grain bread and pasta as well as cereals are awesome choices if you want your kids to grow taller!
