Is one’s baby underweight or malnourished as per its pediatric?
Is one worried that one’s baby is not gaining weight as per the growth chart?
Is one looking for superfoods that can help one’s baby to gain weight?
Super rich foods such as milk, yogurt, desi ghee, sweet potato, and meat are considered as being the weight gaining foods in babies and toddlers.
A newborn usually does regain its birth weight by the time it is 14 days old. The baby also doubles its birth weight in 3-4 months. One can expect one’s baby to triple its birth weight by about 1 year of age.
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Does one’s baby have a good appetite? Is the baby underweight or not gaining proper weight?
One is concerned about one’s parenting care approach. One needs to ensure that the baby is eating well. Is active and has a healthy immune system.
The growth of the baby, as well as the weight of the baby, are two separate issues. Baby weight is not of much concern to a mother, but baby growth is.
Foods for 6-month baby to gain weight:
Breast Milk: For babies below 6 months breast milk is sufficient. It is very nutritious, healthy, balanced and a very good superfood for the baby to put on weight. Breast milk is easy to digest so the baby does not have problems of constipation, diarrhea or even upset stomach problems. The baby will gain weight with sufficient breast milk. It is acknowledged as the perfect food for baby. One must keep the baby on breast milk until he or she is six months old. After six months one can start with semi-solid foods as well as solid foods along with breast milk.
Foods for 6 to 9 months baby to gain weight
Banana
It is an excellent source of energy and a single banana does provide 100 + calories. Bananas are high in carbohydrates, potassium dietary fiber, Vitamins C and B 6. They are easy to eat as one can have it at any time. One can start giving bananas after 6 months are over.
Desi Ghee (Clarified Butter):
It has much nutritional value. Babies do gain weight. One can introduce ghee after 8 months. One can start with few drops of ghee in kichidi and gradually increase. Fat content is high in ghee. One can prepare ghee from milk available at home itself. One can add ghee to porridge, chapati, paratha or subzi for one’s baby.
Ragi:
It is nutritious millet. It is a very good weight gaining food. It is rich in calcium, protein, iron as well as dietary fiber along with Vitamins B1, B2 as well as other minerals. All these nutrients are good for the baby’s growth and development. Ragi is easy to digest. One must include it in one’s diet. One can prepare ragi cereal or porridge, ragi dosa, ragi idlis, ragi roti, ragi cake, ragi cookies.
Whole cream Yoghurt
It helps in gaining weight. It contains a lot of calcium, vitamins as well as minerals. It is easy to digest. It improves the immune system and is the good remedy for loose motions as well as gastric troubles.
Most pediatricians recommend the introduction of yogurt at 7 to 8 months of age. Cow’s milk must be avoided before 1 year of age. The baby’s tummy cannot digest the high levels of the protein that is present in the cow’s milk. Yogurt is fermented milk and the bacteria available in curds breaks down the milk protein and thus makes it easy to digest. Avoid those with high sugar content.
One can prepare curd rice, smoothies as well as buttermilk for one’s child. One can go in for fruit flavored curd.
Oats
These are rich in fiber and very good dietary nutrient. They are low in saturated fat and cholesterol and contain a lot of iron, magnesium, zinc, thiamine as well as phosphorous. Oats are quite easy to digest for the babies and also prevent constipation and have inconsistent bowel movements. It is a healthy breakfast option for the child. One can prepare oats porridge, oats pancakes, dosa, oats, kheer as well as oats cookies. In order to prepare oats pancakes and dosa, one needs to grind oats in the food processor.
Potato
Starchy foods such as potatoes are rich in carbohydrates. Potatoes contain a lot of Vitamin C, as well as B6 and minerals such as phosphorous, manganese and, are low in calories.
One can give mashed potatoes as they are easy to digest. Potatoes are used in curries. Potatoes are liked by children as a snack and vegetable. They like French Fries.
Sweet Potatoes:
This can be very first food for a 6-month baby. It is easy to mash and digest. It is very tasty and healthy. It contains Vitamin A (beta-carotene), Vitamin C, copper, manganese as well as vitamin B 6. It contains a lot of potassium, magnesium, dietary fiber, phosphorous and is low in saturated fats. Sweet potatoes can be boiled and mashed and can be prepared in milk, kichdi, pancakes, soups as well as halwa9 for toddlers).
Pulses
Pulses are high in calories and also help the baby to gain weight. One can give moong dal soup or dal ka plane as their first food.
Moong Dal as well as Urad Dal are easy to digest and are a healthy option for one’s child. Pulses are rich in protein calcium, iron, magnesium as well as potassium. They are low in fat and high in fiber. One can prepare Dal Khichdi, dal soup, dal chilla, dal halwa.
Avocado
Avocadoes are indeed rich in healthy fats and dietary fiber. They contain essential vitamins as well as minerals. One can give avocado after 6 months. One has avocado in shakes, smoothies, and desserts as well as ice cream.
Kichidi
It is the combination of pulses, rice as well as ghee and does provide much protein and carbohydrates, fat, fiber, calcium, vitamins as well as minerals. It happens to be a perfect balance of nutrients. One can give Kichidi after 6 months onwards. One can make the perfect blend of pulses, ghee, and rice which are good to feed the baby.
Food for 10 to 12 months baby to gain weight
Eggs
They are high in protein, saturated fats and are also packed with much minerals as well as Vitamin A and B 12 and are very healthy for the child. It contains choline which helps in regulating the nervous system as well as the brain.
It is advisable to consult ones’ doctor before giving eggs prior to 1 year of age. One can start with the egg yolk ( yellow part) when one’s baby is 10 months old and also give the white part of an egg when the baby is 1 year of age. Children at times can suffer from “allergies” while having the egg.