Food to make baby chubby
15 Foods to Make Baby Gain Weight – Cafe Baby®
- by Jeannie Marrugo
- Mar 10, 2022
If you need to add foods to Baby’s diet to help them in gaining weight, be sure to add these to your grocery list or to your next Café Baby order. Sometimes every extra calorie counts in their tiny bellies.
If your child needs to be on high calorie fortified infant formula or breast milk, please talk to your pediatrician first. You need to know the right recipe to prevent an excess intake of nutrients to prevent constipation and dehydration.
1. Avocado
Avocados are a sugar-free healthy choice that contributes 2.5 grams of monounsaturated fat and 0.5 gram of polyunsaturated fat per 25-gram serving to Baby's diet.
2. Kidney Beans
Kidney beans are a plant-based protein, or non-heme iron source, rich in most B-vitamins, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. They also contain two that are commonly deficient in babies: folate and iron.
3. Eggs
Not only are eggs a prime source of the best-quality proteins after breast milk, but one egg contains thirteen essential minerals like copper, zinc, selenium, calcium, iron, cholesterol, fat, fatty acids, and vitamins like vitamin D, B12, E, choline and folate.
4. Bananas
Bananas are loaded with nutrients like potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, folate, niacin, and vitamin B6 and can help babies gain weight by increasing calorie density.
5. Mango
Mangoes are rich in fibres and digestive enzymes, which means Baby won't have any trouble going number two. Mangoes are very low in fat but contain lots of good calories which can help Baby gain weight.
6. Lentils
Lentils are low in sodium and saturated fat, and high in potassium, fiber, folate, and plant chemicals called polyphenols that have antioxidant activity.
7. Ground Meat
Did you know it's important to add iron- and zinc-rich foods to Baby's diet? At about six months of age, Baby starts to run out of their natural iron stores that they were born with. Ground meats are an important source of heme iron, which is more easily absorbed into the body than non-heme iron (plant-based protein).
8. Whole Milk Yogurt
The best option is plain, unsweetened, pasteurized yogurt (regular or Greek) made from whole milk and containing "live cultures.
" Yogurt made from whole milk is best for Baby because they need the calories and fat in full-fat dairy products.
9. Full-fat Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese has plenty of healthy fats and protein, plus some B vitamins, calcium, selenium, and zinc. To avoid loads of salt, look for options that are:
- Pasteurized
- Low in sodium (ideally less than 100mg sodium per serving)
- Made from whole milk
- Without added preservatives or sugars
10. Mashed Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes provide nothing but good calories, making it a healthy food option for Baby. The high amount of calories in sweet potatoes help in weight gain and physical development in children.
11. Mashed Potatoes
Potatoes might be mostly white, but that doesn’t mean they don't contain nutrients. They are are a source of fiber-rich carbs, which are one of the best sources of fuel for Baby’s brain.
12. Mashed Butternut Squash
The Omega-3 fats that are found in butternut squash are present in the form of alpha-linolenic acid, and this is what helps to reduce inflammation.
13. Peanut or Almond Butters
Nut butters can be a source of fibre, protein and healthy fats, as well as minerals such as magnesium, calcium, iron and vitamin E. If you're worried about food allergies, check out our blog series about starting solids and allergies.
14. Fresh Goat Cheese
Fresh goat cheese has lots of protein and healthy fats, plus calcium, copper, iron, and vitamins A, B2, and B6—essential nutrients to power your baby’s growth. When selecting goat cheese for Baby, look for a cheese that is:
- Pasteurized
- Low sodium (less than 100mg per serving)
- Whole fat
15. Cooked Quinoa
Quinoa is a good source of calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium. It's also a great source of Omega 3, 6, 9 fatty acids, which are good for Baby's brain and eye development.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Cafe Baby® Fresh Baby Food (@cafebabytogo)
Sources:
https://patient.
uwhealth.org/healthfacts/343
https://solidstarts.com/foods/kidney-beans/
https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/banana-for-babies-when-to-introduce-health-benefits-and-more/#How_Much_Banana_Can_a_Baby_Eat_in_a_Day
https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/mango-for-babies-health-benefits-and-recipes/#Nutrition_Facts_of_Mango
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/lentils/
https://newwaysnutrition.com/babies/meat-baby/
https://solidstarts.com/foods/cottage-cheese/
https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/sweet-potato-for-baby-benefits-and-recipes/#Nutritional_Value_of_Sweet_Potato
https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/butternut-squash-for-babies-health-benefits-and-recipes/#Nutritional_Value_of_Butternut_Squash
https://www.whattoexpect.com/first-year/baby-feeding/when-can-babies-eat-potatoes#benefits
https://www.srnutrition.co.uk/2021/04/peanut-butter-for-babies-when-to-introduce-it-and-which-type/
https://solidstarts.
com/foods/goat-cheese/
https://www.momjunction.com/articles/is-quinoa-safe-for-babies_00120055/
Best foods for weight gain in babies & toddlers (0 to 3 years)
This post has been updated with a new list of weight gaining recipes at the end of this post for toddlers – above 1 year old. Many readers have been asking for suggestions on best foods for weight gain in babies & toddlers. I have shared the tips that one can follow. If you are a new reader to this blog and have reached here looking for weight gaining foods or recipes for your little heart, please read this food chart for babies above 8 months.
I suggest following the recipes on the post as well for a good weight gain. I would also suggest to read the comments before posting your query here as similar queries may have been answered in the comment section below.
If you are looking for a food chart for baby around 6 months, you can refer this post on solids for 6 months baby.
Best foods for weight gain in babies & toddlers (0 months to 3 years)
1. Breast milk is one of the best foods for babies under 6 months to gain weight. Since mother’s milk is more nutritious than any other foods, it is good to exclusively breastfeed babies for the first 6 months.
If a baby is breast fed, mum needs to eat more nutritious foods to have enough milk supply and to increase the quality of milk.
To increase the milk supply in lactating mothers’ foods like milk, lentils (DAL), garlic, flax seeds (alasi in hindi or avise ginjalu in telugu), chickpeas (chana), almonds, whole grains, methi leaves, methi seeds, dill leaves (sabbasige soppu in kannada), fennel seeds (saunf), cumin (jeera) have been proved to be beneficial. One needs to include these in their diet moderately.
At least 2 protein rich meals and a breakfast should be included in the diet of a lactating mother. For vegetarians lentils / dal is a best protein rich food.
Chickpeas can be enjoyed by mums having babies older than 3 months. If using they need to be soaked overnight, soft cooked with turmeric and other Indian spices to prevent vata dosha.
Traditionally gond ke laddu, dry fruits ladoos and copra ladoos were eaten by lactating mothers to improve the quantity and quality of breast milk. Here are some protein rich ladoos which you can try after consulting your elders.
Gond ke laddu
Dry fruits ladoo
Copra ladoo (or dried coconut ladoo)
Here is a simple homemade powder for increasing milk supply in lactating mothers. Dry roast equal quantities of cumin and fennel seeds till they turn aromatic. Cool them and grind to powder.
Mix ½ tsp powder in ½ tsp warm ghee and consume 30 minutes before food 2 to 3 times a day. Desi ghee works best. This can be consumed for 2 weeks, followed by a break for 4 to 5 days and then repeat the cycle.
This also helps to reduce colic in breastfed babies.
A small portion of ajwain/ carom seeds can also be included.
2. There is also a wide population of women who are unable to breast fed due to medical or professional reasons, yet their babies tend to grow well in terms of height and weight. For babies who are not breast fed, Formula milk has been proved to be of great help.
If your baby is over 6 months and you intend to stop breastfeeding, then choose a good formula milk with the help of your pediatrician. Formula milk is mostly balanced and has adequate nutrition which may not be available in dairy milk.
Formula milk helps to gain good weight in most babies, but one needs to be patient in trying out what works best for your baby. Many women express that formula milk is not good and hence should choose dairy milk.
Both have their own pros and cons. In the recent years, cows raised in farms are not grass-fed and are mostly on hormones either in their feed or injected to produce more milk. So it may be more unsafe than the formula milk.
A thorough research is conducted before any formula milk is sold in the market. So as a mother, you are the right person to choose between cow’s milk vs formula milk.
For babies above 12 months, fresh dairy milk can be used. Do not use milk that comes in tetra packs for babies and toddlers.
3. Foods like potato, pumpkin, sweet potato, dal, ghee, ragi, almonds, yogurt, eggs and milk help the baby to gain weight. Please take a pediatricians’ suggestion before you start any of these foods. As always follow a 3 day test rule.
How to make mashed potato for baby ?
Always choose hard potatoes that do not have any sprouts grown over them. Sprouted or soft potatoes are not healthy to use.
Wash and peel off the skin of the potato. Cook potato in excess water either in pressure cooker or a rice cooker steam basket or in a pot. It should be soft cooked.
While it is still hot, take it to a feeding bowl and mash it to soft.
Add the potato stock that was left after cooking to make smooth puree. using a small steel glass you can easily mash it.
Add a pinch of ajwain and ghee and serve it warm. The same way you can also make mashed sweet potato for baby. Best time to serve these is for breakfast or lunch.
It can also be cooked along with rice to make a rice potato khichdi. You can find the recipe of sweet potato here (new post)
How much potato or sweet potato for baby?
7 months baby – 1 tbsp 2 to 3 times a week
8 to 10 months – 2 tbsp. 2 to 3 times a week
10 to 12 months – 3 to 4 tbsp. 2 to 3 times a week
toddlers- use your judgement . Can be served 5 times a week to daily.
Serve potato or sweet potato at least 2 to 3 times a week with little ajwain powder and ghee. Avoid when baby has tummy upset, colic or spit ups.
Moong dal and urad dal help a lot to gain weight in babies & toddlers. Urad dal is a power house of nutrients, high in calcium and protein and also EFA , essential fatty acids that help to develop the brain.
So Idli is a very healthy food for babies.
Using urad dal make idli and serve with mild rasam or dal ka pani and ghee.This can be fed daily. You can find the recipe of soft idli here and a rasam recipe for babies here.
Include dal preferably moong dal or tuvar dal in lunch or breakfast every day. Do not mix dal with yogurt or milk. Just a simple vegetable dal rice khichdi works great for babies in gaining weight.
If your baby tends to get bored, change the vegetables used in the khichdi to give a different taste. You can find the recipe of dal khichdi here
Ragi porridge also helps to gain weight, it also strengthens the bones, teeth and helps for the overall development. Here is a complete post on how to introduce ragi to babies and how to make sprouted ragi flour for babies.
Yogurt and homemade paneer are also a good choice for babies over 8 months to gain weight. Serve yogurt alone or with brown rice and white rice in equal quantities.
I always used to make one cup curd separately for both my babies since it is not recommended to serve cold yogurt from the refrigerator. Also avoid serving in the evening or night.
how much yogurt/ curd to serve for babies ?
2 tbsp homemade unsweetened yogurt/ curd can be fed to 8 to 10 months baby, 2 to 3 times a week (avoid during winters)
4 tbsp can be fed to a 10 to 12 months baby. 3 to 4 times a week (avoid during winters)
Eggs also help babies to gain weight. Prefer boiled eggs instead of scrambled eggs. There is a loss of nutrition in scrambled eggs especially the protein content.
you can find the recipe of homemade curd here.
How to feed egg to baby ?
Make a hard boiled egg. Remove the yolk and take small portion of it and mash it with a pinch of cumin powder, add very little water and mash the egg to blend it well with water. It should become a smooth paste.
how much egg for 7 months old baby ?
For a 7 months baby – Start feeding a tsp of the above said mashed egg yolk.
It can be served 2 times a week.
For 8 months baby – a tbsp and then increase the quantity.
For 10 months baby – by the end of 12 months a baby can eat the entire mashed yolk.
Include banana, papaya, apple, pear and chikoo (sapota). Serve banana at least 4 to 5 times a week. We give the small variety banana to babies. Avoid it when baby has cold and phlegm.
Serve a warm apple sauce or apple oats when the baby has cold and congestion. Banana helps to gain weight and most fruits helps to digest foods better since they contain natural digestive enzymes.
The nutrients from other foods are better absorbed by the body when a good amount of fruits are consumed (the right way).
Follow the rule, of feeding fruit alone without mixing with other foods at least once a day. Strictly do not serve fruits and milk together.
4. Ghee also helps to gain weight – How much ghee to serve for babies and toddlers ?
Start with only few drops a day when you introduce ghee to your baby.
Try using organic and grassfed or desi ghee. Desi ghee can be found in ayurvedic stores or can also be bought online.
If you notice symptoms like coughing, itchy eyes or rubbing eyes or rashes stop it. Try with a new brand or try with homemade ghee. If your baby or toddler do not like the flavour of ghee, I suggest making ghee at home.
Just add few curry leaves towards the end when you make ghee at home, it adds a good aroma.
Excess usage of ghee may suppress the baby’s appetite, so use only as needed, a mother is the best judge. I followed the following measures for my babies and no cheese or butter was given to them.
If using butter then reduce the proportionate amount of ghee from the below mentioned quantity.
7 months ½ tsp ghee divided among 2 servings – start with only a few drops of melted ghee
8 months ¾ to 1 tsp ghee divided among 2 servings
10 months 1 to 1 ¼ tsp ghee divided among 3 servings
12 months on wards 1 to 1 ½ tsp ghee divided among 3 servings
Some babies may not digest fats in ghee well especially if formula milk, cheese, or butter are already a part of the diet.
You can try with only half of the above quantity.
5. Can i use almonds / badam for my baby?
Experts advice not to introduce nuts to babies until 1 year as they may end up with severe allergies. So i would suggest waiting until your baby turns an year old especially if there is an history of allergy in your family.
However i have used almonds from 8 months for both my babies. Those who would like to try may start with almonds since these are the only kind of nuts that are slightly alkaline (apart from chestnuts).
Alkaline foods help us to keep our body healthy and energetic. Always try using soaked almonds. Soaking also increases the alkaline nature and hence digest well.
Soaking for about 5 to 6 hours also helps to peel the skin. They can be ground with little water and then used to cook baby foods like oats, ragi, rice etc.
6. Physical activity
Allow the baby to crawl freely, do not restrict your babies to prams or rocking chairs.
Being physically active helps babies feel hungry in time. They are less fussy and eat or drink well.
Burping is very important as it helps to relieve the babies from colic and they tend to drink better. Gently Burp before feeding, in between the feeds, Burp after the feed. Keep the baby in upright position for at least 15 minutes after a feed.
Foods for weight gain in toddlers (above 1 year)
Breakfast menu
Pesarattu with ghee
Idli with ghee (1:2 proportion) – use search box for idli recipe
Soft thick dosa with boiled mashed potato
Chick pea / chana soup
chana dosa (with steamed mashed carrots)
moong dal soup
carrot milkshake
oats uttapam (use carrot for topping, follow method 2)
jowar dosa: you can make uttapam with carrot topping. Jowar makes bones strong and helps to gain good weight.
ragi mudde with rasam or any soup.
paneer paratha – no stuffing, good finger food too for snack in the evening
Boiled egg – boiled eggs have more nutrition than scrambled eggs.
So try serving boiled egg with mild flavorings like pepper, cumin powder, ajwain and salt.
Suggestions from experienced mothers are welcome and highly appreciated to enhance this page.
Disclaimer: Please check with a pediatrician before you follow any of the tips or foods mentioned in this post.
My Heartfelt Thanks to all the Readers who have been consistently sharing with us their personal experiences with their babies, this has helped many new mothers to understand the baby food patterns and other food related issues.
Wishing a Wonderful Motherhood to all the MUMS
How to help a child lose weight correctly and without harm to health?
January 3, 2020
May 27, 2021
5 minutes
61633
ProWellness
Contents
- Causes of excess weight in a child
- Why is excess weight harmful in childhood?
- How to lose weight in childhood?
- Children under three years of age
- Preschoolers, primary school age
- Adolescents
- Ground rules
- Featured Products
Disclaimer
Please note that all information posted on the site Prowellness is provided for informational purposes only and is not a personal program, a direct recommendation for action, or medical advice.
Do not use these materials for diagnosis, treatment, or any medical procedure. Consult your physician before using any technique or using any product. This site is not a specialized medical portal and does not replace the professional advice of a specialist. The Site Owner is not liable to any party who has suffered indirect or direct damage as a result of misuse of materials posted on this resource.
How to help a child lose weight correctly and without harm to health?
Adults and children are often overweight. The child grows and develops, so you can not put him on a strict diet and use fasting. Reducing weight, it is important not to stop the development, not to harm the growing, fragile body.
Causes of excess weight in a child
First you need to find the cause of the problem. There are several factors that affect the appearance of overweight in children:
- Wrong attitude towards food.
Often, mothers feed their children themselves, believing that a good appetite is a sign of health. Eat well - here's a supplement for you. Infant fatness at a certain age is a problem. - Sedentary lifestyle. Modern children, instead of outdoor games, sit near the computer, play gadgets, parents encourage this. Lack of movement leads to weight gain.
- Heredity. Full parents from the first days should take care of the baby's weight, paying special attention to this. For example, you should reduce the consumption of sugar-containing foods: sweet carbonated drinks, ice cream, chocolate, sweets, lollipops. You should also reduce the proportion of foods with hidden sugar: fat-free yogurt and regular yogurt, cottage cheese mass or cheese curds, tomato sauces or ketchups, mayonnaise, instant cereals, sausages and sausages, cereals, muesli, granola, muesli bars and protein bars. Eating habits are laid down in early childhood, up to 5 years, so it is important to monitor the child's diet.
Attention! Are several causes of excess weight combined at once? The child is at risk of obesity.
Why is excess weight harmful in childhood?
If the child is overweight, the following problems threaten:
- Deformation of a fragile spine.
- Early heart problems - just can't handle the load.
- Metabolic disorders - the pancreas cannot cope with its work, there is a risk of diabetes mellitus, which can manifest itself not only in childhood, but also many years later in adulthood.
- Complexes. Psychologically, the teenager will be uncomfortable, because in the team they often laugh at the overweight, which can lead to bullying of the child, the so-called school bullying. An inferiority complex develops, which can remain in adulthood.
Introducing a tasty treat that will become an additional source of vitamins for your child - Ditops Fruit Chewable Tablets with Vitamins A, C and D.
Three main vitamins for every day in a convenient form will be good helpers for strengthening the immune system and the growth of the child.
Attention! You can determine excess weight by appearance, body index, or simply by showing the child to the doctor.
How to lose weight in childhood?
Different weight loss methods have been developed for children of different ages. It is important for parents to follow the recommendations in order not to start the problem.
Children under three years old
It is necessary to consult a pediatrician. More often the reason lies in an endocrine disorder or overeating. It is enough to balance the diet, check the functioning of the endocrine system.
Preschool children, primary school age
It is difficult to control nutrition here, since the child eats more often outside the home.
At home, more and more often, an “independent” baby begins to pull food from the parent’s table into his mouth. Either the whole family will have to switch to a healthy diet or control the child.
Teenagers
Some see the problem themselves, try to go on a diet. Sometimes they go to extremes, up to a hunger strike. This negatively affects health.
Attention! Excess weight can occur due to hormonal failure that occurs during adolescence.
Basic Rules
In order for a child to lose weight, it is important to follow a few rules:
- Eliminate all fast carbohydrates and fats from your daily diet.
- Limit high-calorie foods.
- Increase the menu of dairy products, vegetables, fruits, fish.
- You can take dietary supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, calcium, iodine. If they are not enough in the usual food of the child, then this can lead to an increased need for food, as the body tries to make up for their deficiency.
- Meals should be frequent and small.
- Exclude fast food completely.
- To rid the child of the habit of constantly snacking on something. Computer lovers are especially affected by this.
- Increase activity and exercise. Send the child to the sports section.
To normalize the functioning of the digestive system, we recommend using herbal tea from wild herbs No. 5 (Comfortable digestion) - Baikal Tea Collection with chamomile, Kuril tea, plantain and volushka. This herbal drink helps to find comfort and ease in the stomach.
As a substitute for fast food, you can use Natural gummies (orange) - Yoo Go without sugar. In each marmalade - the maximum benefit of turmeric and orange. Curcumin helps to gain harmony, normalize appetite and provide antioxidant protection. Isomalt and orange soy provide natural sweetness, and isomalt is also a prebiotic and helps nourish the intestinal microflora.
Sometimes it is better to be an example to your child. But it is important that he does not skip meals, does not go on hunger strikes. Remember, in the pursuit of harmony, you can lose your health. Only reasonable and competent actions are needed.
Disclaimer
Please note that all information posted on the site Prowellness is provided for informational purposes only and is not a personal program, a direct recommendation for action, or medical advice. Do not use these materials for diagnosis, treatment, or any medical procedure. Consult your physician before using any technique or using any product. This site is not a specialized medical portal and does not replace the professional advice of a specialist. The Site Owner is not liable to any party who has suffered indirect or direct damage as a result of misuse of materials posted on this resource.
Expert: Elagina Maria Business Profi of Siberian Wellness and nutritionist in cosmetics
Reviewer: Ekaterina Vorobieva Adept of a healthy and active lifestyle
Read other articles on similar topics
Rate the article
(41 votes, average 4)
Share the article
Fat child: what to do? | Passion.
ru Parents are happy when the baby eats well. But the baby should be a chubby toddler for the first couple of years, and gradually he should stretch and lose weight. And if the child remains plump at 3-5 years and older, this is a cause for parental anxiety. The appearance of excess weight at this age is dangerous. Let's figure out what to do if the child is fat.
How overweight is defined
In medicine, there are two concepts - "overweight" and "obesity". Overweight is understood as exceeding the standards for body weight at a certain age, in a given sex and with a certain height of the baby. Usually, fat deposits at this age are not very pronounced - the baby just looks strong. But this weight is a risk factor for true obesity, and obesity is a chronic disease with a pathological change in metabolism.
Obesity is visible even to a non-specialist: the child is larger than his peers, his arms, legs, stomach and hips are full, there is even excess fat on his face.
To clarify the degree of the disease, there are special tables that determine excess weight and the degree of its redundancy. They are based on indicators of height, age and gender. If the child's body weight is about 15% above normal, it is classified as overweight. Anything over this figure is different degrees of obesity.
Why children get fat
First of all, the formation of excess weight is a psychological problem: excess weight does not appear from scratch - it is seizure depression, low mobility, pathological eating habits in the family, lack of friends and misunderstanding of loved ones.
Children suffer from their appearance, strive to achieve results in their studies, but become outcasts in the company. This leads to pleasure from sweets and sweets – the circle is closed. In the subconscious mind, the thought is postponed - "no one needs me, why then lose weight."
The parents themselves support the problem of excess weight by cultivating an unhealthy diet and ignoring the problem until it reaches catastrophic proportions.
Often the parents of a fat child are also fat, and they naively believe that “this is our constitution,” and continue to eat sweets, muffins and fatty foods.
They add their grandmother's contribution to the piggy bank feeding their granddaughters more satisfying and tastier. However, a constantly overstretched stomach requires large amounts of food, the pancreas is also overstressed - diseases appear.
Eternally busy parents also have fat children, who, instead of communicating, "pay off" their children with gifts and sweets, do not prepare normal food, feeding the child with semi-finished products.
What to do if the child is fat
First of all, you need to "make friends" with the endocrinologist and, under his guidance, start the fight against excess weight. You may also need the help of a psychologist, and the whole family as a whole - the doctor will create the right motivation for losing weight, and the most effective is losing weight with the whole family.
All family members will need to adhere to dietary restrictions (at least in the presence of a child) in order to set an example for the baby and not tempt him with forbidden food. It is difficult to explain to a child why mom eats fried chicken, and he eats boiled carrots.
It is necessary to limit all potentially harmful and high-calorie foods, replacing them with vegetables, fruits, and low-calorie dairy dishes. And include in the diet the entire set of products that the doctor will recommend.
The basis of the diet will be gradual reducing the calorie content of meals and changing the child's eating habits - this cannot be done in one month, weight loss and treatment will be long. Additionally, the child's motor activity should be expanded. Choose workouts according to your strengths and interests. Sports will increase the consumption of calories and increase the tone of the baby's muscles.
The diet itself and its exemplary diet will be selected and prescribed by the doctor, taking into account the wishes and preferences of the child, his age, degree of physical activity and many other factors.
