Do you worry that your baby is not gaining weight properly? Welcome to the club! A study says that 85 % of Moms fret over their baby’s weight and are always searching for healthy weight gain foods for their babies.

So what is a worried Mom to do? Simple, the solution for it is:

” Look at the Baby, Not the scales “

It sounds very simple, but very difficult to follow!

I have seen Moms whose babies look healthy, feed well and reach all their milestones properly but who still worry about their baby not gaining weight. They forget that the weight of the baby also depends on the genetic constitution of the parents.

Below is a simple and easy to follow rule from my Textbook of Pediatrics by OP Ghai. I follow these rules religiously and am happy if my are kids are in this range of weight gain for their respective age.

Weight gain according to age

Till 3 months babies gain about 175 to 210 g per week.
Doubles the birth weight by 5 months.
For remaining 1 year they gain about 400 g of weight every month.
Trebles the birth weight by 1 year.
4 times the birth weight by 2 years.
5 times the birth weight by 3 years.
6 times the birth weight by 5 years.
7 times the birth weight by 7 years.
10 times the birth weight by 10 years.
On an average a child gains 2 kg every year between 3 to 7 years of age and 3 kg per year after that till pubertal growth spurt begins.

Click this link to know if your baby is in the normal growth range: WHO Standard Height and Weight chart for Babies.

General Tips for Introducing Weight Gaining Foods for Babies

Try introducing every new food every week, be patient, don’t expect immediate weight gain.
Till the baby is exclusively breast fed, breast milk helps best to gain weight.
Try these Home Remedies for weight Gain in children only after the baby has started solid diet.
Follow the 3 Day Rule while introducing any new food to watch out for food allergies.

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Top 20 Super Healthy Weight Gain Foods for Babies and Kids

1. Milk

If you are breastfeeding then breast milk is the best choice up to 1 year and after 1 year 3 servings of cow’s milk can be given.

2. High calorie energy dense nutritious foods

Instead of fatty foods, high calorie energy dense foods increases weight without increasing the bad fat in the baby. If high calorie non nutritious fat foods (like ice cream, chocolates, processed food) are given, then it will create poor eating habits which will be difficult to change later.

3. Banana

Banana can be given to infants after 6 months of age. Banana is rich in dietary fiber, potassium, vitamin C and very good source of Vitamin B6, and is a energy dense nutritious food.

Banana can be introduced as Banana Puree then after 8 months it can be given as pancakes, can be mixed in porridge and after a year as banana muffins.

If you are worried about giving banana during cold , then our Raw Kerala Banana Powder is a life saver, it is both nutritious and weight gaining food for babies.

Raw Kerala Banana Powder Recipes

4. Peach

Peaches can be given after 6 months of age. Peaches are rich in dietary fiber, niacin, Vitamin A and particularly a good source of Vitamin C.

Peach can be given as purees after 6 months and after 1 year as smoothies and milkshakes.

5. Pear

Pear can be given as one of the first solid foods of baby and helps in weight gain. Pear is one of the fruit that is very rich in Iron and is also a good source of dietary fiber, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin C.

Pear can be given as Pear Puree, Apple Pear Puree with cinnamon twist, and after 8 months pear can be added in pancakes.

6. Peas

Peas can also be given after 6 months. Peas are among the most nutritious vegetables that can be introduced as baby’s first solid food. It is very high in dietary fiber, thiamine, vitamin C and high in magnesium, niacin, phosphorous and Vitamins A, B6.

Peas can be given as Peas Puree, Peas Khichdi and as Vegetable soup.

7. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes are an excellent first food for the baby. It can be given from 6 months of age.

Sweet Potatoes are very low in saturated fat, high in dietary fiber, magnesium and potassium, vitamin B6 and very high in Vitamin A and C. They can be given as purees, sweet potato khichdi, pancake and as soups.

8. Plain meats

Chicken can be introduced after 8 months of age. Chicken is rich in niacin, phosphorous, magnesium, Vitamin B6 and B12, also it is rich in cholesterol too, so the chicken can be given once a week to babies.

Chicken flesh pieces can be either boiled or given as chicken puree, chicken stew, chicken soup, chicken rice. You can also make chicken stock and use it in baby’s dishes.

9. Ghee

Our Desi Ghee is one of the best weight gaining food source. Ghee can be added in almost all the food that the baby takes after 7 months, with around 1 tsp of ghee per meal. Start with few drops of ghee at first and slowly increase the quantity. Ghee can sometimes be very heavy for the baby, so please be moderate in its usage. For best results, make your own homemade ghee that is free of preservatives and chemicals.

10. Cheese

Cheese can be given after 8 months. Cheese is rich in phosphorous, calcium and selenium.

Cheese cut as slices make a perfect finger food; you can also try serving fruit salad with cheese to your baby.

11. Dry fruits

Dry fruits include almond, pistachio, fig, cashew are energy dense and non-fattening.

The dry fruits can be powdered and mixed in almost all the foods, other forms by which it can be given are almond milk, dry fruit snack bar, dry fruit laddu.

You can either make the dry fruits powder at home with this recipe or order homemade dry fruits powder online.
Please note, dry fruits may cause allergy in some babies, follow the 3 Day Rule while introducing any new food.

12. Whole Wheat

Mostly wheat is not considered as a weight gaining food by many, but using whole wheat in baby foods has shown a steady weight gain in babies. It is an excellent source of dietary fiber with low fat.

Whole wheat can be given as Wheat Cereal, Wheat Soya Porridge, Wheat Kheer, Whole Wheat pancakes, Wheat porridge, Wheat Almond Porridge, Wheat Green gram Porridge.

Another way to get the benefits of whole wheat is through broken wheat, also called ‘dalia’.

You can also whip up an entire baby meal in a jiffy with Instant Dalia Mixes. A boon for days when you don’t have the time or energy to cook. You can make these at home or easily order homemade Instant Wheat Dalia Elaichi Mix and Instant Wheat Dalia Moong dal Mix online.

13. Oats

Another food that indirectly causes weight gain in babies is Oats. Oats is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in manganese, magnesium, thiamine and phosphorus. Oats is the only cereal containing legume like protein.

Oats can be given as Oats Porridge, Oats Kheer, Apple Oats Porridge, Oats pancake, Oats fruit Dosa.

Get 100% Organic oats for your Baby delivered at your doorstep.

14. Avocado

Avocado can be given after 6 months. Avocado is rich in dietary fiber and low in saturated fat.

Avocado can be given as puree, and after 1 year as milk shakes and smoothies.

15. Ragi

Ragi or Finger Millet is one of the best weight gaining foods. It is rich in dietary fiber, protein, Vitamin B1, B2, B6.

Ragi can be given to your baby in any of these forms:

Sprouted Ragi Powder is doubly nutritious and perfect food for Babies. As a new mom you may not have ample time to prepare this powder, don’t worry we prepare from 100% Organic Ragi and deliver it your home. Click here to know more.

16. Homemade Cerelac or Sathumaavu Health Mix

Home made cerelac is another excellent weight gaining food. It combines the goodness of cereals, nuts and pulses to form a wholesome healthy food.

Get the recipe here or click here if you want it delivered to your home.

Another super healthy version is the Sprouted Health Mix or Sprouted Sathu Maavu Mix, where all the ingredients are sprouted and ground to a powder. You can spare yourself the trouble of sprouting and grinding and get homemade Sprouted Sathumaavu Mix delivered to your doorstep.

17. Olive Oil

Olive oil has high monosaturated fat than other oils and is healthy option over other vegetable oils. The baby’s food can be prepared with virgin olive oil..

18. Potatoes

Potato makes an excellent first food for babies. It has a soft consistency, is easily mashable and is also the least allergenic food.Start with a small quantity as some babies may develop tummy upset due to gas.

The potato is rich in minerals, vitamins and also an assortment of phytochemicals such as carotenoids and natural phenols. Potatoes are best known for their carbohydrate content, with a medium sized potato containing about 26 gms.

Potato can be given as puree, in khichdi or in soup.

19. Eggs

Eggs can be given after 8 months of age. Start with the yellow first, and introduce the white later as the proteins in the white yolk tend to cause allergies in children.

Eggs are high in proteins and saturated fat. They can be boiled or scrambled, or used in pancakes, egg rice, egg pudding or French toast. Check out a list of egg recipes for babies and toddlers here.

20. Virgin Coconut oil

Flickr Stream: Phu Thinh Co

Coconut oil helps in weight gain and easy digestion in babies. It can be added while cooking baby food.

21. Multigrain Health Drink Powder

No, we’re not talking about the store bought health drinks, but a health drink powder that is made with whole grains and lentils and are completely free of harmful additives and preservatives. This is also a good option for fussy toddlers. You can get the multigrain health drink powder here.

Easy Homemade Recipes with Multigrain Health Drink Powder

Hope this list of healthy weight gaining foods for babies goes a long way in dissipating your worries about your baby’s weight gain!

What is your greatest concern regarding your baby’s weight gain? Do let us know by commenting below.

I will be posting the recipes for all the dishes listed above throughout this month and beyond. Stay updated by following me on Google +, Twitter, Pinterest or liking my Facebook Page My Little Moppet.

For recipes that have already been published, please click the Recipe Index link.

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References:

1. http://www.who.int/childgrowth/en/
2. http://www.who.int/childgrowth/standards/en/
3. http://www.who.int/childgrowth/standards/weight_for_age/en/
4. http://www.who.int/childgrowth/publications/timetypefreq/en/
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_oil#Constituents

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