BY SIDDHANTH BANERJEE

Your baby is 1 year old, congratulations! This is a special milestone and while the sleepless nights and hassled days might dull the joy, don’t forget to celebrate this occasion! 1 year brings with it a whole new set of joys, experiences, and journeys. Your baby will increasingly start interacting with you and the surrounding environment more and if you thought they captured your heart before, just see all the cute naughtiness they get up to now!

All this fun and frolic is really important for your child’s healthy mental and physical development. For this, you need to be sure that you have their back and are giving them the food and fuel they need to keep going. Every new day is a new excitement and a new exertion for a 1-year-old baby and without proper care, this can take a toll. Parents need to now start thinking about proper nutrition, immunity, and foods to help babies gain weight.

Healthy weight gain is all about giving your child the right food and nutrients to bolster their effective growth and development. Every child is different and grows differently, it is, therefore, important to track your child’s progress so that you can make changes accordingly. 

Feeding your child to achieve these ballpark figures can sound fairly straightforward but believe us, your child might beg to differ! For all the effort and thought parents put into healthy food and healthy eating, it all boils down to whether the little ones like it or not. Foods to help babies gain weight have to be yummy and healthy or else they won’t make the cut.

Here are some good options for foods to help babies gain weight:

1. Peas and Potatoes

These are great foods to help babies gain weight and can be cooked in a variety of ways to keep things interesting for your child. Potatoes are rich in vitamins and minerals and are a carbohydrate energy source. They can be mashed and easily mixed in with different foods. They actually go great with peas, one of the most nutritious vegetables. Peas are filled with fiber, magnesium, and various vitamins and are great for adding new textures to food.

2. Chikoo

Chikoos are a super tasty fruit that is a great source of natural sugar. This is useful in satiating sweet cravings and dealing with food fussiness, while also boosting the immunity system, among other health benefits.

3. Olive oil 

Olive oil is really calorically dense and is a great source of healthy fats for your child, a hallmark quality of foods that help babies gain weight. Replace normal oil with olive oil in your cooking and food will not only taste better but will be healthier too!

4. Ragi

Ragi is an ancient superfood that has been around for a long time. It is a grain that can be powdered and used in the kitchen, much like atta. However, Ragi has 10 times more calcium than atta and even has 3 times more calcium than a glass of milk! This grain is a rich source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals and is calorically dense, helping fill up your baby with nutritional goodness. This makes it a great food to help babies gain weight.

5. Banana

Similar to ragi, Bananas are something we are familiar with. When it comes to foods to help babies gain weight, bananas are under-rated as they are a rich source of protein and fiber. Banana powders can be a great way to utilize the benefit of bananas, as the powder can be added to different types of food without your baby noticing. This is also useful for adding some natural sweetness and flavor while increasing the healthy calories in the dish!

6. Avocados

Avocados might sound like a strange choice for baby food but 30 grams of avocados have 50 calories and 4.5 grams of healthy fat! This is a really versatile ingredient as well and is great for introducing different textures of solids and semi-solids to your child.

7. Oats

Little known is the fact that among other things, oats are also a great food to help babies gain weight. This is because they are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals and are one of the most versatile options to cook with your child. Oats help fill your baby up while packing a solid nutritional punch.

8. Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are your quintessential superfood. That’s because they are high in protein, fiber, and antioxidants! These are great building blocks for healthy weight gain and the superpower of chia seeds is that it has no taste. They can, therefore, be added to almost anything, instantly making it healthier, without your baby even noticing.

9. Hummus

Chickpeas, the main ingredient of hummus, give it lots of protein and fiber while olive oil adds a healthy dose of healthy fat. A delicious Mediterranean staple is of a smooth consistency and can be an interesting addition to your baby’s weight gain plan.

As you can see, it is indeed possible to find a method to the madness! Remember, the key is taste, nutrition, and variety. This is what we are trying to do as well, we have a wide range of yummy and healthy products for 1-year-old babies that you can check out here.