Achieving your child’s healthy weight is one way to ensure that they will grow healthy and happy! From feeding them healthy meals to planning activities to help boost your child’s development—you have done it all. But sometimes, despite your best efforts, your child still experiences difficulties in gaining weight, which begs the question of ‘how to gain weight’ with regards to your kid . Sometimes, it can be difficult for parents to figure out what are the essential vitamins for kids to gain weight.
Luckily, we are here to give you a helping hand! In addition to your regular pediatrician visits, you should also feed them healthy meals and snacks that contain the essential vitamins for kids to gain weight. So parents, take note of these vitamins and nutrients you can give to your child not just to help gain weight, but to also aid in their rapid and healthy development.
Essential Nutrients for Kids to Gain Weight
Vitamins for Kids to Gain Weight #1: Zinc
For your child’s growth and metabolism
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Zinc plays a critical role in your child’s healthy growth and is considered part of the list of vitamins for kids to gain weight . This mineral helps promote cell growth and metabolism which is crucial in your child’s development. Numerous studies have also shown that Zinc deficiency leads to a child’s stunted growth and weaker immune system. To help protect your child against diseases, supplementing with zinc can help increase overall immunity1.
Including zinc-rich food in your child’s diet, such as beans, nuts, and whole grain products to help them achieve their required daily zinc intake2 and answer the question of ‘how to gain weight’ where your kid is concerned.
Vitamins for Kids to Gain Weight # 2: Vitamin C
Help boost your child’s immunity and iron absorption
Although Vitamin C is best known for boosting immunity, it is still considered as one of the essential vitamins for kids to gain weight. Vitamin C helps your child achieve their ideal weight by protecting them against diseases, and boost their bodies' ability to absorb iron, an essential nutrient needed for your child’s brain and body development3.
Here are some Vitamin C-rich foods you can give to your child4 in answering the burning question of ‘how to gain weight’ with regards to your kid :
- Citrus fruits (oranges, lemon, grapefruit, and kiwi)
- Bell peppers
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
- Broccoli
- Brussel sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- White potatoes
Vitamins for Kids to Gain Weight # 3: Thiamin
Help boost your child’s digestion of essential nutrients
Also known as Vitamin B1, Thiamin plays an important role in your child’s growth and development. As one of the most essential vitamins for kids to gain weight, Thiamin helps your child digest important nutrients they get from their food. This helps your child get an additional boost in energy and metabolism5 and is a revelation to the question of ‘how to gain weight’ in kids.
Giving your child a healthy serving of Thiamin-rich food will not only aid your child’s digestive process, it can also boost their heart and brain functions. Normally, Thiamin can be found in6:
- Pork
- Beans
- Green peas
- Fish
- Enriched breakfast cereals, bread, noodles, and rice
- Sunflower seeds
- Yogurt
Vitamins for Kids to Gain Weight # 4: Vitamin A
Promote healthy growth of cells and tissues
Aside from being beneficial to your child’s vision, Vitamin A is also one of the essential vitamins for kids to gain weight. This vitamin helps boost your child’s immune system to help them fight against diseases7. In addition to that, Vitamin A also plays a vital role in keeping your child’s lungs, kidneys, heart, and other organs healthy8.
Apart from simply answering the question of ‘how to gain weight’ , serve your kids a healthy and hearty meal with these foods rich in Vitamin A9:
- Tomatoes
- Yellow vegetables (carrots, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes)
- Leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach, and broccoli)
- Beef liver
- Fish oil
- Dairy products
Vitamins for Kids to Gain Weight #5: Vitamin D
Help boost cell growth and calcium absorption
Your child’s weight gain should be partnered with a regular consumption of food that is rich in Vitamin D. And that is why Vitamin D is one of the essential vitamins for kids to gain weight. This vitamin helps boost calcium absorption in the gut, and regulate your child’s calcium supply to strengthen their bones10.
Vitamin D, however, is only found in limited food sources, but should still be considered an answer to ‘how to gain weight’ in kids.
To support your child’s needs, Enfagrow A+ Four is also here. Each glass of this formula milk contains essential vitamins for kids to gain weight, also helps strengthen their immunity, and help boost their brain function. Enfagrow A+ Four is fortified with Vitamin D, Calcium, Phosphorous, and Magnesium to help form stronger bones and teeth. And, it is also the only children’s formula milk with MFGM Pro that helps support your child's healthy brain development. Enfagrow A+ Four helps your child to be a healthy and smart kid, with a heart and should be included as part of your regime of vitamins for kids to gain weight.
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References:
1 Zinc supplementation and growth in children. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/elena/bbc/zinc_stunting/en/
2 Zinc Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. National Institutes of Health. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/
3 Vitamin C Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. National Institutes of Health. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-Consumer/
4 The Nutrition Source: Vitamin C. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-c/
5 Thiamin Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. National Institutes of Health. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Thiamin-HealthProfessional/
6 The Nutrition Source: Thiamin. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-b1/
7 Vitamins. KidsHealth. https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/vitamin.html
8 Vitamin A Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. National Institutes of Health. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/
9 The Nutrition Source: Vitamin A. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-a/
10 Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. National Institutes of Health. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/
