Foods and diet to increase height: vegan, vegetarian and non-vegetarian options

If you are vegetarian or vegan, you might think about the food options to add in your diet to increase your height. You can add calcium and vitamin D fortified almond milk, nut butter, walnut, ragi, green leafy vegetables, mushroom, fermented foods such as idli, dosa, etc to fulfil the requirement of protein, vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus.

Milk

Cow’s milk is one of the best foods after mother’s milk because it contains maximum nutrients that are really beneficial for different bodily functions. Milk also contains a good amount of proteins, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium which is helpful to increase your height.

How much to take: Try to take one cup of milk or a milk product in every meal. You can take milk, curd, cottage cheese, buttermilk in your meals. For quantity, you can discuss with your nutritionist.

Pulses

If you are not giving pulses or legumes to your children, add them to their diet immediately. You can add different types of pulses and legumes without getting bored. This food group contains a good amount of zinc, magnesium, manganese and fiber which is helpful to balance hormones and increase height. Add soybean, pigeon pea, white pea, chickpea, green gram, black gram, black-eyed bean in your family’s regular diet.

How much to take: You can use these options as cheela, daal, chhole, salad, chaat or hummus on a twice or thrice a day basis.

Ragi

If you are vegetarian and allergic to milk, ragi or finger millet is the best food option to fulfil your calcium requirements and for height gain. Calcium is an essential nutrient for height-related growth and in this situation, this millet can be really beneficial for you.

How much to take: 100 grams of ragi contains 344 mg of calcium. You can use this millet daily in your soups, sweet cheela, chapati, or dosas.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic Medicine. In Ashwagandha, there are different types of minerals which are helpful to make your bone strong and develop properly.  It is a great medicine if you want to increase your height. The quantity may vary depending on your age, height, weight, and other health conditions. So before starting it, consult your doctor.

Vegetables

Green and leafy vegetables are good sources of iron, folate, fiber and calcium which are helpful in the total development of the body but it also help to activate the human growth hormone.

Currently, there are different varieties of these vegetables which are available in different seasons. You can use cabbage, broccoli, sponge gourd (turai), apple gourd (tinda), spinach, amaranth, fenugreek, malabar spinach (poi), mustard leaves.

How much to have: Use these veggies once or twice a day as per the availability. Kids are fussy eaters so you can give these vegetables as a puree or add the puree in their chapati dough. For adults, they can have saag, curry, dal, soups in their regular diet.

Fruits

Fruits have a good amount of vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, manganese, calcium, fiber which regulates the blood circulation, detoxifies the body organs, increases the immunity level, and helps our body to develop in a better way. There are few fruits that also help to increase your height such as banana, oranges, sweet lime, Indian gooseberry (amla) etc. Use them as a raw and fresh form on a regular basis.

Besides the plenty of vegetarian and vegan options discussed above, there are non-vegetarian food options as well that aid in increasing your child's height:

Fish

Research shows that omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D have a close relation with bone development. Fish is a good source of these nutrients. If you are taking fish in your regular diet, there are more chances to increase your height. Among the best fish to eat in India are Rohu (Bengal carp), Ravas (Indian Salmon), Bangda (Indian Mackerel), Surmai (King Mackerel). If you are vegetarian, you can use nuts and seeds to give your children adequate amounts of good fats, vitamins and minerals. Cod liver oil capsules are another way to fulfil these nutritional requirements.

Eggs for height increase

Eggs are one of the best foods for health and to improve height in children. Calcium and vitamin D are beneficial for skeletal development, which is helpful to increase height. Egg protein is also famous for bodybuilding and growth. There are few amino acids which are found in eggs which regulate the working of the human growth hormone.

How much to take: Try to take the whole egg (egg whites and egg yolk, both) for better results. You can use one or two eggs daily. You can consume these eggs as boiled, poached, curry, scrambled, etc.