Many people believe that height is determined by genetics, and however tall you stand in your 20s is how tall you’ll be for the rest of your life. To many people’s delight, this isn’t exactly true. Scientists suggest that about 80% of an individual’s height is genetic. By eating certain foods and maintaining adequate nutrition in your diet, you can grow taller.
If you’re looking to reach your optimum height and learn what foods help you grow taller, read through this article which will explain the best foods to eat, the nutritional benefits, and how to incorporate them into a balanced diet.
Carbohydrates
First up on our list of nutritious foods are carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred fuel, so it’s important to get enough of these foods in your daily meals. If you’re an active or sporty person, you’ll need to make sure you get enough fuel, especially if you’re looking to grow taller.
What carb-based foods help you grow taller?
Quinoa
Quinoa is actually a seed that many people use as a grain in their diet. Not only is it nutritious, but because it’s considered a complete protein, it is known as a superfood in recent times. This has made quinoa a popular source of plant protein.
Since it’s loaded with all nine essential amino acids that your body needs, quinoa is the perfect grain (or seed) to add to your diet if you’re looking to grow taller.
How can you incorporate it into your diet? Like couscous, quinoa is often added to salad because the grains are so small and mix well with the veggies. Plus, it makes the salad nice and filling.
Lastly, let’s not forget that quinoa is an excellent source of magnesium which is great news for bone health, as it’s an important component of bone tissue.
Whole Grains
When you’re thinking about the carbohydrates in your meals, you’ll want to start ensuring that whole grains are on your plate. Refined carbs such as white bread and pasta don’t contain as many nutrients, which you can’t afford to go without if you want to grow taller.
So why whole grains? They are rich in vitamin B, magnesium, selenium, zinc, and iron, which are essential for bone growth. But honestly, eating this kind of food is one easy way to step up your health game, as they have a whole host of other positive effects on the body.
Protein Sources
In any diet, it’s important to ensure each meal contains a healthy source of protein. If you’re looking to grow taller, this becomes even more important.
Thankfully, the range of animal-based and plant-based proteins make delicious components to your meals.
Animal-Based Sources of Protein
- Fish
- Chicken
- Grass-fed beef
Plant-Based Sources of Protein
- Soybeans
- Beans
- Almonds
Dairy Products
Next up, we have dairy products. Milk, yogurt, and cheese have great benefits when it comes to growing our bodies.
For example, dairy products provide an excellent source of calcium which contributes to good bone health. If you want to grow, you need to ensure that you have adequate calcium levels and partake in high-impact exercise.
Let’s look further into dairy products that encourage healthy bones. We’ll walk through the main types of dairy products and highlight any that offer higher nutritional value.
Milk
Milk is known for being a source of calcium, but milk’s nutritional composition is extremely complex. Milk contains virtually every nutrient your body needs, which is even better for bone health.
One cup of whole cow’s milk contains:
- Protein: 8.14 grams
- Carbs: 12 grams
- Vitamin B12: (to include foods rich in this essential vitamin)
- Calcium: is easily absorbed in the body and is one of the best dietary sources of calcium
Yogurt
Yogurt is another excellent source of protein. It is a versatile food — you can buy different flavors, have it with cereal, add it to your smoothies, or even mix with flour to create a flatbread dough.
But the real reason yogurt is on this list is not because it is versatile, it’s because it’s a readily available food that can support your growth.
One cup of yogurt contains:
- Protein: 8.5 grams
- Vitamin B12: Found almost exclusively in animal foods
- Calcium: Yogurt is an excellent source of easily absorbable calcium
Cheese
Cheese offers similar nutritional benefits. There are so many cheese variations we thought it was best to direct you to the healthiest types. Do you want to give your bones a calcium fix without compensating your health? Consider adding these cheeses to your diet.
- Mozzarella gives a good portion of calcium and is lower in calories than most other cheeses. It also contains probiotics that can support your immune system.
- Blue cheese (stilton) has more calcium than most cheeses, with one ounce providing 33% of your RDI, making it great for healthy bones.
- Feta may be saltier because it’s stored in brine, but it’s a lighter option being low in calories. The best part is that it contains a fatty acid which is great for body composition.
- Cottage cheese may not be the top scorer when it comes to calcium (10% of RDI in half a cup), but it certainly has the most protein, which is essential for supporting the growth of the body.
Source: Healthline
Vegetables
Eating a variety of vegetables can be a straightforward way of getting a rich source of essential vitamins. While the idea of eating veggies is simple, it is worth researching which ones have the best benefits for growing taller.
According to Style Craze, here are the ten veggies you should be plating up to grow:
- Rhubarb is actually considered a fruit. It assists the body in fighting diabetes and stimulates a growth hormone.
- Collard greens are full of nutrients, including vitamin C, soluble fiber, vitamin K, and anti-cancer properties.
- Spinach contains vitamins, calcium, fibers, and iron, all essential in allowing the body to function properly.
- Turnips are full of a range of vitamins, proteins, and fibers and support regular growth hormone secretion.
- Okra’s combination of vitamins, carbohydrates, water, minerals, and fibers work to stimulate growth hormones to help the body grow.
- Beans contain a high level of protein for a vegetable, which is essential for the growth of the body.
- Broccoli contains high levels of vitamin C and iron that help to maintain healthy functioning, including, you guessed it, growth hormones.
- Peas are a source of proteins, fibers, vitamins, lutein, and minerals.
- Brussels sprouts have anti-cancer properties, vitamins, minerals, iron, protein, and fibers, which kick-start growth.
- Bok Choy is rich in dietary carbohydrates, fibers, and vitamins.
As you can see, there are so many delicious vegetables to add to your plate that will help you stimulate those growth hormones.
Conclusion
What foods help you grow taller? Here’s your shopping list! Don’t let this extensive list put you off achieving your goals of growing taller because if one thing is certain, you are not short of options. You can eat an extremely varied diet while trying to grow taller.
Chances are, you already eat most of these foods, but don’t let the familiarity make you complacent. You’ve done some research, and now it’s time to put things into action.
Start with your carbohydrates, as they’re the easy step. Swap your refined carbs for whole grains, such as brown rice. Quinoa is always great to have in your pantry because it’s full of nutrients and a complete protein.
Speaking of proteins, try to ensure that most of your meals contain a good portion of protein. It provides the body with the building blocks for growth, which someone who wants to grow taller needs to consider. You might not dream of looking like The Rock, but he didn’t get so big and strong by skipping the protein!
For a helping of bone-growth supporting calcium and an extra dose of protein, try to always eat some dairy products. A special mention goes to blue cheese for a whopping 33% of calcium RDI and feta for supporting body composition.
And finally, no matter what your health goals are, vegetables are always a good idea. You’ve got ten veggies that will support your growth right here in this article, so what are you waiting for?