10 Foods That Help Increase Height Rapidly

April 22, 2025

Every parent wants the very best for their child. To that end, one of the most common concerns that parents have is, what to eat to increase height? While genetics play a defining role in determining how tall a child will grow, the right choice of height-increasing foods can make a real difference, especially during their formative years.

When you give your child a wholesome and nutrient-rich diet, it not only supports strong bones but also boosts their overall development. No matter if you're looking for the best food for height growth or simply putting together a diet plan for height growth that you can follow, knowing which foods to select is the key.

Factors Affecting Height In An Individual

Have you ever wondered how tall your child will grow? If yes, we are sure that you must be looking for height increase food after 21, 18 or even 5. Height is decided by genes, but there's a lot more to it. And yes, you can absolutely influence it for the better. The right diet and nutrition supplement, planning and a thoughtfully curated diet plan for height growth can truly benefit your kids in a number of ways.

Genetics

Your height is largely decided by your DNA. In fact, around 80 percent of your height is inherited through a polygenic pattern (multiple-gene pattern)[1]. But that's not all that's to it. Genetics lay the groundwork, but our environment, nutrition for height growth, and other factors also influence how tall you get.

Sex

Boys grow taller than girls because of the way sex hormones affect their body. During puberty, testosterone that fuels their bone growth also gives impetus to their growth activity[2]. Similarly, in girls, with puberty, estrogen level rises, leading to growth-plate fusion. This causes them to stop growing sooner. The right choice of height-increasing foods for children and dietary support can optimize your child's height regardless of their gender.

Hormones

Growth hormone is produced by the pituitary gland. It is responsible for kick-starting bone elongation, and it is especially active during sleep. Along with the growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is always a hormone that ensures that your growth hormone does its job effectively[3]. Our sex hormones, testosterone and estrogen, are responsible for controlling the time of puberty and growth spurts. This is precisely the reason why a proper diet chart for height growth during the formative years is crucial.

Can You Increase Your Height After Puberty?

A person’s height plateaus after puberty but that isn’t the end of road for you if you want to reach your height potential. From curating a diet plan to increase height after 18, to choosing the right height growth foods, and more, here are some tips that can help you understand if you can increase height after puberty:

Eat right

A balanced diet plan for height growth is definitely important. Try to incorporate natural foods that help in height increase, like eggs, dairy, tofu, leafy greens, and whole grains. These protein-rich foods for growing taller contain all the important nutrients for bone elongation and development. In addition to that, you must also include milk and other calcium foods for height gain like yogurts.

Choose Foods That Increase Height Rapidly

Even after puberty, you can support growth with height increase foods after 18 like soy, almonds, chia seeds, and fish. These are some of the best foods to increase height in teenagers naturally because they are full of vitamin D and magnesium, which can work wonders for enhancing bone strength.

Make Friends With Fruits And Veggies

When your plates look colourful, your bodies grow happily. Load up on top vegetables and fruits for height growth like carrots, spinach, papaya, mango, and oranges. These fruits and vegetables support a balanced diet for healthy height development in teens while boosting their overall immunity and energy.

Opt for Nutrition Consultation

Sometimes food alone can't do it all. You can take a nutrition consultation and accordingly pin down the nutrients required for height increase naturally. To that end, you can opt for the best fiber supplements for height growth that can bridge the nutritional gaps in your food.

Hydration

Keep your child hydrated and energised with instant energy juices, orange energy drink powder and naturally hydrating foods like cucumber and watermelon. Besides taking care of those water levels, these things can play a surprising role as height-increasing foods for children by keeping their metabolism active.

Best Foods for Height Growth

If you are wondering about what to eat to increase height, here is a comprehensive list for you:

Leafy Greens
Almonds
Dairy Products (Low-Fat)
Beans
Cereals
Quinoa
Banana
Citrus Fruits
Multi Grains
Carrots

Also Read: How to Develop Healthy Eating Habits

Food Group	Foods That Help	Why They Help in Growing Height
Dairy Products	Milk, Yogurt, Cheese	These foods should definitely be a part of your diet plan to increase height as they are rich in calcium, protein, and vitamin D. These nutrients are essential for bone growth and strength.
Vegetables	Spinach, Broccoli, Peas, Brussels Sprouts	These vegetables are height growth foods because they are high in vitamins A, C, K, iron, and fiber, which play a significant role in supporting bone health and stimulating growth.
Fruits	Bananas, Oranges, Berries, Papaya	When we talk about the best foods to increase height, these fruits should definitely make it to your list as they are packed with vitamin C, potassium and antioxidants. It helps increase collagen production and boost skin repair.
Nuts & Seeds	Almonds, Walnuts, Flaxseeds, Chia Seeds	These tiny superfoods have all the healthy fats, zinc, magnesium, and protein, which are essential nutrients required for height increase naturally by supporting growth hormone function.
Whole Grains	Brown Rice, Oats, Quinoa, Whole Wheat Bread	Whole grains are rich in complex carbs and B vitamins, which should definitely be part of a diet plan for height growth.
Legumes	Lentils, Chickpeas, Beans, Peanuts	Legumes are an excellent height growth food as they are rich in protein, iron, and folate, which play a significant role in tissue growth and bone formation.
Soy Products	Tofu, Soy Milk, Edamame	These height-increasing foods are excellent plant-based protein sources that help in muscle and bone development.
Others	Dark Chocolate (moderation), Water	Dark chocolate is a rich source of magnesium. It tastes like a dream and helps in keeping your body hydrated for optimal function.

Myths About Height Growth

When it comes to your child's growth, it's quite easy to get swayed by wrong advice or misconceptions. Let us debunk those myths and help to put together a daily diet for height growth in boys and girls:

"Drinking milk alone makes you tall"

Milk is an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D. However, you cannot rely on it solely for height gain. In fact, relying on milk exclusively can create a nutritional gap and make your child miss out on other important nutrients for growth. In addition to milk, offer a balanced diet that includes a variety of natural foods that support height and bone development, like leafy greens, eggs, legumes, soy products, etc. In fact, if your child doesn't like having a glass of plain milk, you can make it more delicious by adding milk-flavouring powder from The Good Monk that has been fortified with added vitamins and minerals.

"Lifting weights stunts growth"

This is a very outdated myth that has often kept parents from letting their child do strength training. Age-appropriate resistance training under proper supervision can help improve posture, bone density, and muscle strength.

To support physical activity and optimize growth, nutrition plays an equally important role. To that end, you must encourage your child to consume foods that boost height and bone development while maintaining physical activity. In addition to that, you can also explore options like multivitamins for senior citizens or teens to curb the effects of nutritional deficiencies.

Also Read: Tips On Leading A Healthy Lifestyle

Conclusion: Food For Growth

If you want to give your child an advantage, then this would be the right time to revamp their diet with height-increasing foods that truly work. From protein-rich foods for growing taller, to natural foods that help in height increase and other nutritional supplements, the secret to unlocking their true height potential lies on their plate.

If you are still wondering ‘what should we eat to increase height’, it would be a good idea for you to start with understanding nutrition for height growth and then curating a diet plan to increase height after 18, 21, or for young kids. Having said that, consistency is the buzzword here. When you keep at it, height-gain foods, the right nutrition supplements from Good Monk, and physical exercise will become your child's secret weapon for growing tall. To that end, Good Monk is a name you can reckon with because it is anchored to the idea of making everyday nutrition seamless with science-packed, delicious, and easy-to-use solutions that kids and parents are going to love.

FAQs on Height Growth Foods

1. Can adults grow taller?

By including foods such as soy products, almonds, leafy greens, etc., one can support spinal health, posture, and achieve improvements in stature even after 18.

2. Which vitamin is best for height?

Vitamin D and Vitamin K are very important for height growth.

3. Does caffeine stunt growth?

No. This is a myth. Although caffeine doesn't directly stunt growth, excessive consumption of caffeine can interfere with your sleep, which is an important time for the growth hormone to be active.

4. Does skipping increase height?

Skipping is a form of cardio that can improve posture and stimulate growth hormone. When you do it in synergy with following a diet chart for height growth, it can help in maximising your child's height naturally.

References

[1] https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/traits/height/

[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/533299/

[3] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1187088/?utm_source=perplexity