Do Certain Vegetables Help You Grow Taller?

A healthy diet is essential for normal growth and development 9. To grow as tall as possible, you need the right nutrients for your body to make new cells and build strong bones. Many kinds of vegetables supply nutrients for your body to grow taller, and they are most effective when you eat them as part of an overall balanced diet.

Your diet needs to provide enough calories, protein and vitamins and minerals for normal growth, but it is important to keep your expectations for growth realistic. You may be shorter than your peers because you have short parents and do not have the genetic potential to be as tall as you would like, or you may simply need to wait patiently for your growth spurt because you are a late bloomer. Talk to your parents or doctor if you are concerned about your height.

Dark Green Vegetables

Spinach, kale, collard and mustard greens can help you grow taller because of their bone nutrients. They are rich sources of vitamin K, which is essential for blood clotting but may also support bone growth and strengthening.

Beans and Peas

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You need protein from the diet so that your body can make new cells for growth, and beans are an excellent plant-based source. You get about 6 to 9 g protein in 1/2 cup of cooked split peas, yellow peas or beans, such as:

• lima
  
• black
  
• pinto
  
• garbanzo
  
• kidney beans

They are excellent sources of potassium, and they can help prevent a zinc deficiency, which is a cause of growth impairment, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center.

Starchy Vegetables

You need to get enough calories from your diet so that your body has energy to grow, and starchy vegetables may help. Starch is a kind of carbohydrate with 4 calories per gram, and potatoes, beets, winter squash and sweet potatoes are all high in starch.