How much protein in dal, paneer, curd, eggs and soya

Side by side

Protein share is the part of the food's calories that comes from protein. Higher means more protein for the calories.

Dal

Dal is a moderate protein food: moong dal about 7.2 g, masoor dal about 7.5 g and toor dal about 6 g per katori. It pairs well with rice or roti, and it adds fiber, but it is not enough on its own for a lifter's target.

Paneer

Paneer is protein-rich but also fat-rich: 295 kcal per 100 g. Low-fat paneer gives 24 g protein for 200 kcal, a better deal when you're cutting.

Curd

A katori of curd is about 5 g. Hang it overnight and 200 g of hung curd reaches about 14 g; Greek yogurt about 20 g.

Eggs

Two boiled eggs give about 13 g. Four whites give 14 g for only 68 kcal.

How to put these together in a day

None of these foods has to carry the day alone. A practical vegetarian combination: two moong dal cheelas at breakfast, a katori of curd with lunch, roasted chana in the evening and paneer or soya at dinner, with dal at both main meals. With eggs, swap a cheela for two boiled eggs. Each step is ordinary food; together they add up to a lifter's target.

Cooked versus raw weights

Numbers for dal and soya change a lot between raw and cooked. Dry soya chunks roughly triple in weight when soaked and cooked, and dry dal similar. Kynetix's values for dal are for cooked dal by the katori, and soya chunks are by dry weight, because that is how people usually measure them. When you log, say which you mean: "50 g soya chunks" or "1 katori soya curry".

Quality, not just quantity

Dairy, eggs and soya are complete proteins. Dal is low in one amino acid (methionine) and grains are low in another (lysine), which is why dal and rice or roti work so well together. Over a varied day this sorts itself out; there is no need to measure amino acids.

Which should you choose?

• Cutting: egg whites, soya, low-fat paneer, hung curd and whey give the most protein per calorie.
• Bulking: whole eggs, regular paneer, milk and dal add useful calories with the protein.
• Budget: soya chunks and dal.
• Convenience: curd, milk, boiled eggs and whey.

Myths you can ignore

• "Dal is a high-protein food." It is a moderate one by the katori; it is great with other proteins.
• "Egg yolks are bad." For most healthy people, whole eggs are fine and the yolk carries most of the vitamins.
• "Soya is harmful for men." Normal food amounts of soya are considered safe by major health bodies.

Key takeaways

• Per serving in Kynetix's table: dal tadka 6.8 g a katori, paneer 18 g per 100 g, curd 5 g a katori, 2 eggs 13 g, soya 26 g per 50 g dry.
• For protein per calorie, choose egg whites, soya, low-fat paneer and hung curd.
• Combine sources across the day rather than relying on one.

Soya

Soya chunks are the protein-per-rupee champion for vegetarians. Weigh them dry; 50 g dry swells into a full katori once cooked, and a katori of soya chunk curry is about 18 g.

Questions

More guides

• How to count calories in Indian food
• High-protein vegetarian Indian diet
• Protein for gym beginners in India
• Roti vs rice: calories and protein