Nutrition
100g Protein as an Indian Vegetarian in the US
You can do it, but not with dal alone.
Short answer
Yes, you can. Dal alone will not get you there. Greek yogurt, paneer, tofu, lentils, milk and one scoop of protein powder will.
A typical vegetarian Indian day of dal, sabzi, roti and curd can add up to less than 50 grams of protein.
Getting to 100 grams takes some planning. This is how to do it.
Do you even need 100 grams
It depends on your size and whether you train. Research puts the useful range at 1.4 to 2 grams of protein per kilo of body weight a day for people who train 1. For a 60 kilo woman that is about 85 to 120 grams.
So 100 is a fair target for a lot of women who lift.
The official minimum is lower, at 0.8 grams per kilo 2. Think of that as the floor. It is not the goal for someone who trains.
And more is not always better. In pooled trials the benefit for muscle levels off at around 1.6 grams per kilo 3.
Dal is not a protein food
One cup of cooked dal has about 18 grams of protein. It also has about 40 grams of carbohydrate 4. Dal is a good food. But it is a carb with some protein in it, not the other way round.
If dal is your main protein, it is very hard to reach 100 grams.
The foods that do the work
- Greek yogurt. About 17 grams in a 170 gram cup. Swap it for regular curd and you get about twice the protein.
- Paneer and tofu. Both vary a lot by brand, so read the label. Make them the centre of the meal, not a garnish.
- Lentils, chickpeas, rajma. About 15 to 18 grams a cup, cooked. Count them. Just do not rely on them alone.
- Edamame. About 18 grams in a cup, shelled. It is in the freezer aisle of every US grocery store.
- Cottage cheese. About 12 to 14 grams in half a cup. It is not an Indian food, but it is an easy source of protein.
- Milk and soy milk. About 7 to 8 grams a cup.
- Eggs, if you eat them. About 6 grams each.
These numbers come from the USDA food database 4. Brands differ. Check the label.
Spread it across the day
Do not try to fit it all into dinner. Research suggests spreading protein across about four meals 5.
That works out to roughly 25 to 30 grams each time you eat.
A day that gets you there
- Breakfast. A Greek yogurt bowl with nuts and fruit. Or paneer bhurji with one roti.
- Lunch. Dal, a tofu or paneer sabzi, a small serve of rice.
- Snack. A protein shake, a cup of edamame, or cottage cheese.
- Dinner. Chickpea or rajma curry, Greek yogurt raita, sabzi.
You do not need protein bars or a different cuisine. You need one good protein source at each meal.
What about protein powder
Protein powder is a convenient source of protein. One scoop is usually 20 to 25 grams, and it makes the gap easy to close on a busy day. Food counts the same.
If you buy one, pick a product with third party testing. The NSF Certified for Sport mark is one to look for 6.
What to remember
- For women who train, 1.4 to 2 grams per kilo a day is the useful range.
- Dal is mostly carbohydrate. It cannot be your only protein.
- Greek yogurt, paneer, tofu, edamame and cottage cheese are the main sources.
- Aim for 25 to 30 grams at each of about four meals.
- Protein powder is optional. It just makes a busy day easier.
Want this built around your own week?
A free call. No pressure, no card.
Tanvi Parikh. Certified Fitness Coach (NASM CPFT, CSFNS) and founder of TNV Method.
Sources
- 1JISSN · ISSN position stand on protein and exercise
- 2IOM · Dietary Reference Intakes for protein
- 3BJSM · Protein supplementation meta-analysis (Morton 2018)
- 4USDA · FoodData Central
- 5JISSN · Protein per meal (Schoenfeld and Aragon 2018)
- 6NSF · Certified for Sport
TNV Method is coaching and education, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before changing medication or starting a new plan.