Breakfast and tiffin
Calories in Meetha Dalia
One bowl of meetha dalia has about 329 kcal, with 10.6 g of protein, 35.8 g of carbohydrate and 16.4 g of fat. The figure is from the Indian Nutrient Databank and describes a bowl in which 20 g of cracked wheat is cooked in 250 ml of milk with 2 teaspoons of sugar and 5 g of oil.
Nutrition in 1 bowl of meetha dalia
| Nutrient | 1 bowl of meetha dalia | 2 bowls of meetha dalia |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 329 kcal | 658 kcal |
| Protein | 10.6 g | 21.2 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 35.8 g | 71.6 g |
| Total fat | 16.4 g | 32.8 g |
| Dietary fibre | 2.5 g | 5 g |
| Sugars | 20.6 g | 41.2 g |
Of this energy, about 43% comes from carbohydrate, 44% from fat and 13% from protein.
1 bowl of meetha dalia is about 16% of the daily energy requirement of a sedentary adult man and 20% of a sedentary adult woman's (ICMR-NIN, 2020).
These figures are from the Indian Nutrient Databank (INDB), which calculates each dish from a standard recipe using Indian food composition data. They describe that recipe and that serving: a larger portion, or more oil, ghee or sugar, gives more. Source: Vijayakumar A, Dubasi HB, Awasthi A, Jaacks LM. Development of an Indian Food Composition Database. Current Developments in Nutrition. 2024;8(7):103790 (Indian Nutrient Databank, INDB).
What this figure covers
The recipe is a milk porridge more than a wheat dish: 20 g of cracked wheat is roasted in 5 g of fat and then simmered in 250 ml of milk with 2 teaspoons of sugar, and all of it goes into one bowl. So the serving is a generous bowl of sweetened milk thickened with a small handful of dalia. A home bowl made with more grain and less milk, or cooked half in water, will have a different balance, and one finished with extra sugar, ghee or dry fruits will be higher than 329 kcal.
Fat supplies 44% of the energy, carbohydrate 43% and protein 13%. The milk is responsible for most of the fat and for nearly all of the 10.6 g of protein, and it brings calcium as well. The carbohydrate is shared between the cracked wheat, the added sugar and the natural sugar in the milk. With only 20 g of grain in the bowl, fibre is modest at 2.5 g. The kind of milk and the amount of sugar decide this dish far more than the dalia does.
What goes into one serving
The recipe INDB analysed makes 1 bowl. These are its main ingredients; spices, salt and water are left out.
| Ingredient | In the recipe | In 1 bowl of meetha dalia |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | 250 ml | 250 ml |
| Oil | 5 g | 5 g |
| Sugar | 2 tsp | 2 tsp |
| Cracked wheat | 20 g | 20 g |
What changes the number
- 01
The milk
A bowl uses 250 ml of milk, which supplies most of its fat. Toned or skimmed milk lowers the fat and the calories while keeping the protein and calcium; full-cream or buffalo milk raises them. Cooking the dalia partly in water has a similar effect to using a lighter milk.
- 02
Sugar or jaggery
The recipe has 2 teaspoons of sugar. Every further teaspoon adds about 16 kcal: one more makes the bowl about 345 kcal and two more about 361 kcal. Jaggery used in place of sugar changes the flavour and colour, but it is a sugar too and counts in the same way.
- 03
Ghee, nuts and raisins
The grain is roasted in 5 g of fat. A teaspoon of ghee stirred in at the end takes the bowl to about 374 kcal, and two teaspoons to about 419 kcal. Almonds, cashews and raisins are common additions, and each adds energy that the 329 kcal does not include.
- 04
How much grain
With 20 g of cracked wheat the porridge is thin. A thicker dalia made with more grain has more carbohydrate and more fibre and feels more like a meal; its calories rise with the grain unless the milk comes down to make room.
How meetha dalia compares
Other dishes of the same kind, one serving each, lightest first. Serving sizes differ, so read the serving before the number.
| Dish | One serving | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idli | 1 idli | 34 | 1.2 |
| Rava Idli | 1 rava idli | 61 | 2.8 |
| Besan Chilla | 1 besan chilla | 71 | 4.1 |
| Pesarattu | 1 pesarattu | 76 | 3.3 |
| Dhokla | 1 piece of dhokla | 87 | 5.4 |
| Jowar Dosa | 1 jowar dosa | 97 | 2.8 |
| Egg Bhurji | 1 bowl of egg bhurji | 130 | 7.7 |
| Plain Dosa | 1 plain dosa | 138 | 3.7 |
| Omelette | 1 omelette | 144 | 6.8 |
| Upma | 1 bowl of upma | 157 | 3.5 |
| Semiya Upma | 1 bowl of semiya upma | 158 | 3.3 |
| Poha | 1 bowl of poha | 161 | 3.3 |
| Rava Dosa | 1 rava dosa | 167 | 5.4 |
| Uttapam | 1 uttapam | 174 | 4.2 |
| Oats Porridge | 1 bowl of oats porridge | 290 | 10.3 |
| Cornflakes With Milk | 1 bowl of cornflakes with milk | 326 | 10 |
| Meetha Dalia | 1 bowl of meetha dalia | 329 | 10.6 |
| Puttu | 1 puttu | 344 | 5.3 |
| Masala Dosa | 1 masala dosa | 345 | 6.9 |
| Vegetable Upma | 1 plate of vegetable upma | 345 | 11.1 |
| Namkeen Dalia | 1 plate of namkeen dalia | 346 | 9.7 |
| Stuffed Moong Dal Chilla | 1 stuffed moong dal chilla | 352 | 15.9 |
In a meal and in a day
One bowl of meetha dalia is about 16% of a sedentary man's daily energy requirement and 20% of a woman's, so it is a complete breakfast, not a side. It brings 10.6 g of protein, nearly all of it from the milk. What it lacks is fibre, at 2.5 g, and it carries a good deal of sugar. Half a bowl, about 164 kcal, works as an evening snack. Fruit cut into the dalia adds sweetness and fibre; a second bowl would take the total to 658 kcal.
Ways to keep it lighter
- Use toned milk, or cook the dalia in half milk and half water.
- Cut the sugar to one teaspoon and sweeten the bowl with chopped banana or apple.
- Dry-roast the cracked wheat instead of roasting it in ghee or oil.
- Use more dalia and less milk for a thicker bowl with more fibre.
Before you rely on the number
This bowl has 20.6 g of sugars. That figure counts every sugar in the bowl and the recipe adds only 2 teaspoons, so much of it is the milk's own natural sugar; the spoon is the part worth controlling. Most of the bowl's fat is milk fat, which is largely saturated. People managing diabetes, or told to limit saturated fat for a heart condition, should settle the portion and the sweetener with their doctor or dietitian.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
Meetha Dalia: common questions
Is meetha dalia good for weight loss?
A bowl made this way is 329 kcal with 44% of its energy from fat and a fair amount of sugar, so it is not a light option, though the milk makes it filling. With toned milk, one teaspoon of sugar and more grain it becomes a more useful breakfast. A sweet porridge can fit if the rest of the day's eating is balanced.
Meetha dalia or namkeen dalia: which has fewer calories?
They are close: 329 kcal for a bowl of meetha dalia and 346 kcal for a plate of namkeen dalia in this set, with 10.6 g and 9.7 g of protein. The difference lies in what the calories are made of. The sweet version is mostly milk and sugar with a little grain; the savoury plate is mostly broken wheat cooked in oil.
How much protein is in a bowl of meetha dalia?
About 10.6 g, nearly all of it from the 250 ml of milk; the 20 g of cracked wheat adds only a little. Protein supplies 13% of the energy. Making the porridge with water in place of milk would remove most of that protein, so a lighter milk is a better saving than no milk.
How many calories does a teaspoon of ghee add to dalia?
About 45 kcal. A bowl of meetha dalia with one teaspoon of ghee stirred in comes to about 374 kcal, and with two teaspoons about 419 kcal. Sugar adds less per spoon, about 16 kcal, but it tends to be added more freely.
The recipe, the ingredients and related reading
Dalia (Broken Wheat Porridge)
The recipe on this site, step by step.
Milk: nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
How Much Sugar Is Safe per Day? WHO Limits in Teaspoons and Indian Foods
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Protein and Calories in a Glass of Milk: Toned, Full-Cream and Buffalo
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Indian food calorie counter
Add up a whole plate in rotis, katoris and cups.
Calories in every dish
All the cooked dishes, with calories per serving.
Learn to read a plate
Certification in Nutrition
Estimating what is on a plate and turning it into a meal plan is taught in this NNWA course.