Rotis and parathas
Calories in Methi Thepla
One methi thepla has about 126 kcal, with 3.3 g of protein, 15.1 g of carbohydrate and 5.8 g of fat. The figure is from the Indian Nutrient Databank and is for one of the 11 theplas its recipe makes: a thin, small thepla of mixed flours with about a teaspoon of oil. Thicker or oilier theplas have more.
Nutrition in 1 methi thepla
| Nutrient | 1 methi thepla | 2 methi theplas |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 126 kcal | 252 kcal |
| Protein | 3.3 g | 6.6 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 15.1 g | 30.2 g |
| Total fat | 5.8 g | 11.6 g |
| Dietary fibre | 2.8 g | 5.6 g |
| Sugars | 1.1 g | 2.2 g |
Of this energy, about 48% comes from carbohydrate, 41% from fat and 10% from protein.
1 methi thepla is about 6% of the daily energy requirement of a sedentary adult man and 8% 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 behind the figure is a mixed-flour one: 120 g of atta with 40 g each of bajra, jowar and gram flour, 16 g of methi leaves, 4.5 tablespoons of curd and 4 tablespoons of oil. The source does not fix the size of a thepla, so the number is for one of the 11 the recipe makes. Each works out to about 11 g of atta and 3.5 g each of the other three flours, with roughly a teaspoon of oil. That is a small, thin thepla. Theplas rolled to the size of a full roti contain more of everything.
Carbohydrate supplies 48% of the energy, fat 41% and protein 10%. The flours provide the carbohydrate and most of the 3.3 g of protein, with the gram flour and curd helping a little. The oil provides nearly all the fat: a teaspoon in a thepla this small is a large share of the total. The methi is there for flavour more than nutrition, since each thepla holds only about 1.5 g of leaves. It is the lightest of the 15 breads in the comparison mainly because it is the smallest.
What goes into one serving
The recipe INDB analysed makes 11 theplas. These are its main ingredients; spices, salt and water are left out.
| Ingredient | In the recipe | In 1 methi thepla |
|---|---|---|
| Bajra (pearl millet) | 40 g | 3.5 g |
| Jowar (sorghum) | 40 g | 3.5 g |
| Atta (whole wheat flour) | 120 g | 11 g |
| Fenugreek leaves (methi) | 16 g | 1.5 g |
| Gram flour | 40 g | 3.5 g |
| Curd | 4.5 tbsp | 1 1/4 tsp |
| Ginger | 13 g | 1 g |
| Oil | 4 tbsp | 1 tsp |
What changes the number
- 01
How many you eat
Theplas are thin and rarely eaten singly. Two come to about 252 kcal and three to about 378 kcal, so a stack of three or four with tea is a full meal's worth of energy, not a snack.
- 02
Oil in the dough and on the tawa
Thepla dough is kneaded with oil so that it stays soft for days, and more is used while cooking. The recipe counts about a teaspoon in all for each thepla. A further teaspoon of oil takes one to about 170 kcal.
- 03
The flour mix
This recipe blends wheat with bajra, jowar and besan. An all-wheat thepla is close in calories; the millets and besan change the texture and nutrients more than the energy.
- 04
Chhundo, pickle and curd
Theplas are usually eaten with chhundo, a sweet mango preserve, or with pickle, curd or tea. Chhundo adds sugar and pickle adds salt and oil. None of these is in the 126 kcal.
How methi thepla 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methi Thepla | 1 methi thepla | 126 | 3.3 |
| Khakhra | 1 khakhra | 135 | 3.6 |
| Methi Paratha | 1 methi paratha | 135 | 3.9 |
| Onion Paratha | 1 onion paratha | 146 | 3.3 |
| Naan | 1 naan | 152 | 4.3 |
| Plain Paratha | 1 plain paratha | 166 | 2.8 |
| Gobi Paratha | 1 gobi paratha | 181 | 3.8 |
| Mooli Paratha | 1 mooli paratha | 184 | 3.3 |
| Aloo Paratha | 1 aloo paratha | 191 | 3.5 |
| Puran Poli | 1 puran poli | 196 | 5.1 |
| Dal Paratha | 1 dal paratha | 206 | 5.2 |
| Matar Paratha | 1 matar paratha | 207 | 6.1 |
| Makki ki Roti | 1 makki ki roti | 224 | 3 |
| Paneer Paratha | 1 paneer paratha | 224 | 6.8 |
| Keema Paratha | 1 keema paratha | 238 | 9.4 |
In a meal and in a day
One thepla is about 6% of the daily energy requirement of a sedentary man and 8% of a woman's, but one thepla is not a realistic serving. Three give about 378 kcal and 9.9 g of protein. Theplas keep well without refrigeration, which is why they are the standard travel food of Gujarati households; on a journey they tend to be eaten with pickle and tea, neither of which adds much protein. A bowl of curd makes a better companion.
Ways to keep it lighter
- Use curd to soften the dough and cut back on the oil kneaded into it.
- Cook the theplas on a hot tawa with a light brushing of oil, not a spoonful each.
- Add more chopped methi, or grated lauki, for a softer thepla with more vegetable in it.
- Eat them with plain curd in place of chhundo, which is mostly sugar.
Before you rely on the number
Thepla dough is seasoned with salt as well as spices, and three theplas with pickle add up quickly in salt as well as calories. The figure also depends on an assumption about size, because the source recipe does not say how big each thepla is. People limiting salt for blood pressure, or counting carbohydrate for diabetes, should use the portions agreed with their doctor or dietitian and weigh a home thepla's dough if they need precision.
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.
Methi Thepla: common questions
How many calories are in 2 methi theplas?
About 252 kcal, with 6.6 g of protein, 30.2 g of carbohydrate and 11.6 g of fat, for two small theplas of the kind the reference recipe makes. Three have about 378 kcal. Larger theplas contain more flour and oil and will be higher.
Is methi thepla good for weight loss?
A single thepla is light at 126 kcal, but 41% of that is fat and it is easy to eat several. Three theplas with curd is a reasonable meal; a taller stack with chhundo is not a light one. Weight depends on the day's total intake, so count the stack, not the single thepla.
Is thepla lighter than a paratha?
One for one, yes, in these recipes: 126 kcal for a methi thepla against 135 kcal for a methi paratha and 166 kcal for a plain paratha. The thepla is smaller, though, so people usually eat more of them, and the totals even out.
How much protein is in a methi thepla?
About 3.3 g in one and 6.6 g in two. The gram flour and curd in the dough contribute, but the amounts in each thepla are small. Eating theplas with curd, dal or a glass of chaas raises the protein of the meal.
The recipe, the ingredients and related reading
Methi Thepla
The recipe on this site, step by step.
Bajra (pearl millet): nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Jowar (sorghum): nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Wheat flour (atta and maida): nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Fenugreek leaves (methi): nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
The Gujarati diet: what it gets right, and where it needs work
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Millets in the Indian diet: benefits, and the honest limits
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Calories in One Chapati: By Size, With Ghee, and Compared With Rice
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.