Rotis and parathas
Calories in Naan
One naan has about 152 kcal, with 4.3 g of protein, 27.5 g of carbohydrate and 2.7 g of fat. The figure is from the Indian Nutrient Databank and describes a small naan made from 33 g of maida with a little milk, curd, ghee and butter. A restaurant naan is usually much bigger, and a butter naan carries more fat.
Nutrition in 1 naan
| Nutrient | 1 naan | 2 naans |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 152 kcal | 304 kcal |
| Protein | 4.3 g | 8.6 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 27.5 g | 55 g |
| Total fat | 2.7 g | 5.4 g |
| Dietary fibre | 1 g | 2 g |
| Sugars | 3 g | 6 g |
Of this energy, about 73% comes from carbohydrate, 16% from fat and 11% from protein.
1 naan is about 7% of the daily energy requirement of a sedentary adult man and 9% 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
This is a recipe figure. The standard recipe makes 3 naans from 100 g of maida, 20 ml of milk, 25 g of curd, half a teaspoon of ghee and a teaspoon of butter, so each naan starts from about 33 g of flour. That is a small naan, nearer a home roti in the amount of flour than the long, plate-covering naan a restaurant tandoor turns out. If the naan in front of you is clearly larger, it contains more flour, and its calories rise in proportion. The 152 kcal answers the question for a small plain naan only.
Carbohydrate supplies 73% of the energy, protein 11% and fat only 16%. Nearly all of it is the refined flour. The recipe is light on fat, with about a quarter teaspoon each of ghee and butter in a naan, which is why a plain naan here has fewer calories than a plain paratha at 166 kcal. Maida also explains the low fibre, 1 g. The milk and curd soften the dough, but there is too little of either to change the nutrition much. In effect a naan is plain white bread baked fast in a very hot oven.
What goes into one serving
The recipe INDB analysed makes 3 naans. These are its main ingredients; spices, salt and water are left out.
| Ingredient | In the recipe | In 1 naan |
|---|---|---|
| Maida (refined flour) | 100 g | 33 g |
| Milk | 20 ml | 6.5 ml |
| Curds | 25 g | 8.5 g |
| Ghee | 1/2 tsp | 1/4 tsp |
| Butter | 1 tsp | 1/4 tsp |
What changes the number
- 01
The size of the naan
Flour is where a naan's calories sit, and this one has 33 g of maida. Restaurants roll far larger pieces of dough. Sharing a big naan between two people is often closer to this figure than eating a whole one.
- 02
Butter or ghee on top
A plain naan is brushed lightly or not at all. One teaspoon of ghee spread over it brings the naan to about 197 kcal, and two teaspoons to about 242 kcal. Butter naan and garlic butter naan belong in that range or above.
- 03
Stuffed and flavoured naans
Cheese naan, keema naan, Peshawari naan with dried fruit and nuts, and stuffed kulcha are different breads. Each filling adds its own energy on top of the dough, and none of them is covered by this figure.
- 04
What is in the dough
Recipes differ in how much milk, curd, sugar, egg or oil goes into the dough. A richer dough gives a softer naan and a higher count than this lean recipe.
How naan 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 small naan is about 7% of a sedentary man's daily energy requirement and 9% of a woman's; two come to 304 kcal with 8.6 g of protein. Taken alone that is modest. The catch is what naan is eaten with: dal makhani, butter chicken, paneer in a cream-based gravy. In a restaurant meal the bread is rarely the heaviest thing on the table, but it adds up quietly when the basket is refilled. With only 1 g of fibre it does little to fill you up, so vegetables and dal should do that work.
Ways to keep it lighter
- Ask for plain naan without butter; the gravy supplies enough fat for the meal.
- Share one large naan between two people in place of ordering one each.
- Pick a tandoori roti made from whole wheat when fibre matters more to you than softness.
- Fill the plate with dal and a vegetable dish first, so the bread is not doing all the filling.
Before you rely on the number
Naan is made from maida, so it has little fibre, 1 g, and its starch is digested quickly. Salt goes into the dough, and salted butter on top adds more. Eaten now and then with a restaurant meal this matters little; eaten daily in place of roti it is a step down in fibre. People with diabetes who are following carbohydrate guidance from a doctor or dietitian should ask how naan fits into it, bearing in mind that a restaurant naan is larger than this one.
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.
Naan: common questions
How many calories are in 1 naan?
About 152 kcal for a small plain naan made from 33 g of maida, according to the Indian Nutrient Databank's recipe. Restaurant naans are usually made from a good deal more dough, and their calories go up with the flour. Butter or ghee brushed on top adds to that.
How many calories are in a butter naan?
The source does not list a separate butter naan, but it shows what added fat does. One teaspoon of ghee on a naan of this size gives about 197 kcal, and two teaspoons about 242 kcal. Butter contains some water, so spoon for spoon it adds a little less than ghee.
Is naan higher in calories than roti or paratha?
Size for size, a plain naan is not especially high: 152 kcal against 166 kcal for a plain paratha in the same comparison, because the paratha is cooked in more oil. The difference in practice is portion. A restaurant naan is much larger than a home roti or paratha, and is often buttered.
How many calories are in 2 naans?
About 304 kcal, with 8.6 g of protein, 55 g of carbohydrate and 5.4 g of fat, for two small plain naans of the reference size. Three come to about 456 kcal. Larger restaurant naans will exceed these figures.
The recipe, the ingredients and related reading
Naan
The recipe on this site, step by step.
Wheat flour (atta and maida): nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Milk: nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Is Maida Bad for Health? What Refined Flour Does and Does Not Do
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.
Ghee vs Butter: Which Is Healthier, and Which to Cook With?
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.