Nutrient table · IFCT 2017 · ICMR-NIN 2020

Protein content of Indian foods

Per 100 g, soya bean is the richest Indian protein source in IFCT 2017 at 35.6 g, followed by fenugreek seeds at 25.4 g, tuna at 24.5 g and masoor dal at 24.4 g. Most raw dals and many fish follow at 20 to 24 g. ICMR-NIN 2020 sets protein needs at 54 g a day for a 65 kg man and 45.7 g for a 55 kg woman.

01The nutrient

What protein does, and where Indian diets stand

Protein supplies the building blocks for muscle, skin, blood, enzymes and the antibodies the immune system makes. The body cannot store it the way it stores fat, so it needs a steady supply every day. Children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, older adults and anyone recovering from illness or surgery need it most.

Many Indian diets do not lack protein outright so much as they lack it at each meal. A plate built around rice or roti, with a thin dal and a vegetable, often falls short, especially for vegetarians. Grains carry some protein, but the dense sources are pulses, soya, dairy, eggs, fish and meat.

This table ranks 243 foods from IFCT 2017 by protein per 100 g. The top 25 are mainly three kinds of food: pulses such as soya bean, masoor, moong, urad and toor; oilseeds such as peanuts, sunflower and garden cress seeds; and fish and poultry. The vegetarian list shows that a well-chosen dal or seed holds its own against fish, weight for weight.

02The full table

All 243 foods ranked by protein

Per 100 g of the edible portion, highest first. The last two columns show the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers.

Indian foods ranked by protein per 100 g
Rank	Food	Group	Per 100 g	Man's daily need	Woman's daily need
1	Soya bean	Pulses and legumes	35.6 g	66%	78%
2	Fenugreek seeds (methi dana)	Spices, herbs and condiments	25.4 g	47%	56%
3	Tuna	Fish and seafood	24.5 g	45%	54%
4	Masoor dal (red lentil)	Pulses and legumes	24.4 g	45%	53%
5	Green gram (moong)	Pulses and legumes	23.9 g	44%	52%
6	Milk fish	Fish and seafood	23.7 g	44%	52%
7	Peanuts (groundnut)	Nuts and oilseeds	23.6 g	44%	52%
8	Sunflower seeds	Nuts and oilseeds	23.5 g	44%	51%
9	Garden cress seeds (halim)	Nuts and oilseeds	23.4 g	43%	51%
10	Pistachio	Nuts and oilseeds	23.4 g	43%	51%
11	Black gram (urad)	Pulses and legumes	23.1 g	43%	51%
12	Red snapper	Fish and seafood	22.8 g	42%	50%
13	Silan	Fish and seafood	22.7 g	42%	50%
14	Emu	Meat, poultry and eggs	22.6 g	42%	49%
15	Whole masoor (lentil)	Pulses and legumes	22.5 g	42%	49%
16	Seer fish (vanjaram)	Fish and seafood	22.3 g	41%	49%
17	Chicken (broiler)	Meat, poultry and eggs	21.8 g	40%	48%
18	Hilsa (ilish)	Fish and seafood	21.8 g	40%	48%
19	Horse gram (kulthi)	Pulses and legumes	21.7 g	40%	47%
20	Red gram (toor or arhar)	Pulses and legumes	21.7 g	40%	47%
21	Silver carp	Fish and seafood	21.7 g	40%	47%
22	Bengal gram (chana)	Pulses and legumes	21.6 g	40%	47%
23	Chicken liver and gizzard	Meat, poultry and eggs	21.6 g	40%	47%
24	Shark	Fish and seafood	21.6 g	40%	47%
25	Mackerel	Fish and seafood	21.5 g	40%	47%
26	Matha	Fish and seafood	21.2 g	39%	46%
27	Queen fish	Fish and seafood	21 g	39%	46%
28	Salmon	Fish and seafood	21 g	39%	46%
29	Quail	Meat, poultry and eggs	20.9 g	39%	46%
30	Parrot fish	Fish and seafood	20.8 g	39%	46%
31	Moon fish	Fish and seafood	20.7 g	38%	45%
32	Guinea fowl	Meat, poultry and eggs	20.5 g	38%	45%
33	Cowpea (lobia)	Pulses and legumes	20.4 g	38%	45%
34	Dried peas	Pulses and legumes	20.4 g	38%	45%
35	Freshwater Eel	Fish and seafood	20.4 g	38%	45%
36	Goat meat (mutton)	Meat, poultry and eggs	20.3 g	38%	44%
37	Poppy seeds	Spices, herbs and condiments	20.3 g	38%	44%
38	Turkey	Meat, poultry and eggs	20.3 g	38%	44%
39	Mullet	Fish and seafood	20.2 g	37%	44%
40	Chembali	Fish and seafood	20.1 g	37%	44%
41	Rabbit	Meat, poultry and eggs	20 g	37%	44%
42	Rice bean	Pulses and legumes	20 g	37%	44%
43	Anchovy	Fish and seafood	19.9 g	37%	44%
44	Field bean (dry)	Pulses and legumes	19.9 g	37%	44%
45	Rajma (red kidney beans)	Pulses and legumes	19.9 g	37%	44%
46	Moth bean (matki)	Pulses and legumes	19.8 g	37%	43%
47	Karimeen (pearl spot)	Fish and seafood	19.7 g	36%	43%
48	Rohu	Fish and seafood	19.7 g	36%	43%
49	Black snapper	Fish and seafood	19.5 g	36%	43%
50	Mustard seeds	Nuts and oilseeds	19.5 g	36%	43%
51	Kalava	Fish and seafood	19.4 g	36%	42%
52	Prawns	Fish and seafood	19.2 g	36%	42%
53	Sesame seeds (til)	Nuts and oilseeds	19.2 g	36%	42%
54	Duck	Meat, poultry and eggs	19.1 g	35%	42%
55	Sole fish	Fish and seafood	19.1 g	35%	42%
56	Oyster mushroom (dried)	Vegetables and mushrooms	19 g	35%	42%
57	Niger seeds	Nuts and oilseeds	18.9 g	35%	41%
58	Paneer	Milk and dairy	18.9 g	35%	41%
59	Pomfret	Fish and seafood	18.9 g	35%	41%
60	Cashew nut	Nuts and oilseeds	18.8 g	35%	41%
61	Rani	Fish and seafood	18.8 g	35%	41%
62	Flaxseeds (alsi)	Nuts and oilseeds	18.6 g	34%	41%
63	Tilapia	Fish and seafood	18.5 g	34%	40%
64	Almond	Nuts and oilseeds	18.4 g	34%	40%
65	Sheep meat (lamb)	Meat, poultry and eggs	18.2 g	34%	40%
66	Catla	Fish and seafood	17.9 g	33%	39%
67	Pigeon	Meat, poultry and eggs	17.9 g	33%	39%
68	Sardine	Fish and seafood	17.9 g	33%	39%
69	Safflower seeds	Nuts and oilseeds	17.7 g	33%	39%
70	Pork	Meat, poultry and eggs	17.4 g	32%	38%
71	Pangas	Fish and seafood	17.1 g	32%	37%
72	Country chicken (desi)	Meat, poultry and eggs	17 g	31%	37%
73	Khoa (mawa)	Milk and dairy	16.3 g	30%	36%
74	Squid	Fish and seafood	16.1 g	30%	35%
75	Lobster	Fish and seafood	16 g	30%	35%
76	Ajwain (carom seeds)	Spices, herbs and condiments	15.9 g	29%	35%
77	Catfish	Fish and seafood	15.9 g	29%	35%
78	Bhetki (barramundi)	Fish and seafood	15.3 g	28%	33%
79	Walnut	Nuts and oilseeds	14.9 g	28%	33%
80	Tiger prawns	Fish and seafood	14.8 g	27%	32%
81	Octopus	Fish and seafood	14.7 g	27%	32%
82	Amaranth seed (rajgira)	Cereals and millets	14.6 g	27%	32%
83	Cumin seeds	Spices, herbs and condiments	13.9 g	26%	30%
84	Bombay duck	Fish and seafood	13.5 g	25%	30%
85	Egg	Meat, poultry and eggs	13.3 g	25%	29%
86	Quinoa	Cereals and millets	13.1 g	24%	29%
87	Pine nuts (chilgoza)	Nuts and oilseeds	12.6 g	23%	28%
88	Clam	Fish and seafood	12.1 g	22%	26%
89	Bajra (pearl millet)	Cereals and millets	11 g	20%	24%
90	Barley	Cereals and millets	10.9 g	20%	24%
91	Coriander seeds	Spices, herbs and condiments	10.7 g	20%	23%
92	Wheat (whole, suji and dalia)	Cereals and millets	10.6 g	20%	23%
93	Wheat flour (atta and maida)	Cereals and millets	10.6 g	20%	23%
94	Pippali (long pepper)	Spices, herbs and condiments	10.5 g	19%	23%
95	Crab	Fish and seafood	10.2 g	19%	22%
96	Black pepper	Spices, herbs and condiments	10.1 g	19%	22%
97	Samai (little millet)	Cereals and millets	10.1 g	19%	22%
98	Jowar (sorghum)	Cereals and millets	10 g	19%	22%
99	Mud crab	Fish and seafood	10 g	19%	22%
100	Oyster	Fish and seafood	9.5 g	18%	21%
101	Varagu millet	Cereals and millets	8.9 g	16%	19%
102	Maize (corn)	Cereals and millets	8.8 g	16%	19%
103	Cardamom	Spices, herbs and condiments	8.1 g	15%	18%
104	Tender red gram (fresh toor)	Vegetables and mushrooms	8.1 g	15%	18%
105	Agathi leaves	Green leafy vegetables	8 g	15%	18%
106	Rice	Cereals and millets	7.9 g	15%	17%
107	Turmeric powder	Spices, herbs and condiments	7.7 g	14%	17%
108	Puffed rice (murmura)	Cereals and millets	7.5 g	14%	16%
109	Curry leaves	Spices, herbs and condiments	7.4 g	14%	16%
110	Poha (rice flakes)	Cereals and millets	7.4 g	14%	16%
111	Coconut	Nuts and oilseeds	7.3 g	14%	16%
112	Green peas (fresh)	Vegetables and mushrooms	7.2 g	13%	16%
113	Ragi (finger millet)	Cereals and millets	7.2 g	13%	16%
114	Garlic	Spices, herbs and condiments	6.9 g	13%	15%
115	Drumstick leaves (moringa)	Green leafy vegetables	6.4 g	12%	14%
116	Asafoetida (hing)	Spices, herbs and condiments	6.3 g	12%	14%
117	Nutmeg	Spices, herbs and condiments	6.3 g	12%	14%
118	Mace	Spices, herbs and condiments	6.2 g	11%	14%
119	Cloves	Spices, herbs and condiments	5.9 g	11%	13%
120	Tamarind leaves	Green leafy vegetables	5.8 g	11%	13%
121	Garden cress leaves	Green leafy vegetables	5.6 g	10%	12%
122	Parsley	Green leafy vegetables	5.5 g	10%	12%
123	Ponnaganni	Green leafy vegetables	5.3 g	10%	12%
124	Mint leaves	Spices, herbs and condiments	4.7 g	9%	10%
125	Brussels sprouts	Green leafy vegetables	4.3 g	8%	9%
126	Pumpkin leaves	Green leafy vegetables	4.2 g	8%	9%
127	Broad beans	Vegetables and mushrooms	3.9 g	7%	9%
128	Cauliflower leaves	Green leafy vegetables	3.9 g	7%	9%
129	Button mushroom	Vegetables and mushrooms	3.7 g	7%	8%
130	Fenugreek leaves (methi)	Green leafy vegetables	3.7 g	7%	8%
131	Manila tamarind (jungle jalebi)	Fruits	3.6 g	7%	8%
132	Amaranth spinosus	Green leafy vegetables	3.5 g	6%	8%
133	Cluster beans (gawar)	Vegetables and mushrooms	3.5 g	6%	8%
134	Coriander leaves	Spices, herbs and condiments	3.5 g	6%	8%
135	Mustard leaves (sarson)	Green leafy vegetables	3.5 g	6%	8%
136	Colocasia leaves (arbi patta)	Green leafy vegetables	3.4 g	6%	7%
137	Amaranth leaves (chaulai)	Green leafy vegetables	3.3 g	6%	7%
138	Colocasia root (arbi)	Roots and tubers	3.3 g	6%	7%
139	Milk	Milk and dairy	3.3 g	6%	7%
140	Apricot (dried and processed)	Fruits	3.2 g	6%	7%
141	Shiitake mushroom	Vegetables and mushrooms	3.2 g	6%	7%
142	Field beans (fresh pods)	Vegetables and mushrooms	3.1 g	6%	7%
143	Knol-khol leaves	Green leafy vegetables	3.1 g	6%	7%
144	Wood apple (kaitha)	Fruits	3.1 g	6%	7%
145	Avocado	Fruits	3 g	6%	7%
146	Scarlet runner bean	Vegetables and mushrooms	2.9 g	5%	6%
147	Tamarind	Fruits	2.9 g	5%	6%
148	Baby corn	Vegetables and mushrooms	2.7 g	5%	6%
149	Jackfruit (ripe)	Fruits	2.7 g	5%	6%
150	Bael	Fruits	2.6 g	5%	6%
151	Chillies (green and red)	Spices, herbs and condiments	2.6 g	5%	6%
152	Drumstick (moringa pods)	Vegetables and mushrooms	2.6 g	5%	6%
153	Raisins	Fruits	2.6 g	5%	6%
154	Yam (suran)	Roots and tubers	2.6 g	5%	6%
155	Bathua leaves	Green leafy vegetables	2.5 g	5%	5%
156	Betel leaves	Green leafy vegetables	2.5 g	5%	5%
157	Dates	Fruits	2.5 g	5%	5%
158	French beans	Vegetables and mushrooms	2.5 g	5%	5%
159	Beet greens	Green leafy vegetables	2.4 g	4%	5%
160	Ginger	Spices, herbs and condiments	2.2 g	4%	5%
161	Radish leaves	Green leafy vegetables	2.2 g	4%	5%
162	Cauliflower	Vegetables and mushrooms	2.1 g	4%	5%
163	Okra (bhindi)	Vegetables and mushrooms	2.1 g	4%	5%
164	Spinach	Green leafy vegetables	2.1 g	4%	5%
165	Spring onion	Vegetables and mushrooms	2.1 g	4%	5%
166	Fig	Fruits	2 g	4%	4%
167	Raw jackfruit	Vegetables and mushrooms	2 g	4%	4%
168	Beet root	Roots and tubers	1.9 g	4%	4%
169	Gongura (gogu) leaves	Green leafy vegetables	1.9 g	4%	4%
170	Jaggery	Sugars and natural drinks	1.9 g	4%	4%
171	Lotus root (kamal kakdi)	Roots and tubers	1.9 g	4%	4%
172	Chicken mushroom	Vegetables and mushrooms	1.8 g	3%	4%
173	Phalsa	Fruits	1.7 g	3%	4%
174	Basella leaves	Green leafy vegetables	1.6 g	3%	4%
175	Custard apple (sitaphal)	Fruits	1.6 g	3%	4%
176	Knol-khol (kohlrabi)	Vegetables and mushrooms	1.6 g	3%	4%
177	Rumex leaves	Green leafy vegetables	1.6 g	3%	4%
178	Brinjal (baingan)	Vegetables and mushrooms	1.5 g	3%	3%
179	Cherries	Fruits	1.5 g	3%	3%
180	Currants	Fruits	1.5 g	3%	3%
181	Lettuce	Green leafy vegetables	1.5 g	3%	3%
182	Onion	Spices, herbs and condiments	1.5 g	3%	3%
183	Potato	Roots and tubers	1.5 g	3%	3%
184	Bitter gourd (karela)	Vegetables and mushrooms	1.4 g	3%	3%
185	Cabbage	Green leafy vegetables	1.4 g	3%	3%
186	Guava	Fruits	1.4 g	3%	3%
187	Ivy gourd (kundru)	Vegetables and mushrooms	1.4 g	3%	3%
188	Mango ginger (amba haldi)	Spices, herbs and condiments	1.4 g	3%	3%
189	Pak Choi leaves	Green leafy vegetables	1.4 g	3%	3%
190	Pointed gourd (parwal)	Vegetables and mushrooms	1.4 g	3%	3%
191	Bamboo shoot	Vegetables and mushrooms	1.3 g	2%	3%
192	Ber (Indian jujube)	Fruits	1.3 g	2%	3%
193	Pomegranate	Fruits	1.3 g	2%	3%
194	Sweet potato	Roots and tubers	1.3 g	2%	3%
195	Banana	Fruits	1.2 g	2%	3%
196	Plantain (raw banana)	Vegetables and mushrooms	1.2 g	2%	3%
197	Capsicum	Vegetables and mushrooms	1.1 g	2%	2%
198	Karonda	Fruits	1.1 g	2%	2%
199	Zucchini	Vegetables and mushrooms	1.1 g	2%	2%
200	Celery stalk	Vegetables and mushrooms	1 g	2%	2%
201	Litchi	Fruits	1 g	2%	2%
202	Snake gourd	Vegetables and mushrooms	1 g	2%	2%
203	Strawberry	Fruits	1 g	2%	2%
204	Tapioca (cassava)	Roots and tubers	1 g	2%	2%
205	Tinda (round gourd)	Vegetables and mushrooms	1 g	2%	2%
206	Black berry	Fruits	0.9 g	2%	2%
207	Carrot	Roots and tubers	0.9 g	2%	2%
208	Chikoo (sapota)	Fruits	0.9 g	2%	2%
209	Peach	Fruits	0.9 g	2%	2%
210	Pumpkin	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.9 g	2%	2%
211	Ridge gourd (turai)	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.9 g	2%	2%
212	Tomato	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.9 g	2%	2%
213	Water Chestnut	Roots and tubers	0.9 g	2%	2%
214	Ash gourd (petha)	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.8 g	1%	2%
215	Colocasia stem	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.8 g	1%	2%
216	Grapes	Fruits	0.8 g	1%	2%
217	Jamun	Fruits	0.8 g	1%	2%
218	Star fruit	Fruits	0.8 g	1%	2%
219	Sweet lime (mosambi)	Fruits	0.8 g	1%	2%
220	Chow chow (chayote)	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.7 g	1%	2%
221	Cucumber	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.7 g	1%	2%
222	Orange	Fruits	0.7 g	1%	2%
223	Pomelo	Fruits	0.7 g	1%	2%
224	Radish	Roots and tubers	0.7 g	1%	2%
225	Rambutan	Fruits	0.7 g	1%	2%
226	Raw mango	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.7 g	1%	2%
227	Soursop	Fruits	0.7 g	1%	2%
228	Mangosteen	Fruits	0.6 g	1%	1%
229	Plum	Fruits	0.6 g	1%	1%
230	Watermelon	Fruits	0.6 g	1%	1%
231	Bottle gourd (lauki)	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.5 g	1%	1%
232	Mango	Fruits	0.5 g	1%	1%
233	Palm fruit (tadgola)	Fruits	0.5 g	1%	1%
234	Pineapple	Fruits	0.5 g	1%	1%
235	Raw papaya	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.5 g	1%	1%
236	Lemon (juice)	Fruits	0.4 g	1%	1%
237	Muskmelon	Fruits	0.4 g	1%	1%
238	Papaya	Fruits	0.4 g	1%	1%
239	Pear	Fruits	0.4 g	1%	1%
240	Amla (Indian gooseberry)	Fruits	0.3 g	1%	1%
241	Apple	Fruits	0.3 g	1%	1%
242	Coconut water	Sugars and natural drinks	0.3 g	1%	1%
243	Sugarcane	Sugars and natural drinks	0.2 g	0%	0%

Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily needs: ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (brief note).

Cite this page

NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Protein content of Indian foods. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/nutrients/protein/

03Vegetarian sources

The top vegetarian sources of protein

Top vegetarian sources of protein per 100 g
Food	Group	Per 100 g
Soya bean	Pulses and legumes	35.6 g
Fenugreek seeds (methi dana)	Spices, herbs and condiments	25.4 g
Masoor dal (red lentil)	Pulses and legumes	24.4 g
Green gram (moong)	Pulses and legumes	23.9 g
Peanuts (groundnut)	Nuts and oilseeds	23.6 g
Sunflower seeds	Nuts and oilseeds	23.5 g
Garden cress seeds (halim)	Nuts and oilseeds	23.4 g
Pistachio	Nuts and oilseeds	23.4 g
Black gram (urad)	Pulses and legumes	23.1 g
Whole masoor (lentil)	Pulses and legumes	22.5 g
Horse gram (kulthi)	Pulses and legumes	21.7 g
Red gram (toor or arhar)	Pulses and legumes	21.7 g
Bengal gram (chana)	Pulses and legumes	21.6 g
Cowpea (lobia)	Pulses and legumes	20.4 g
Dried peas	Pulses and legumes	20.4 g

04How much you need

Protein requirements for Indians

ICMR-NIN 2020 bases the protein requirement on body weight: 0.83 g per kg a day for healthy adults, with an estimated average requirement of 0.66 g per kg. For its reference adults, that works out to 54 g of protein a day for a 65 kg man and 45.7 g for a 55 kg woman.

Protein needs rise in pregnancy, by 9.5 g a day in the second trimester and 22 g in the third, and by 16.9 g a day while breastfeeding in the first six months. Children need 12.5 g at 1 to 3 years and 23.3 g at 7 to 9 years, and boys of 16 to 18 years need 55.4 g, a little more than an adult man.

Protein requirement by age group, ICMR-NIN 2020
Group	Per day
Adult man (65 kg)	54.0 g
Adult woman (55 kg)	45.7 g
Pregnant woman, 2nd trimester	+9.5 g
Pregnant woman, 3rd trimester	+22.0 g
Lactating woman, 0 to 6 months	+16.9 g
Children 1 to 3 years	12.5 g
Children 4 to 6 years	15.9 g
Children 7 to 9 years	23.3 g
Boys 10 to 12 years	31.8 g
Girls 10 to 12 years	32.8 g
Boys 13 to 15 years	44.9 g
Girls 13 to 15 years	43.2 g
Boys 16 to 18 years	55.4 g
Girls 16 to 18 years	46.2 g

Source: ICMR-NIN Expert Group. Nutrient Requirements for Indians: Recommended Dietary Allowances and Estimated Average Requirements, 2020.

05Using the table

From a table to a plate

The values are for 100 g of raw food. Dals and soya are weighed dry, so 100 g of masoor cooks into a large pot, while 100 g of raw fish or chicken shrinks a little in the pan. A katori of cooked dal therefore carries far less protein than the figure here suggests. Quality matters too: pulses run short of the amino acid methionine and cereals of lysine, so dal eaten with rice or roti makes a more complete protein than either alone.

Put a protein food at every meal, not just dinner: curd or sprouts at breakfast, dal or fish at lunch, and paneer, egg or chana at night.
Pair cereals with pulses, as in khichdi, idli, dosa, rajma chawal and dal roti, so the two proteins cover each other's gaps.
Use besan, sattu and moong flour in chillas, parathas and laddoos to raise the protein in everyday dishes.
Snack on roasted chana, peanuts or a small handful of seeds instead of biscuits or namkeen.
Vegetarians can lean on soya chunks, tofu and soya flour, the densest protein option in this table, which blend easily into curries and dough.
People with kidney disease should not raise protein without medical advice; a doctor or dietitian can set the right amount.

06Questions

What people ask about protein

Which Indian vegetarian food has the most protein?

Soya bean leads IFCT 2017 at 35.6 g per 100 g, well ahead of everything else. Next among vegetarian foods come fenugreek seeds at 25.4 g, masoor dal at 24.4 g, moong at 23.9 g and peanuts at 23.6 g. Fenugreek seeds are eaten by the spoonful, so dals and soya do the real work.

How much protein does an Indian adult need a day?

ICMR-NIN 2020 recommends 0.83 g of protein per kg of body weight. For a 65 kg man that is 54 g a day, and for a 55 kg woman 45.7 g. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, growth and recovery from illness all raise the figure.

Is fish or dal higher in protein?

Weight for weight, raw dal and fish are close: tuna has 24.5 g per 100 g and masoor dal 24.4 g. The difference is that dal is weighed dry and swells in cooking, while fish is weighed fresh, so a serving of cooked fish usually brings more protein than a bowl of cooked dal.

Which non-vegetarian food has the most protein?

In IFCT 2017, tuna leads the animal foods at 24.5 g per 100 g, with milk fish at 23.7 g, red snapper at 22.8 g and emu at 22.6 g. Broiler chicken breast follows at 21.8 g, close to most fish.

Do I need protein powder to meet my needs?

Most people can reach the ICMR-NIN figure from food by spreading dal, curd, paneer, eggs, fish, soya, nuts and seeds across the day. Powders can help athletes or people who struggle to eat enough, but they are a convenience, not a requirement.

07Keep exploring

Protein content of Indian foods

What protein does, and where Indian diets stand

All 243 foods ranked by protein

The top vegetarian sources of protein

Protein requirements for Indians

From a table to a plate

What people ask about protein

Which Indian vegetarian food has the most protein?

How much protein does an Indian adult need a day?

Is fish or dal higher in protein?

Which non-vegetarian food has the most protein?

Do I need protein powder to meet my needs?

Related reading and tables

High-Protein Indian Diet: Veg & Non-Veg Food List + Plan

High Protein Indian Vegetarian Breakfast: Reaching 20 g Before 10 a.m.

Calories (energy) content of Indian foods

Dietary fibre content of Indian foods

Total fat content of Indian foods

Carbohydrate content of Indian foods

Calcium content of Indian foods

Iron content of Indian foods

Zinc content of Indian foods

Magnesium content of Indian foods

Potassium content of Indian foods