Why protein matters
Protein preserves muscle while you lose fat, keeps you full between meals, and supports recovery after exercise. Most Indian vegetarian diets deliver 35–45 g a day, well short of what an adult needs.
Practical sources
| Food | Serving | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Moong dal | 1 katori | 9 g |
| Paneer (low fat) | 50 g | 9 g |
| Curd | 1 katori | 5.3 g |
| Soya chunks | 1 katori | 18 g |
| Sprouted moong | 1 katori | 7.5 g |
Building a 70 g day
Breakfast — besan chilla (10 g) with curd (5 g). Lunch — 2 roti, rajma (11 g), curd (5 g). Snack — sprouts chaat (8 g). Dinner — paneer sabzi (9 g), 2 roti (6 g). Bedtime — milk (6 g). That is roughly 70 g without a single supplement.
Common mistakes
Counting rice and roti as protein sources, relying on a single dal serving a day, and skipping breakfast protein entirely.