70 g of Protein a Day as an Indian Vegetarian, Without Eggs

An Indian vegetarian who does not eat eggs can reach about 70 g of protein a day from ordinary food by putting a protein food at every meal: dal or chana, paneer, curd or milk, and soya. One katori of cooked dal made from 30 g of raw dal gives about 6.5 to 7.5 g, 50 g of paneer about 9.4 g, a 150 g bowl of curd about 6 g, and 20 g of dry soya chunks about 10 g. Three meals and one snack built this way add up to 70 g without protein powder.

Why 70 g, and is it your number?

ICMR-NIN's recommended allowance for a healthy adult is 0.83 g of protein per kg of body weight a day, which works out to about 54 g at 65 kg (DGI 2024). When you are losing weight, especially on a GLP-1 medicine that cuts appetite, there is a real risk of losing muscle along with fat. A 2025 advisory from four US obesity and nutrition societies notes that higher targets of 1.2 to 1.6 g per kg have been proposed during active weight loss, and that it is unclear whether to base this on actual, adjusted or ideal body weight (Mozaffarian et al., 2025).

For a woman whose healthy weight is around 55 to 60 kg, 1.2 g per kg comes to about 66 to 72 g. That is why 70 g is a sensible working target for many Indian adults losing weight. It is not a rule. Your doctor or nutritionist sets your own number from your weight, kidneys and activity. If you have kidney disease, do not raise your protein without asking first.

ICMR-NIN's own sample day for a 65 kg man, cereals, pulses, vegetables, curd and a little milk with nothing fancy, provides about 72 g of protein in roughly 2,080 kcal (DGI 2024, figure 9.1). The difference on a weight-loss plan is that you are eating less food overall, so protein has to take up a bigger share of a smaller plate.

How much protein is in your food

Three things stand out. Soya is the most protein-dense vegetarian food in the Indian kitchen. A katori of dal is a good contributor but not a foundation: you would need ten katoris to reach 70 g from dal alone. And sprouting does not add protein, so a katori of sprouts carries the protein of the dry moong it came from.

What protein costs at today's dal prices

Protein does not have to be expensive. The cheapest dal on the list gives you 10 g of protein for under four rupees, and soya chunks are close behind.

A 74 g vegetarian day, no eggs, no powder

1. 1

   Breakfast

   Moong dal chilla with curd: about 13.6 g

   Two chillas from 40 g of soaked moong dal (9.6 g), with 100 g of curd (4 g) and mint chutney.

2. 2

   Mid-morning

   A glass of toned milk: about 6 g

   200 ml, as chai with less sugar or plain. Chaas made from 150 g of curd gives about the same.

3. 3

   Lunch

   Dal, paneer sabzi, phulkas and curd: about 26.1 g

   Toor dal from 30 g raw (6.5 g), 50 g paneer in a vegetable sabzi (9.4 g), 2 phulkas from 40 g atta (4.2 g) and a 150 g bowl of curd (6 g).

4. 4

   Evening

   Roasted chana and peanuts: about 8 g

   30 g roasted kala chana (5.6 g) with 10 g peanuts (2.4 g).

5. 5

   Dinner

   Rajma, soya and rice: about 20.6 g

   Rajma from 35 g raw (7 g), 20 g dry soya chunks in a curry or pulao (10.4 g) and rice from 40 g raw (3.2 g).

Total: about 74 g of protein. On a GLP-1 medicine, when appetite is low, eat the protein part of each meal first. The 2025 advisory suggests exactly this: protein-rich foods first in a meal, and small, regular meals at consistent times (Mozaffarian et al., 2025). In your first week on a new medicine, start smaller, and see our first-week guide to what to eat on dose day.

What about protein powder?

You do not need it to reach 70 g, as the day above shows. ICMR-NIN's 2024 guidelines advise against protein supplements for building muscle and say protein powders are unnecessary for a normal healthy life (DGI 2024, guideline 8). Some people on a GLP-1 medicine with very small appetites do find a supplement useful for a while. That is a decision to make with your doctor or nutritionist, not a default.

Protein alone does not protect muscle

The 2025 advisory is clear that more protein on its own is likely not enough to preserve muscle without structured strength training, and suggests strength work at least three times a week plus at least 150 minutes of moderate activity such as brisk walking (Mozaffarian et al., 2025). At home, squats from a chair, wall push-ups and resistance bands are a fine start. This matters even more when you eventually come off the medicine, because muscle helps keep the weight off.