Nutrition·28 April 2026· 6 min read
Hitting Your Protein Goal on an Indian Budget
How to get 100g+ of protein per day from affordable, easily available Indian foods — no expensive whey required.
By BodyOS Team
Protein powder is convenient but not necessary. With a little planning, you can hit 100–150g of protein a day eating completely normal Indian food.
High-protein staples and their cost-per-gram
- Eggs — ~6g per egg, cheapest reliable source
- Chicken breast — 25g per 100g
- Paneer — 18g per 100g
- Toor dal / chana dal — 22g per 100g dry
- Curd / yogurt — 4g per 100g
- Soya chunks — 52g per 100g dry (the protein king on a budget)
- Mackerel / sardines — 20g per 100g
A 120g protein day for under ₹150
- Breakfast: 3 eggs + 1 cup milk = 28g
- Lunch: dal + 100g chicken curry + 1 cup curd = 45g
- Snack: 30g roasted chana = 6g
- Dinner: 80g soya chunks curry + 2 chapati = 41g
Total: ~120g protein. Total cost: well under ₹150 if you cook at home.