A standard 80g cooked serving contains about 5 to 7g of protein. Bigger bowls can reach 9 or 10g. Roughly 75g of dry lentils can provide around 18g, but that dry amount cooks into substantially more than one standard bowl.
THE HONEST TRUTH
How much protein is in dal, really?
A standard 80g cooked bowl of dal has 5 to 7g of protein. The 18g figures commonly quoted online can be valid for roughly 75g of lentils weighed dry, but that amount cooks into substantially more than one standard bowl. A full day of home-cooked vegetarian food often lands around 35 to 45g. The target used here for an active adult is 75g or more.
What the internet calls one bowl18g18g belongs to roughly 75g of dry lentils. That amount cooks into more than one 80g bowl
Cooked dal6ga standard bowl at the table
Bade bade bowls mein, chhoti chhoti proteins.
YOUR DAY ON A PLATE
How much protein is in a vegetarian Indian day?
This example uses ordinary cooked portions. Tap each meal to see how the day adds up.
Protein on the day0g/ 75g target
THE AMINO ACID PROFILE
Is dal a complete protein?
Dal contains all nine essential amino acids, but is relatively low in methionine. Rice is relatively low in lysine. Eating them together improves the balance of the meal's amino acid profile, but it does not increase the grams of protein already on the plate. A standard bowl of dal still provides around 6g towards the 75g target used in this example.
Tap a food to reveal its amino acid line-up.
HisIleLeuLysMetPheThrTrpVal
Dal contains all nine, but is relatively low in methionine.
Rice is relatively low in lysine.
Together, dal and rice complement each other. The portion is still modest in protein.
Paneer provides all nine essential amino acids.
Whey provides all nine in a strong amino acid profile.
PROTEIN OVER TIME
Why does protein matter as we get older?
Muscle mass tends to decline gradually from your 30s onwards, and research finds that South Asian adults carry less muscle on average to begin with. A gradual change can be easy to miss at 30 and still matter at 75, in something as ordinary as carrying your own shopping.
Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass. This applies as part of a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
COMPARE THE SOURCES
How does whey isolate compare with other vegetarian proteins?
Whey protein isolate is a concentrated vegetarian source. It comes from milk, like paneer and dahi, and is filtered further than whey concentrate. The options below differ in protein content, amino acid profile and how they behave in food.
Whey Protein Isolate90gprotein per 100gAll nine essential amino acids. Whey isolate contains far less lactose than concentrate; Heldi Khana is 98% lactose-free. Made to disappear into the dish.
Whey concentrate75gprotein per 100gMore lactose and less protein than isolate.
Casein78gprotein per 100gTends to thicken the pot.
Soy isolate88gprotein per 100gCan bring a noticeable beany taste.
Pea protein78gprotein per 100gRelatively low in one essential amino acid.
In a meat-based meal, one spoonful of Heldi Khana can be stirred into chicken curry, mutton curry or butter chicken. It adds 10g of protein on top of the protein already in the dish.
CLOSE THE GAP
How to get more protein as an Indian vegetarian.
This example adds dahi first, paneer second and Heldi Khana last. Tap each one to update the day.
Updated day total35g/ 75g target
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Questions people ask.
Dal contains all nine essential amino acids, but is relatively low in methionine. Rice or roti complements that amino acid profile. The pairing improves the balance of the meal, while its total amount of protein remains modest.
The range used here for active adults and adults over 50 is roughly 1.2 to 1.6g per kilo of body weight per day. For a 65kg person, that is 78 to 104g. Many home-cooked vegetarian days sit well below that range. Individual needs vary, so ask a GP or dietitian if you need a personal target.
Start with familiar foods. Add dahi or paneer to more meals and make dal thicker rather than more watery. If there is still a gap, stir Heldi Khana into a gravy, dal or yoghurt dish. One spoonful adds 10g of protein without requiring a different meal.
Yes. Whey comes from cow's milk and contains no meat, so both Heldi Khana and Heldi Chai are suitable for lacto-vegetarians. Neither is vegan, and both contain milk. Heldi Khana is 98% lactose-free, but that figure does not determine an individual's tolerance. Heldi Chai has a different milk-protein blend and no published lactose-free claim.
For Heldi Khana, serve your food as usual, then stir a heaped tablespoon into your bowl of dal, curry, kadhi, sambar, raita or another gravy or yoghurt-based dish, and keep the jar on the table for next time. One spoonful adds about 10g of protein, and Khana works in meat dishes too. Heldi Chai is the separate blend for chai and other hot drinks: never add it to boiling liquid, and stir it in once the cup is cool enough to drink.
Per 100g, whey protein isolate provides around 90g of protein, compared with about 18g in paneer and about 6g in cooked dal. Whey isolate contains all nine essential amino acids. Some plant foods also contain all nine, but the amount of protein and the amino acid profile vary by food and portion.
Figures are drawn from NHS guidance, the British Nutrition Foundation and McCance and Widdowson's Composition of Foods. Heldi is a food supplement. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.