Indian diet for fitness

You do not need imported foods or a special diet to train well in India. Dal, roti, rice, sabzi and curd are a solid base; most people just need more protein on the plate and a little less oil. This guide shows how to do that for every kind of eater.

Start with the plate

ICMR-NIN’s Dietary Guidelines for Indians (2024) describe a balanced plate built mostly from vegetables, fruit, whole grains and pulses, with milk or curd, some nuts and seeds, and limited oil, salt and sugar. That is a good template. For someone who trains, the main change is to make sure every meal has a clear protein source.

Combining cereals and pulses, as in dal-chawal, rajma-rice or khichdi, also improves the overall quality of plant protein.

Protein sources and portions

Values are approximate, for the amount as bought (raw or dry) unless stated.

Vegetarian

Paneer is a good protein source but carries a lot of fat, so keep portions measured on a cut.

Eggetarian additions

Non-vegetarian additions

Chicken curry cut with skin and bone gives less protein per 100 g than boneless breast, so weigh the meat, not the bones.

Vegan

Soya chunks, tofu, dals, chana, rajma, besan, peanuts and seeds carry the load.

Vegans need a reliable source of vitamin B12 and should watch calcium; see supplements.

Sample days at about 2,200 kcal

These are templates, not prescriptions. Each is roughly 2,200 kcal with 110-135 g of protein, suitable for a 60-70 kg person cutting or a smaller person maintaining. Oil for the whole day is 15-20 g (3-4 teaspoons), measured.

Vegetarian (about 2,200 kcal, 120 g protein)

• Breakfast: 2 besan chillas (60 g besan) with spinach, and 200 g hung curd
• Mid-morning: 40 g oats cooked in 250 ml toned milk, with a banana
• Lunch: 2 rotis, a katori of toor dal (40 g dry), palak sabzi
• Evening: soya chunk chaat (40 g dry) with 20 g peanuts, onion, tomato and lemon, and an apple
• Dinner: paneer bhurji (100 g paneer) with rice (60 g dry)

Eggetarian (about 2,230 kcal, 113 g protein)

• Breakfast: omelette of 3 whole eggs and 3 whites, 2 slices of brown bread
• Mid-morning: 250 ml toned milk and a banana
• Lunch: rajma (50 g dry) with rice (90 g dry) and a katori of curd
• Evening: a guava and 30 g roasted peanuts
• Dinner: 2 rotis, moong dal (40 g dry), gobi sabzi with 60 g paneer

Non-vegetarian (about 2,200 kcal, 134 g protein)

• Breakfast: egg bhurji (2 whole eggs and 2 whites) with 1 roti, 250 ml toned milk and a banana
• Lunch: chicken curry (150 g boneless breast) with rice (120 g dry) and a katori of curd or raita
• Evening: a bowl of papaya and 15 g peanuts
• Dinner: fish curry (150 g rohu), 2 rotis, a small katori of masoor dal (30 g dry) and bhindi

Vegan (about 2,180 kcal, 118 g protein)

• Breakfast: poha (60 g dry) with 30 g peanuts, 250 ml soy milk and a banana
• Lunch: 2 rotis, chole (60 g dry chickpeas) and a soya chunk sabzi (50 g dry)
• Evening: an orange and a tablespoon of pumpkin seeds
• Dinner: tofu palak (150 g tofu), moong dal (40 g dry) and rice (70 g dry)

Log your own meals in the tracker and set your exact targets with the macros calculator. Need more or less food? Scale the rice, roti and oil first, and keep the protein portions.

Cheap high-protein Indian foods

Some of the best protein sources are also the cheapest in any Indian market:

• Soya chunks: the most protein per rupee of almost anything, about 26 g per 50 g dry
• Chana, rajma and lobia, bought dry and pressure-cooked at home
• Besan and sattu, for chillas or a sattu drink with water, lemon and salt
• Dals of every kind
• Peanuts, roasted or as chikki in moderation
• Eggs, among the best value for eggetarians and non-vegetarians
• Toned milk and home-set curd; hang the curd in a cloth for a few hours to make thick, high-protein hung curd
• Skimmed milk powder, about 11 g of protein per 30 g, stirred into milk, curd or oats
• Chicken curry cut and seasonal local fish

Making dal-roti-rice higher in protein

The classic thali is often carb-heavy with a thin, watery dal. Small changes fix that without changing what you eat:

1. Make the dal thicker. Use 40-50 g of dry dal per person instead of 20-25 g.
2. Shift the ratio. Take a second katori of dal and a smaller mound of rice.
3. Add a protein side to every meal: curd or raita, a boiled egg, a piece of chicken or fish, or a bowl of sprouts chaat.
4. Put protein into the sabzi: paneer or tofu in palak, soya chunks in aloo-matar, egg in bhurji, chana in a dry sabzi.
5. Upgrade the atta. Mix in some besan or soya flour for rotis and parathas.
6. Swap the breakfast. Besan or moong dal chilla, egg bhurji or paneer-stuffed paratha with curd instead of plain poha, upma or white bread.
7. Use milk and curd deliberately. A glass of milk or a bowl of curd adds 7-8 g with no cooking.
8. Watch the tadka. A generous spoon of ghee or oil adds 100-120 kcal and almost no protein.

A few practical habits

• Cook dals and pulses in bulk and refrigerate for 2-3 days.
• Soak and boil chana or rajma on the weekend for quick snacks.
• When eating out, pick tandoori, tikka, grilled fish, dal and roti over gravies swimming in cream and butter.
• At weddings and festivals, enjoy them; one day does not undo a week.

For how to spread these meals across the day, see meal timing, and for how much of each macro you need, see macros explained.

This is general information, not medical advice; see a doctor or registered dietitian if you have diabetes, kidney disease, food allergies or any other medical condition.