Cheap protein
Cheapest vegetarian protein sources in India
On a vegetarian diet, Soya chunks (Nutrela) is the least expensive way to hit a protein target at ₹5.6 per 20 g of protein — roughly 26.7× cheaper than Protein bar (RiteBite Max Protein / Yogabar) at the other end of this list.
Blending the top 3 cheapest sources (Soya chunks (Nutrela), Masoor dal (red, split), Roasted chana (bhuna chana, with skin)) to hit 100 g of protein a day costs roughly ₹36/day, or about ₹252 for a week — a realistic number to budget against, not a promise, since real meals rarely split protein perfectly evenly across sources.
Ranked by ₹ per 20 g protein
| # | Source | Unit price | Protein / 100g | ₹ / 20g protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soya chunks (Nutrela) | ₹145 / 1 kg | 52 g | ₹5.6 |
| 2 | Masoor dal (red, split) | ₹95 / 1 kg | 24.4 g | ₹7.8 |
| 3 | Roasted chana (bhuna chana, with skin) | ₹90 / 1 kg | 22 g | ₹8.2 |
| 4 | Besan (gram flour) | ₹110 / 1 kg | 22.1 g | ₹10 |
| 5 | Chana dal | ₹105 / 1 kg | 20.8 g | ₹10.1 |
| 6 | Urad dal (white, split) | ₹125 / 1 kg | 24 g | ₹10.4 |
| 7 | Kala chana (brown chickpea) | ₹100 / 1 kg | 18.5 g | ₹10.8 |
| 8 | Toor / arhar dal | ₹130 / 1 kg | 22 g | ₹11.8 |
| 9 | Moong dal (yellow, split) | ₹150 / 1 kg | 24 g | ₹12.5 |
| 10 | Peanuts, raw (moongphali) | ₹160 / 1 kg | 23.7 g | ₹13.5 |
| 11 | Rajma (red kidney beans) | ₹165 / 1 kg | 22.9 g | ₹14.4 |
| 12 | Kabuli chana (chole / white chickpea) | ₹135 / 1 kg | 18.8 g | ₹14.4 |
| 13 | Sattu (roasted chana flour) | ₹150 / 1 kg | 20 g | ₹15 |
| 14 | Oats, rolled (Quaker / Saffola) | ₹170 / 1 kg | 12 g | ₹28.3 |
| 15 | Paneer, loose (local dairy) | ₹330 / 1 kg | 18 g | ₹36.7 |
| 16 | Milk, toned (Amul Taaza / Mother Dairy) | ₹60 / 1 litre | 3.1 g | ₹37.6 |
| 17 | Milk, full cream (Amul Gold) | ₹72 / 1 litre | 3.3 g | ₹42.4 |
| 18 | Paneer, Amul packaged | ₹80 / 200 g | 18 g | ₹44.4 |
| 19 | Curd / dahi (Amul Masti or home-set) | ₹80 / 1 kg | 3.1 g | ₹51.6 |
| 20 | Moong sprouts (packaged) | ₹38 / 200 g | 7 g | ₹54.3 |
| 21 | Tofu (soya paneer) | ₹65 / 200 g | 11 g | ₹59.1 |
| 22 | Whey protein concentrate (MuscleBlaze Biozyme / Avvatar / ON / MyProtein) | ₹3000 / 1 kg | 74 g | ₹81.1 |
| 23 | Greek yogurt (Epigamia natural) | ₹250 / 400 g | 8.5 g | ₹147.1 |
| 24 | Protein bar (RiteBite Max Protein / Yogabar) | ₹150 / 1 bar (50-67 g) | 30 g | ₹149.3 |
7-day estimate to hit 100 g/day
| Source | g/day (blended) | Daily ₹ |
|---|---|---|
| Soya chunks (Nutrela) | 33 g | ₹9 |
| Masoor dal (red, split) | 33 g | ₹13 |
| Roasted chana (bhuna chana, with skin) | 33 g | ₹14 |
| Total / week | ₹252 |
Questions people ask
- What's the cheapest protein source for a vegetarian diet in India?
- Soya chunks (Nutrela), at roughly ₹5.6 per 20 g of protein.
- How much does it cost to hit 100 g of protein a day on a vegetarian diet?
- About ₹36/day, or ₹252 for a week, blending the 3 cheapest sources available.
- Is it possible to hit 2 g/kg protein on a budget on this diet?
- Yes, using the cheapest sources ranked below plus dal/roti at every meal for amino-acid completeness — the constraint is usually consistency, not price.