Makhana (fox nut), roasted in 1 tsp ghee

One serving of Makhana (fox nut), roasted in 1 tsp ghee — 1 bowl (30 g) + 3 g ghee — comes to 131 kcal, 2.9 g protein, 23.1 g carbs and 3 g fat. Scaled to 100 g it works out to 397 kcal and 8.8 g protein, which makes it a moderate protein source for a nut & seed item. That single serving is about 8.7% of a 1,500 kcal day and 6.6% of a 2,000 kcal day, so it's more of a filler than a target-hitter on protein without much extra planning.

Walking off Makhana (fox nut), roasted in 1 tsp ghee takes roughly 3,275 steps, using the rough approximation of 0.04 kcal burned per step (a population-average estimate for a moderate walking pace, not a personalised number). At ₹27 a serving it costs about ₹186.2 for every 20 g of protein it delivers, which is a mid-to-high price for protein compared with dal, eggs or soya chunks. It fits nearly every Indian diet type, including vegetarian, Jain, eggetarian. It's typically eaten at the evening snack slot. It's commonly eaten on fasting days (Navratri/Ekadashi-style).

If you want variety without changing the macros much, the closest swaps in the nut & seed category are Almonds, Cashew nuts, Chia seeds, Coconut chutney — each keeps a similar role on the plate while shifting the exact protein-to-carb balance a little.