# Best Protein Tracker Apps for Vegetarians (2026), Including Indian Vegetarian Diets

> How vegetarians can hit 90–100 g of protein on 1,500 kcal, with a protein-per-100-kcal table for paneer, dal, soya chunks, curd, tofu and Greek yogurt, two sourced sample days, and which tracker fits which vegetarian in October 2026.

Canonical: https://www.mycallie.app/en/blog/best-vegetarian-protein-tracker-app
Published: 2026-10-20 · Updated: 2026-10-20
Author: Md Sadab Wasim · Source: https://www.mycallie.app

## Key takeaways

- Logging paneer or dal is the same job as logging chicken. The app matters less than logging every day and seeing your protein target, and Callie, Cronometer, HealthifyMe, MyFitnessPal and MacroFactor all show one.
- At 1,500 kcal, 100 g of protein is 27% of your calories, so the whole day has to average about 6.7 g of protein per 100 kcal. A home bowl of mixed dal gives 4.1 g per 100 kcal and paneer 7.3 g, so most vegetarians also need Greek yogurt or hung curd, skimmed milk, soya chunks or tofu.
- ICMR-NIN sets the Indian adult protein RDA at 0.83 g/kg a day and the average requirement at 0.66 g/kg. It raises the RDA to 1 g/kg for people on cereal-based diets with low-quality protein. Active people in a deficit usually aim for 1.4–2.0 g/kg (ISSN).
- Log dal dry or cooked, but never mix them up. 100 g of dry lentils is 352 kcal and 24.6 g protein in USDA data, while 100 g cooked is 116 kcal and 9.0 g, about a threefold difference.
- Callie fits vegetarians who want the fastest logging of mixed home meals by photo, voice or text, with a review step. Cronometer is the pick if you want to track B12 and iron, which Callie does not, and HealthifyMe for the deepest Indian food catalogue with human coaches.

Callie is our app. This page compares five trackers for vegetarians and gives Callie one specific slot, not every slot. Food values come from USDA FoodData Central, India's IFCT 2017 tables and the Indian Nutrient Databank, and app prices were checked on October 20, 2026. Sources are at the end.

## The 30-second answer

**The best protein tracker for a vegetarian is the one you log in every day and that shows your protein target.** Logging paneer or dal is the same job as logging chicken. The hard part is the food, not the app: at 1,500 kcal, 100 g of protein means the whole day must average about 6.7 g of protein per 100 kcal, and a home bowl of mixed dal gives only 4.1 g.

For apps: **[Callie: AI Calorie Tracker](/pricing)** is the fastest way to log mixed home meals like thali, sabzi and dal by photo, voice or text, with a review screen and a visible protein target, at $34.99 a year in the US after 3 trial logs. **Cronometer** is the better pick if you also want to track B12 and iron. **HealthifyMe** has the deepest Indian food catalogue and human coaches. **MacroFactor** suits lifters.

This article is general information based on published food composition data and research. It is not medical advice and doesn't replace your doctor or a registered dietitian. If you have kidney disease, diabetes, anaemia, a history of disordered eating or are pregnant, get your protein target from your care team.

## The calorie-deficit protein squeeze

Vegetarians in a deficit don't struggle to find protein. They struggle to fit it into the calories. The most common r/loseit version is a post titled ["How to consume 85g of protein while cutting kcal as a vegetarian?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/comments/1geteei/) (October 2024), and another is ["Struggling to eat enough protein on 1200cal [vegetarian]"](https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/comments/n11uos/).

The math is simple. Protein has 4 kcal per gram, so:

- **85 g at 1,200 kcal** is 340 kcal, or 28% of the day. The day must average 7.1 g of protein per 100 kcal.
- **100 g at 1,500 kcal** is 400 kcal, or 27%. That's an average of 6.7 g per 100 kcal.
- **100 g at 1,600 kcal** is 25%, or 6.3 g per 100 kcal.

Now add what most vegetarian days contain anyway. Four chapatis are 291 kcal with 8.4 g protein, and two teaspoons of oil are 88 kcal with none. That leaves about 1,120 kcal to supply 91.6 g, which means **8.2 g of protein per 100 kcal for everything else**. Home dal (4.1 g) and paneer (7.3 g) both fall short. That gap is why the table below matters more than the choice of app.

## Protein per 100 kcal: vegetarian and Indian staples

This table ranks foods by protein per 100 kcal, which matters more than protein per 100 g when you're eating in a deficit. Values are per 100 g as eaten unless marked dry.

| Food | Source (ID) | kcal per 100 g | Protein per 100 g | Protein per 100 kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whey protein powder | USDA 173180 | 352 | 78.1 g | **22.2 g** |
| Egg whites | USDA 172183 | 52 | 10.9 g | **21.0 g** |
| Greek yogurt, plain, 0% | USDA 170894 | 59 | 10.2 g | **17.3 g** |
| Cottage cheese, 1% | USDA 173417 | 72 | 12.4 g | **17.2 g** |
| Soya chunks (dry) | Nutrela pack values | 345 | 52 g | **15.1 g** |
| Tofu, firm | USDA 172475 | 144 | 17.3 g | **12.0 g** |
| Tempeh | USDA 174272 | 192 | 20.3 g | **10.6 g** |
| Skimmed milk | USDA 171269 | 34 | 3.4 g | **9.9 g** |
| Low-fat plain yogurt (curd) | USDA 170886 | 63 | 5.3 g | **8.3 g** |
| Egg, whole, boiled | USDA 173424 | 155 | 12.6 g | **8.1 g** |
| Lentils, boiled | USDA 172421 | 116 | 9.0 g | **7.8 g** |
| Masoor dal (dry) | IFCT 2017 B013 | 322 | 24.4 g | **7.6 g** |
| Paneer | IFCT 2017 L003 | 258 | 18.9 g | **7.3 g** |
| Moong dal (dry) | IFCT 2017 B010 | 326 | 23.9 g | **7.3 g** |
| Rajma, boiled | USDA 175194 | 127 | 8.7 g | **6.8 g** |
| Chana dal (dry) | IFCT 2017 B001 | 329 | 21.6 g | **6.5 g** |
| Besan (chickpea flour) | USDA 174288 | 387 | 22.4 g | **5.8 g** |
| Whole-milk plain yogurt (dahi) | USDA 171284 | 61 | 3.5 g | **5.7 g** |
| Chickpeas (chana), boiled | USDA 173757 | 164 | 8.9 g | **5.4 g** |
| Mixed dal with tadka, 1 bowl | INDB ASC155 | 184 per bowl | 7.5 g per bowl | **4.1 g** |
| Chapati, 1 piece | INDB ASC096 | 73 per piece | 2.1 g per piece | **2.9 g** |

Some notes on the numbers:

- **Paneer varies.** IFCT 2017 lists 18.86 g protein and 1,079 kJ (258 kcal) per 100 g, with 14.8 g fat. Pack labels we found ran from about 265 to 350 kcal and 18 to 21 g protein, so paneer lands between 6 and 8 g per 100 kcal. Low-fat paneer does better.
- **Soya chunks are pack values, not lab data.** Nutrela's standard chunks are listed at 345 kcal and 52 g protein per 100 g dry. [Open Food Facts](https://world.openfoodfacts.org/product/8906032018919/nutrela-soya-mini-chunks) shows the mini chunks at 354 kcal and 53.2 g. Both agree with USDA's defatted soy flour (FDC 174275, 327 kcal and 51.5 g), the base ingredient. Check your pack.
- IFCT 2017 gives energy in kJ. We converted at 4.184 kJ per kcal.

## How much protein do vegetarians need?

Most sedentary adults need 0.8–0.83 g of protein per kg a day. Active people who are dieting usually aim for 1.4–2.0 g/kg.

| Guideline | Protein per kg per day | For a 60 kg adult |
|---|---|---|
| US/Canada RDA ([IOM](https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10490)) | 0.8 g | 48 g |
| ICMR-NIN average requirement (EAR), India | 0.66 g | 40 g |
| ICMR-NIN RDA, India | 0.83 g | 50 g |
| ICMR-NIN, cereal-based diets with low-quality protein | 1.0 g | 60 g |
| ISSN, most exercising people ([Jäger 2017](https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8)) | 1.4–2.0 g | 84–120 g |

The ICMR-NIN figures come from its [2020 note on nutrient requirements](https://www.nin.res.in/rdabook/brief_note.pdf), which press coverage of the 2024 Dietary Guidelines for Indians also cites. One line in that note matters for many Indian vegetarians: "For people consuming cereal-based diet with low quality protein, the protein requirements are 1 g/kg per day." Some press coverage of the 2024 guidelines described 0.66 g/kg as average Indian intake. ICMR-NIN's own note defines it as the estimated average requirement, not intake.

The 85–100 g that Reddit posters ask about works out to about 1.4–1.7 g/kg for a 60 kg person. That matches the ISSN range, and a [protein calculator](/blog/protein-calculator) will give you your own number. Gains in lean mass from lifting plateaued at about 1.62 g/kg in a 49-trial meta-analysis ([Morton 2018](https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/52/6/376)).

## Protein quality: dairy, eggs and the complete-protein myth

Lacto-ovo vegetarians start with the highest-quality proteins there are. In a 2020 DIAAS review, [Herreman and colleagues](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7590266/) put casein and egg in the excellent category (an average DIAAS above 100). Whey and soy were in the high-quality category (75 or above), and pea protein averaged 70. The authors also found "considerable variation in DIAAS within the same protein source", so treat single scores as rough.

You also don't need to combine proteins at each meal. A 2019 review in *Nutrients* by [Mariotti and Gardner](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6893534/) found that legumes, nuts and seeds can give full protein adequacy, and concluded that "the question of any amino acid deficiency has been substantially overstated." The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 2025 position paper says that "appropriately planned vegetarian and vegan dietary patterns can be nutritionally adequate" in adults ([Raj et al., 2025](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39923894/)).

For a vegetarian, the practical problem is getting enough protein for the calories, not its quality. For a deeper look at leucine, lysine and soy versus other plant proteins, see our [vegan protein tracker guide](/blog/best-vegan-protein-tracker-app).

## Two sample days at about 1,500 kcal and 100 g protein

These are examples to show the math, not a prescription. Each item's value comes from the source in the table above. Weights are as eaten unless marked dry. Oil is USDA 171413 (884 kcal per 100 g), and cucumber is USDA 168409.

### Western lacto-ovo vegetarian: 1,499 kcal, 103 g protein

| Meal | What you eat | kcal | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Greek yogurt 0% 200 g, rolled oats (dry) 40 g, blueberries 100 g, banana 100 g | 416 | 27.5 g |
| Lunch | 2 boiled eggs (100 g), whole-wheat bread 70 g, tomatoes 100 g, spinach 30 g | 356 | 23.0 g |
| Snack | Cottage cheese 1% 150 g, apple 150 g | 186 | 19.0 g |
| Dinner | Firm tofu 150 g, brown rice (cooked) 150 g, broccoli 150 g, olive oil 10 g | 541 | 33.6 g |
| **Total** | | **1,499** | **103 g** |

USDA IDs not in the table above: oats 173904, blueberries 171711, banana 173944, whole-wheat bread 172688, tomatoes 170457, spinach 168462, apple 171688, brown rice 169704, broccoli 169967, olive oil 171413.

### Indian vegetarian, no eggs, no supplements: 1,487 kcal, 99 g protein

| Meal | What you eat | kcal | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 2 besan chillas (INDB OSR100), Greek yogurt 0% or hung curd 200 g | 260 | 28.6 g |
| Lunch | 2 chapatis, soya chunk sabzi (40 g dry chunks, 1 tsp oil, 100 g tomato), 1 bowl mixed dal, cucumber 100 g | 545 | 34.0 g |
| Snack | Skimmed milk 250 g (a large glass) | 85 | 8.4 g |
| Dinner | Paneer bhurji (80 g paneer, 1 tsp oil, 100 g tomato), 1 chapati, 1 bowl dhuli moong dal (INDB ASC151), boiled rice 100 g (INDB ASC113) | 597 | 28.1 g |
| **Total** | | **1,487** | **99 g** |

Three things make this day work. First, about 65 g of the 99 g comes from four foods: hung curd, soya chunks, paneer and milk. The two bowls of dal and three chapatis add only about 21 g. Second, it uses no whey, in line with ICMR-NIN's 2024 advice [against protein supplements](https://thesouthfirst.com/news/icmr-releases-dietary-guidelines-for-indians-after-13-years-says-no-to-protein-supplements) for building muscle. Third, the oil is measured. Home hung curd varies with the milk you start from, so check the label or weigh yours. For a whole week, see the vegetarian version of our [high protein meal plan](/blog/high-protein-meal-plan), and for a lower-protein layout, our [1500 calorie meal plan](/blog/1500-calorie-meal-plan).

## Logging traps for vegetarians

### Dry vs cooked dal

This is the most common mistake. USDA lists 100 g of dry lentils at 352 kcal and 24.6 g protein, and 100 g boiled at 116 kcal and 9.0 g, about a threefold difference. If you log cooked dal against a dry entry, you overcount both calories and protein three times over. If you do the opposite, you undercount. Weigh the dry dal for the pot, divide by servings, and pick the entry that matches.

### Restaurant paneer

Paneer dishes often carry more cream and ghee than paneer. In INDB's home recipes, shahi paneer is 406 kcal per bowl with 32 g fat and 13.1 g protein, which is 3.2 g protein per 100 kcal, less than half of plain paneer. Paneer lababdar is 403 kcal with 32.4 g fat. Restaurants usually add more. See [hidden calories in oil, butter and sauces](/blog/hidden-calories-oil-butter-sauces).

### User-entered roti and dal

The Indian Nutrient Databank lists a home chapati at 73 kcal. USDA's commercially prepared roti is a 68 g piece at 202 kcal. Both are called roti. One Indian vendor blog says MyFitnessPal's roti entries range from 70 to 150 kcal. We haven't checked that ourselves, but it matches what people report. Pick one entry and keep using it. Our [Indian food calorie guide](/blog/calorie-tracker-for-indian-food) covers katori sizes and saving family recipes.

## B12 and iron: what a protein tracker won't tell you

Dairy and eggs make B12 much less of a gap for lacto-ovo vegetarians than for vegans. In USDA data, the Western sample day above has about 3.6 µg of B12 from yogurt, eggs and cottage cheese, against an adult RDA of 2.4 µg ([NIH ODS](https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-HealthProfessional/)). Absorption varies, so this is a rough check.

Iron is still worth watching. NIH says vegetarians who don't eat meat, poultry or seafood need almost twice as much iron as the standard RDA, because plant iron is absorbed less well ([NIH ODS](https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-Consumer/)).

**Callie does not track micronutrients.** It shows calories, macros and a daily protein target. If you want B12, iron and calcium on screen, Cronometer is the honest pick. Its free tier tracks 84 nutrients, and its Gold plan adds a Plant-Based Nutrition Score ([Cronometer](https://cronometer.com/features/custom-diet-tracking.html)). We couldn't find a dedicated vegetarian preset in Cronometer. It markets settings that adapt to vegan and other eating plans instead.

## Protein tracker apps for vegetarians compared

| Feature | Callie | Cronometer | HealthifyMe | MyFitnessPal | MacroFactor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual US price | $34.99 | $59.99 (Gold) | $24.99–$49.99 yearly plans listed | $79.99 (Premium) | $71.99 |
| Daily protein target | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Photo logging | Yes | Gold | Snap | Premium (Meal Scan) | Yes |
| Voice logging | Yes | Gold | Yes | Premium | Describe by voice or text |
| Review before a photo is logged | Yes | Yes | See app (Auto Snap logs automatically) | See app | Yes |
| Indian food coverage | Mixed home meals by photo or description | Build recipes from ingredients | 20,000+ Indian foods (India listing) | Large, many user-entered entries | Not stated |
| B12, iron and other micronutrients | No | 84 nutrients on the basic tier | Not listed | See app | Yes |
| Vegetarian-specific help | Vegetarian and vegan diet plans; AI coach adapts swaps | Plant-Based Nutrition Score (Gold) | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Human coaches | No | No | Paid plans | No | No |
| App languages | 6, not Hindi; coach chats in any language | English (US listing) | English (listing) | See app | English, Japanese |

_US and India App Store listings and vendor pages, checked October 20, 2026. 'See app' means we could not confirm it. Prices change; confirm in-app before paying._

## Which tracker fits which vegetarian

**Callie (our app).** *Best for:* vegetarians who want the fastest daily logging of real, mixed home-cooked meals (a thali, sabzi with dal, two rotis) by photo, voice or text. A review screen means nothing is saved until you check it. You get a visible daily protein target, and an AI coach that suggests vegetarian swaps once you tell it you're vegetarian. Since October 2026, the BMI-matched daily diet plans also come in vegetarian and vegan versions. The coach chats in any language, so Hindi speakers can ask it in Hindi, but the app's screens are in English, French, Spanish, German, Arabic and Japanese, not Hindi. It's $34.99 a year in the US after 3 trial logs. *Skip it if:* you want to track micronutrients or want a Hindi interface.

**Cronometer.** *Best for:* vegetarians who want B12, iron and calcium next to protein, and who don't mind building recipes from ingredients. Gold is $59.99 a year and adds photo logging with a review step. *Skip it if:* you find detailed nutrient screens overwhelming, a complaint that comes up on r/veganfitness.

**HealthifyMe.** *Best for:* Indian vegetarians who want an India-first catalogue and a human nutritionist. Its India App Store listing cites over 20,000 Indian foods, and in-app purchases there run from ₹499 to ₹4,199. *Skip it if:* you want every photo reviewed first. Its Auto Snap option logs gallery photos automatically.

**MyFitnessPal.** *Best for:* packaged and branded foods, thanks to its huge database. *Skip it if:* you mostly eat home-cooked dal and sabzi, because many entries are user-entered. Barcode scanning has been Premium-only since October 2022, and Premium is $79.99 a year.

**MacroFactor.** *Best for:* vegetarian lifters who want calorie and macro targets that adjust to their weight trend. It has AI photo logging and an editable Plate view before anything is logged. *Skip it if:* you don't want to pay $71.99 a year for a subscription-only app.

## When another app is the better choice

Pick **Cronometer** if anaemia, B12 or calcium is a concern. Pick **HealthifyMe** if a coach who knows Gujarati or Tamil home food is worth more to you than fast logging. Pick **MacroFactor** if you train hard and want the strongest adaptive algorithm. Pick **MyFitnessPal** if you eat mostly packaged foods.

Pick **Callie** if your blocker is logging itself: you cook mixed dishes, you want to snap or say what you ate, fix the portion and the ghee, and see how far you are from your protein target. Our hub on the [best protein tracker apps](/blog/best-protein-tracker-app) covers meat eaters too.

## Related reading

- [Best protein tracker apps](/blog/best-protein-tracker-app), the hub for every diet.
- [Best vegan protein tracker apps](/blog/best-vegan-protein-tracker-app), on leucine, lysine and B12.
- [Calorie tracker for Indian food](/blog/calorie-tracker-for-indian-food), on roti, dal and katori sizes.
- [High protein meal plan](/blog/high-protein-meal-plan), with a full vegetarian week.
- [Protein calculator](/blog/protein-calculator), for your own target.
- [1500 calorie meal plan](/blog/1500-calorie-meal-plan).

## Sources

1. ICMR-NIN (2020). "A Brief Note on Nutrient Requirements for Indians, the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) and the Estimated Average Requirements (EAR)." https://www.nin.res.in/rdabook/brief_note.pdf
2. Jha S, The South First (May 10, 2024). "ICMR releases dietary guidelines for Indians after 13 years, says no to protein supplements." https://thesouthfirst.com/news/icmr-releases-dietary-guidelines-for-indians-after-13-years-says-no-to-protein-supplements
3. Institute of Medicine (2005). *Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids.* https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10490
4. Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al. (2017). "International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise." *J Int Soc Sports Nutr* 14:20. https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8
5. Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, et al. (2018). *Br J Sports Med* 52(6):376–384. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/52/6/376
6. Raj S, Guest NS, Landry MJ, Mangels AR, Pawlak R, Rozga M (2025). "Vegetarian Dietary Patterns for Adults: A Position Paper of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics." *J Acad Nutr Diet* 125(6):831–846.e2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39923894/
7. Mariotti F, Gardner CD (2019). "Dietary Protein and Amino Acids in Vegetarian Diets—A Review." *Nutrients* 11(11):2661. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6893534/
8. Herreman L, Nommensen P, Pennings B, Laus MC (2020). "Comprehensive overview of the quality of plant- and animal-sourced proteins based on the digestible indispensable amino acid score." *Food Sci Nutr* 8:5379–5391. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7590266/
9. USDA Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, SR Legacy (April 2018), FDC IDs as listed in the tables. Accessed October 20, 2026. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/
10. Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K (2017). Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. ICMR-NIN, Hyderabad. https://www.fao.org/food-composition/tables-and-databases/detail/(country--date)-title-9/en. Values read from the IFCT 2017 compositions dataset: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@ifct2017/compositions
11. Vijayakumar A, Dubasi HB, Awasthi A, Jaacks LM (2024). "Development of an Indian Food Composition Database." *Curr Dev Nutr* 8(7):103790. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11277795/ Dataset: https://github.com/lindsayjaacks/Indian-Nutrient-Databank-INDB-
12. Open Food Facts, Nutrela Soya Mini Chunks (accessed October 20, 2026). https://world.openfoodfacts.org/product/8906032018919/nutrela-soya-mini-chunks
13. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. "Vitamin B12: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals." https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-HealthProfessional/
14. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. "Iron: Fact Sheet for Consumers." https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-Consumer/
15. Cronometer. "Customized Tracking" (accessed October 20, 2026). https://cronometer.com/features/custom-diet-tracking.html
16. Cronometer App Store listing (accessed October 20, 2026). https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cronometer-calorie-counter/id1145935738
17. Healthify: AI Calorie Tracker, US and India App Store listings (accessed October 20, 2026). https://apps.apple.com/us/app/healthify-ai-calorie-tracker/id943712366 and https://apps.apple.com/in/app/healthify-ai-calorie-tracker/id943712366
18. MyFitnessPal App Store listing (accessed October 20, 2026). https://apps.apple.com/us/app/myfitnesspal-calorie-counter/id341232718
19. MacroFactor App Store listing (accessed October 20, 2026). https://apps.apple.com/us/app/macrofactor-macro-tracker/id1553503471 and MacroFactor Help Center, "AI Food Logging." https://help.macrofactorapp.com/en/articles/258-ai-food-logging
20. Reddit, r/loseit (October 2024). "How to consume 85g of protein while cutting kcal as a vegetarian?" https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/comments/1geteei/ and (April 2021) "Struggling to eat enough protein on 1200cal [vegetarian]." https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/comments/n11uos/
21. FitTrack AI blog (2026), vendor comparison of HealthifyMe and MyFitnessPal for Indian users. https://www.fittrackai.in/blog/healthifyme-vs-myfitnesspal-which-is-better-for-indians-2026
22. USDA SR Legacy, "Bread, chapati or roti, plain, commercially prepared" (NDB 28306), 1 piece = 68 g, 202 kcal, as cited in our Indian food guide. https://www.recipal.com/ingredients/11840-nutrition-facts-calories-protein-carbs-fat-bread-chapati-or-roti-plain-commercially-prepared

## Frequently asked questions

**Q: How can I get 100 g protein a day as an Indian vegetarian without eggs?**
A: Build each meal around one dense dairy or soy source, then add dal and roti on top. Our example day reaches about 99 g at 1,487 kcal: two besan chillas with 200 g Greek yogurt or hung curd, a lunch of 40 g dry soya chunks with dal and two chapatis, a large glass of skimmed milk, and a dinner of 80 g paneer bhurji with moong dal, one chapati and some rice. At about 4 g of protein per 100 kcal, a day built only on dal and roti gives roughly 60 g at 1,500 kcal.

**Q: How do I eat 85 g of protein on 1,200–1,400 calories as a vegetarian?**
A: At 1,200 kcal, 85 g of protein is 28% of your calories, so you need foods that give 10 g or more of protein per 100 kcal for most meals. In USDA data, egg whites give 21 g per 100 kcal, Greek yogurt 0% and 1% cottage cheese about 17 g, firm tofu 12 g and skimmed milk 9.9 g. Soya chunks give about 15 g on pack values. Keep oil to one or two teaspoons and roti or rice to one portion per meal.

**Q: What is the best app to track protein as a vegetarian?**
A: Any app that shows a daily protein target and that you will actually open every day. Callie is the fastest for mixed home-cooked meals by photo, voice or text, with a review screen, at $34.99 a year in the US after 3 trial logs. Cronometer is better if you also want B12, iron and calcium, which Callie does not track. HealthifyMe has the largest Indian food catalogue and paid human coaches. MacroFactor suits lifters who want targets that adjust to their weight trend.

**Q: Should I log dal dry or cooked?**
A: Either works if the entry matches what you weighed. 100 g of dry lentils is 352 kcal and 24.6 g protein in USDA data, while 100 g of boiled lentils is 116 kcal and 9.0 g, because cooking roughly triples the weight with water. The safest habit is to weigh the dry dal for the whole pot, divide by servings, and add the tadka oil separately.

**Q: Is paneer a good protein source for weight loss?**
A: It is a fair one, not a great one. IFCT 2017 lists paneer at 18.9 g protein and about 258 kcal per 100 g, which is 7.3 g of protein per 100 kcal, because about half its calories come from fat. Restaurant paneer dishes are much lower: INDB's shahi paneer gives 13.1 g protein in a 406 kcal bowl. Low-fat paneer, hung curd and soya chunks give more protein for the same calories.

**Q: Do vegetarians need to combine proteins at every meal?**
A: No. A 2019 review by Mariotti and Gardner concluded that legumes, nuts and seeds are enough for full protein adequacy and that concern about amino acid deficiency has been substantially overstated. Lacto-vegetarians also get dairy, which scores in the top DIAAS quality categories. Eating a mix of foods across the day is enough.