Last checked: 10 October 2026 · Values are approximate · Sources at the end
If you eat eggs, chicken or fish, reaching your daily protein target is fairly easy. The common problems are elsewhere: butter chicken swimming in cream, fried fish, and meat crowding vegetables off the plate. This guide shows how to get the protein without those extras.
At a glance
- How much you need: about 0.83 g per kg of body weight a day for healthy adults (ICMR-NIN 2020). Calculate yours.
- Best everyday sources: eggs, chicken breast, fish, curd and dal.
- Cooking rule: grill, roast, steam or make a light curry. Deep-fry rarely.
Non-veg protein sources and how much they give
Approximate values. They vary by cut, recipe and portion size, so check the IFCT 2017 tables or the label.
| Food | Typical serving | Protein (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Egg (whole) | 1 large | 6 g |
| Egg whites | 3 whites | 10 g |
| Chicken breast, cooked | 100 g | 25–30 g |
| Chicken curry (home-style) | 1 katori with 4–5 pieces | 15–20 g |
| Fish (rohu, surmai, pomfret), cooked | 100 g | 18–22 g |
| Prawns, cooked | 100 g | 20 g |
| Mutton (lean), cooked | 100 g | 20–25 g |
| Curd | 1 katori (150 g) | 5 g |
| Dal, cooked | 1 katori | 7 g |
Healthier ways to cook Indian non-veg
Chicken
Tandoori or tikka (oven or air-fryer), dry masala chicken, or a home-style curry made with tomato and onion rather than cream. Remove the skin.
Fish
Steamed or baked fish, fish curry with a light tempering (Bengali jhol, Kerala or Goan curry with less coconut), or pan-grilled fish with very little oil.
Eggs
Boiled, bhurji, omelette or egg curry. See our egg breakfast ideas.
Mutton and red meat
Keep these occasional rather than daily, and choose lean cuts. Skim the fat off the top of the curry.
Don’t drop the vegetables and dal
Non-veg meals often push vegetables off the plate. The balanced-plate idea still applies: half the plate vegetables, then the chicken or fish, then a moderate amount of roti or rice. Dal and curd are still useful because they add more protein and variety. See the plate method.
A sample high-protein non-veg day (about 70–90 g)
- Breakfast: 2-egg masala omelette + 1 roti or 2 slices of whole-wheat bread
- Mid-morning: 1 fruit + buttermilk
- Lunch: chicken curry (4–5 pieces) + 1–2 roti + sabzi + salad
- Evening: 2 boiled eggs or roasted chana
- Dinner: grilled or curried fish + small portion of rice + dal + sabzi
This is an editorial example, not a prescription. Adjust portions for your weight, activity and goals.
Watch-outs
- Restaurant gravies (butter chicken, korma, “malai” dishes) can be very high in cream, butter and oil.
- Fried items such as chicken 65, fish fry and kebabs fried in oil are fine occasionally, not daily.
- Processed meats (salami, sausages, nuggets) are high in salt. Keep them rare.
- Food safety: cook chicken and eggs thoroughly and store leftovers in the fridge.
- Kidney disease: if you have it, ask your doctor before raising protein intake.
Keep planning
Sources
- ICMR-NIN, Nutrient Requirements for Indians (2020), brief note (PDF)
- ICMR-NIN, Dietary Guidelines for Indians (2024), nin.res.in
- ICMR-NIN, Indian Food Composition Tables (IFCT 2017)
Photo credits
[Photographer name], [licence], via [Pexels / Unsplash / Wikimedia Commons]
General information only, not medical advice.
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