What protein does, and the kinds on your plate
Protein makes enzymes and hormones and replaces tissue that breaks down. India's dietary guidelines explain the 9 amino acids food must supply, and how dal with rice or roti supplies them.
At lunch, the katori of dal is the one that gets refilled. The rice stays where it is, and someone reaches for the ladle again.
Does the dal on your table give you enough protein, even if you never go to a gym? You may have heard that Indian food is low in it. India's national dietary guidelines describe protein as part of every living cell, and name dal as one of its main sources.
What protein does in the body
Every part of the body, including all the organs, has protein in it. Protein makes enzymes and hormones, and parts of the membrane around each cell. It also makes carriers such as haemoglobin, which takes oxygen to the tissues.[1]
Protein replaces tissues that are broken down. Growing children also need it to build muscle and bone.[1]
About half of the body's protein is in muscle. The rest is in bone, cartilage and skin. Protein also gives energy, 4 kcal per gram.[1] The World Health Organization describes the work of protein as keeping up the structure and function of the body.[2]
The 9 amino acids food must supply
Proteins are built from 20 amino acids. The body makes 11 of them. The other 9 cannot be made in the body, so they must come from food. NIN, the ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, calls these the essential amino acids.[1]
WHO names the 9: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine.[2] NIN says a diet with all 20, including the 9, is essential to maintain good muscle mass.[1]
Animal and plant protein
Milk, meat, fish and eggs are rich in protein, and so are pulses. NIN says animal proteins give all 9 essential amino acids in the right proportions. Plant proteins are low in some of them.[1] NIN also notes that protein from animal foods is easier to digest and absorb.[1]
A mix of plant foods fills the gap. In NIN's words, cereals, millets and pulses together "complement each other to provide good quality proteins".[1] NIN says vegans who eat a varied diet of vegetables, beans, grains, nuts and seeds will have no difficulty getting enough protein.[1]
Why dal and rice work together
Cereals are low in lysine, one of the 9, and higher in methionine. Pulses are the other way round: higher in lysine and lower in methionine.[1] So dal with rice, or chana with roti, covers both.
NIN suggests about 3 parts cereal to 1 part pulse, by raw weight. It says this mix can meet the need for all the essential amino acids, and that 250 ml of milk a day adds more.[1] NIN also says a meal with both pulses and grains is of higher quality than either one alone.[1]
How the dal is cooked matters too. Boiling or pressure-cooking pulses makes their protein easier to digest. Cooking them for too long loses some lysine.[1]
Anyone who takes medicine for diabetes should check with their doctor before changing how much rice or roti they eat.
Where Indian meals get protein
NIN calls pulses "very important sources of protein in balanced vegetarian Indian diets". It names lentils, green gram, horse gram, black gram, chickpeas, kidney beans, cowpeas, soyabean and green peas.[1] It adds that protein from pulses costs less than protein from meat, eggs or milk.[1]
Nuts and seeds, such as almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds and sesame, also give protein. Flesh foods, eggs and milk give good quality protein.[1] In its guideline for children and teenagers, NIN adds Bengal gram, tofu and paneer.[1]
Source: ICMR-NIN Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024, Table 1.3, from the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 and Nutritive Values of Indian Foods.[1]
Of the groups shown here, pulses are the highest. Cereals are lower per 100 g, but in a meal of 3 parts cereal to 1 part pulse, the rice or roti adds protein as well.[1] These are averages for raw food groups. They do not give the protein in one cooked dish.
How much, and is more better?
NIN's allowance for healthy adults is 0.83 g of protein per kg of body weight a day. For a 65 kg adult, that is 54 g a day, regardless of physical activity or gender.[1]
The figure assumes good quality protein. For a diet that is mostly cereal, with lower quality protein, NIN gives 1 g per kg a day.[3]
NIN notes that an adult diet in India often gives 60 to 70 g of protein a day, which is higher than the requirement.[1]
WHO found no safe upper limit for healthy adults. It judged twice the 0.83 g level unlikely to carry any risk, and advised caution at 3 to 4 times that level.[2]
NIN says that without enough physical activity or resistance exercise, protein will not be used to build muscle.[1] For healthy adults in long-term resistance training, NIN says intakes above about 1.6 g per kg a day add no further muscle.[1]
NIN calls protein powders "unnecessary for normal healthy life".[1]
If you have kidney disease or have been told to limit protein, ask your doctor how much protein is right for you.[1]
Check your own day
Use this list to check the protein foods you ate today.
Protein in my day
A vegetarian day leaves 2 boxes empty. NIN says vegetarians can meet their quality protein needs with pulses, beans, peas and milk or curd.[1]
The dal katori is refilled once more, and this time the rice is passed along with it.
India's 2024 dietary guidelines say protein makes enzymes, hormones, parts of cell membranes and carriers such as haemoglobin, which takes oxygen to the tissues. Protein also replaces tissues that are broken down, and growing children need it to build muscle and bone.
Yes, if it is varied. A single plant food is low in some essential amino acids. NIN says cereals with pulses, about 3 parts to 1 by raw weight, can meet the need for all of them, and milk or curd adds more.
NIN's allowance for healthy adults is 0.83 g per kg of body weight a day, and it calls protein powders unnecessary for normal healthy life. WHO found no set upper limit, but advises caution at 3 to 4 times that level. If you have kidney disease or have been told to limit protein, ask your doctor how much protein is right for you.
Sources
- ICMR-NIN Expert Committee. Dietary Guidelines for Indians - 2024. Hyderabad: ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition; 2024. Available from: nin.res.inCited atp. 57, Guideline 8p. 57, Guideline 8pp. 8-9, Guideline 1pp. 9, 57p. 57p. 9, Guideline 1p. 60, Table 8.2p. 9, Guideline 1p. 59p. 58p. 58p. 58, Table 8.1p. 83p. 59p. 59p. 59p. 38Table 1.3, p. 8Table 1.3, p. 8p. 58p. 57p. 59p. 60p. 61p. 60p. 61
- World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, United Nations University. Protein and amino acid requirements in human nutrition: report of a joint FAO/WHO/UNU expert consultation. Geneva: WHO; 2007. WHO Technical Report Series 935. Available from: iris.who.intCited atp. 10, §2.1.1p. 29, §2pp. 242-243, §14.2
- ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. A brief note on nutrient requirements for Indians, the recommended dietary allowances (RDA) and the estimated average requirements (EAR). Hyderabad: ICMR-NIN; 2020. Available from: nin.res.inCited atp. 5, Table 2a