Top 10 cheapest protein in india [veg and non-veg]

 Today I am going to share with you 10 of myfavourite and the cheapest protein sources which are also very easily available in theIndian market. The list includes 3 non vegetarian and 7 vegetarians sources. So stay tuned. 

Hello Friends! Protein is an essential part of our diet. It is very important for the daily repair of the body, skin and hair health. An average person who has a sedentary lifestyle,even his/her body requires 1 gram of protein per Kg bodyweight. For example, if your weight is 60 kg and you do not workout, even then your body requires about 60 gram of protein. So I have identified 10 best protein sources available in India and ranked them solely on the basis of cost effectiveness. So here we go.

 #10 is Tofu.

 Tofu which is also known as soya paneer isobviously made from soya beans. Tofu is a vegan source of protein that meansit is not made from any kind of animal product. Now 200 grams of tofu packets are very easilyavailable in the Indian market which cost about 70 rupees. Now, one serving of tofu is 100 grams. That means 100 grams of tofu is 35 rupees. So, in that 100 grams of tofu you are gettingabout 15 grams of protein, 15 grams of carbohydrates and about 8 grams of fats. Now, because it has carbohydrates and fats,it is not a lean source of protein. Now you are getting 15 grams of protein in35 rupees. That means 1 gram of protein costs about 35by 15 that is about 2.3 rupees. If you are concerned that tofu may cause manboobs or decrease in the testosterone levels, I would say moderation is the key. You can easily have 100 grams of tofu dailywithout any kind of health problems.      

#9 is fish. 

Now, there are a variety of fishes availablein the Indian market. Now, when it comes of protein, the whiterthe fish is the better it is. This is because white fish is a lean sourceof protein. It does not have any carbohydrates and fats. Tilapia is one such fish. Then there are other fishes like Indian Salmonand Pomfret. Even though they are not a lean source ofprotein but they are great because they have essential fatty acids. Now, on an average, 1 kg of fish costs about500 rupees. 1 serving of fish is 100 grams. That is 100 grams of fish you are gettingfor 50 rupees. Now, in that 100 grams of fish you are getting25 grams of protein. So that means you are getting 25 grams ofprotein in 50 rupees. That means 1 gram of protein in 2 rupees. Fish is a great source of protein and shouldbe included in your diet at least once a week.

#8 is paneer. 

That is cottage cheese. Now we get 200 grams of paneer packets atabout 70 rupees. One serving of paneer is 100 grams which willcost you 35 rupees and it will give you 18 grams of protein but about 20 grams of fat. So you are getting 18 grams of protein in35 rupees. That is 1 gram of protein in 2 rupees. Now, because it has a lot of fat, you haveto keep it’s consumption in moderation. However, this problem gets solved if you makepaneer at home. Yes, you can buy low fat milk and make paneerat home. Each packet of milk which has about 1.5 percentof fat which costs about 18 rupees will yield about 100 grams of paneer. 

That means you are getting 18 grams of proteinfrom 18 rupees and negligible amount of fat. That means you are getting one gram of proteinfrom 1 rupee from a lean vegetarian source which is great. Now, making of paneer is a very common practicein Indian homes. All you need to do is boil the milk. Once the milk gets boiled, you need to sprinklelemon juice or vinegar into it and stir it well. The paneer will automatically get separated. But anyway, if you are getting it from outside,even then you can have 100-200 grams of paneer on a daily basis.

#7 is chicken breast.

Now, just yesterday I went to a local vendor. The price of the chicken was 230 rupees perkg. I asked him to give the boneless part of thechicken breast. And 100 grams of that boneless chicken breastcosted me 35 rupees. And that 100 grams of chicken breast thatcosted me 35 rupees will give me about 25 grams of protein. That means, I am getting 1 gram of proteinin 1.4 rupees. Now, what’s great about chicken breast isthat it is a lean source of protein. It does not have any carbohydrates or fats. So, if you are a non vegetarian you shoulddefinitely include the breast part of the chicken in your diet.

#6 are legumes.

Now, when I say legumes I mean black kidneybeans, chickpeas and black chana. All three have almost similar nutritionalinformation. On an average, 1 kg of any of these will costyou about 150 rupees. Now, one serving is 100 grams so that means100 grams of legumes cost you 15 rupees. Now, when you cook 100 grams of kidney beans,they will expand and their weight will get almost doubled. So that 100 grams of kidney beans that yougot for 15 rupees will give you about 15 grams of protein. So that means you are getting 1 gram of proteinin 1 rupee. But the problem with legumes is that alongwith that 15 grams of protein, you will also get about 40 grams of carbohydrates. Now, if you are eating 3 rotis with chickpeascurry, you are eating way too many carbohydrates in one meal. So you should always take into considerationthat legumes are already very high in carbohydrates. 

#5 is milk.

 Now, when I say milk, I mean low fat milk. This is because full cream milk is loadedwith saturated fat which you should avoid. Now, 500 ml of milk packet will cost you about18 to 20 rupees depending upon it’s fat percentage which will give you about 18 gramsof protein and 24 grams of carbohydrates. So that means you are getting 1 gram of proteinfor 1 rupee. Now, irrespective of that fact that your goalis muscle building or fat loss, you can still have 500 ml of milk on a daily basis.

#4 is egg whites.

Just 2 days back I got a tray of 30 eggs for105 rupees. That means I bought 1 egg for 3.5 rupees. Now, let’s assume that you do not buy itfrom a whole seller. So in that case you will get 1 egg for about4 rupees. Now, one egg white has about 4 grams of protein. That means you are getting 1 gram of proteinfor 1 rupee. Now, what’s great about egg whites is thatthey are a lean source of protein. Also, they get very easily digested in thebody. So you can easily eat 5-6 egg whites in 1serving. Now, it is your choice if you want to havethem as omelette, bhurji or boiled.

#3 are peanuts.

Now, you can easily get 1 kg of peanuts atabout 120 rupees. One serving of peanuts is about 30 grams whichwill cost you about 3.5 rupees. And 30 grams of peanuts will give you about7 grams of protein. That means you are getting one gram of peanutat 0.5 rupees. Now, along with 7 grams of protein you arealso getting 14 grams of fat. That fat is healthy fat and it is very importantfor the body. So you can have 2 servings of peanuts on adaily basis. Now, it is your choice if you want to roastthem or make peanut butter out of them. When I say roasting, I mean dry roasting withoutthe use of salt.  

#2 are lentils.

Now lentils that is dals are a very importantpart of Indian diet. So, there are different types of lentils. Some you will get for 60 rupees per kg andothers you will get for 100 rupees per kg. Now, let’s take an average value that youwill get 1 kg of lentils at about 80 rupees. So now, one serving is 100 grams. So you take 100 grams of lentils which willcost you about 8 rupees. So again if you cook lentils they will againexpand and their quantity will increase. So, from 100 grams of lentils you will get18 grams of protein and about 40 grams of carbohydrates. That means you are getting one gram of proteinat 0.4 rupees which is very cheap. But again the problem is with the carbohydrates. So, all the things that we had applied forlegumes, apply here as well.

Moreover, lentils are not a complete sourceof protein. Incomplete as in they do not have the 9 essentialamino acids. However, when you mix different lentils likegreen, yellow, red and black together, they become a complete source of protein. Now, before we jump to number one, let’stalk about a few honourable mentions. First is whey protein. Now, the cost of whey protein depends uponbrand to brand. The cost of 30 gram of whey protein may varyfrom 50 rupees to 100 rupees depending upon the brand. Now that 30 gram of whey scoop has about 24grams of protein. So, that means you are getting 1 gram of proteinat about 2-4 rupees. Yes, it is costly but it has it’s own advantages. Because it is extracted from milk, it canbe taken by vegetarians as well. It is a lean source of protein. And it is the fastest digesting protein andthere is nothing unnatural about it. Second is nuts like almonds, cashews, walnuts. Now the cost of 1 kg of nuts ranges from 700rupees to 1500 rupees. 1 serving of nuts is about 30 grams whichwill give you about 7 grams of protein and 14 grams of healthy fats. So you can easily include 1-2 servings ofnuts everyday. So, 1 gram of protein from nuts will costyou about 3-6 rupees.

#1 soya beans.

200 gram of soya chunk box costs about 40 rupees. 1 serving of soy chunks is 50 grams whichcomes out to be 10 rupees. Now, in these 10 rupees, you are getting 25grams of protein which is very very high. That means you are getting 1 gram of proteinat 0.4 rupees. Now, along with 25 grams of protein, you arealso getting 18 grams of carbohydrates which is fine. The only thing that you should take into considerationwhile consuming soy chunks is moderation. So having 50 grams of soy chunks on a dailybasis that is 25 grams of protein from them is perfectly fine. It will not cause any kind of hormonal issues.

So friends, that’s all for this article,i hope you like it.