120 Gram Protein Diet: Indian Day Plan (Veg and Non Veg) With Grams per Meal

Short answer: a 120 gram protein diet is easiest with eggs, chicken or fish. The non veg day below gives about 124 g from an omelette, paneer, chicken with dal and roti, boiled eggs and fish curry. A vegetarian day can reach about 123 g too, but it leans hard on soya, paneer, hung curd and milk, and it costs more calories.

120 g is not a number for everyone. It fits someone around 85 to 100 kg aiming for 1.2 to 1.4 g per kg, or a 75 kg person who lifts weights several days a week. Use our protein calculator to find your own target before you copy this plan.

120 gram protein diet, non veg: one Indian day

Meal	Food and portion	Protein (g)
Breakfast	3 egg omelette with onion and tomato + 2 slices multigrain toast	18 + 6 = 24
Mid morning	50 g paneer cubes with chaat masala	9
Lunch	2 roti + 150 g boneless chicken curry (cooked weight) + 1 katori cooked dal	6 + 38 + 8 = 52
Evening	2 boiled eggs	12
Dinner	1 katori rice + 100 g fish curry (rohu or surmai, cooked) + 1 katori sabzi	3 + 22 + 2 = 27
Total		124 g

How we counted: one egg gives about 6 g, cooked chicken 25 to 27 g per 100 g, cooked fish about 22 g per 100 g, paneer about 18 g per 100 g, one katori of cooked dal 7 to 9 g and one roti about 3 g. This day is roughly 1,700 calories with normal home cooking oil.

120 gm protein diet veg: one Indian day

Meal	Food and portion	Protein (g)
Breakfast	3 moong dal chilla (75 g dry moong dal) + 1 glass milk (250 ml)	18 + 8 = 26
Mid morning	150 g hung curd with cucumber	15
Lunch	2 roti + 1 katori chana dal (cooked) + 100 g paneer sabzi	6 + 11 + 18 = 35
Evening	Soya chunks chaat with 30 g dry chunks + 20 g roasted peanuts	15 + 5 = 20
Dinner	2 roti + 1 katori moong dal + 150 g curd raita	6 + 8 + 5 = 19
Bedtime	1 glass milk (250 ml)	8
Total		123 g

How we counted: dry moong dal has about 24 g of protein per 100 g, hung curd about 10 g per 100 g, regular curd 3 to 4 g per 100 g, milk about 3.3 g per 100 ml, dry soya chunks about 50 g per 100 g and roasted peanuts about 25 g per 100 g.

The catch: this vegetarian day is close to 2,000 calories, about 300 more than the non veg day for the same protein. If weight loss is your goal, a vegetarian 90 to 100 g day is often the better fit. See the 80 gram protein diet for vegetarians, which also has a 90 g version.

Swaps that keep you near 120 g

• Chicken to fish: 150 g cooked fish gives about 33 g, a little less than the same chicken.
• Eggs to egg whites: 3 egg whites give about 10 g with almost no fat.
• Paneer to tofu: 100 g firm tofu gives about 17 g, nearly the same as paneer.
• Chana dal to rajma or kala chana: all three give 10 to 13 g per cooked katori.

Who should go slow with 120 g

If you have kidney disease, or diabetes that has started to affect your kidneys, do not raise protein to this level without your doctor's advice. The same goes for anyone told to limit protein for a medical reason. For healthy adults, drink enough water through the day and increase protein over a week or two so your stomach gets used to the extra dal and soya.

FAQs

What does a 120 gram protein diet per day look like?

Five or six meals with protein in each one. A non veg example: a 3 egg omelette with toast at breakfast (24 g), paneer cubes mid morning (9 g), chicken curry with dal and roti at lunch (52 g), 2 boiled eggs in the evening (12 g) and fish curry with rice at dinner (27 g), about 124 g in total.

Can I follow a 120 gm protein diet veg?

Yes, but it takes planning. You need dal or chilla at breakfast, hung curd, paneer, soya chunks and two glasses of milk across the day. The veg table above reaches about 123 g. Expect it to cost more calories than a non veg day.

Is 120 g protein a day too much?

It depends on your body weight and how active you are. For a 60 kg woman who does not train, 120 g is about 2 g per kg, more than she needs, and 70 to 80 g is usually enough. For a 90 kg man, or someone lifting weights four days a week, 120 g is reasonable. Healthy kidneys handle this amount well, but if you have kidney problems, check with your doctor first.

Do I need protein powder for 120 g?

Not if you eat eggs, chicken or fish. Both tables above use only home food. A scoop of whey in milk can help on busy days, but it is a convenience, not a requirement.

Can I eat 120 g protein in three meals?

You can, but 40 g at every meal is hard to eat and harder to digest. Splitting it into 25 to 35 g per main meal plus two protein snacks is easier on most people.

Get a protein plan built around your food

If you want your protein and calories set for your weight, training and the food you already cook, our nutritionists can build the chart for you and adjust it as you go. Plans start at Rs 499 for 15 days. Message us on WhatsApp at +91 78382 49321.

More on protein: the full high protein Indian diet chart with 80 g, 100 g and 120 g plans, the 80 gram protein diet for vegetarians, and the high protein diet chart in Hindi.

This is general information, not medical advice. Check with your doctor before a big change in protein if you have kidney disease, diabetes or any other medical condition.