CleanPlate

Most Indian home cooked meals already contain protein, the question is usually how much, and whether small changes could meaningfully increase it without changing what the meal is.

A standard dal, roti, and vegetable meal can be adjusted in a few simple ways. Using a thicker dal, or adding a handful of soaked chana or moong to an existing dal, increases protein without adding a new dish. A side of curd, especially hung curd or Greek style curd, adds protein with very little extra effort.

Breakfast is often where the biggest gap shows up. A plain poha or upma is mostly carbohydrate. Adding peanuts, sprouts, or a boiled egg on the side shifts the protein content of the meal noticeably.

None of these changes require giving up familiar food. They’re closer to small substitutions and additions, swapping a thin dal for a thicker one, or adding curd where there wasn’t any, that add up over a week of meals.