A week of low-cost, high-protein vegetarian meals under 100 rupees a day

Published 23 October 2026 at 11:03 am IST · 1 min read

Demo menu; portions for one adult.
Day	Lunch	Dinner	Protein (approx.)
Mon	Dal, rice, curd	Chickpea curry, roti	32 g
Tue	Rajma, rice	Paneer bhurji, roti	38 g
Wed	Sprout salad, roti	Moong dal khichdi	30 g
Thu	Dal, roti, curd	Soya chunk curry	40 g

Costs are demo estimates and vary by city and season.

Soak chickpeas and rajma overnight to cut cooking time and reduce gas. Add a squeeze of lemon to dal for vitamin C, which helps the body absorb iron.

The plan gives about 70 to 90 g of protein across the day when you add curd or milk. Check with a dietitian if you have kidney disease.

This is a demo story: every name, place, organisation and figure in it is fictional.

Corrections and updates

Correction · 23 October 2026 at 11:03 am IST
An earlier version gave the wrong date for the meeting. It has been corrected.

Members

Our reporting is paid for by readers like you. Become a member to read without limits and keep it going.