Which gives more protein per rupee: paneer, soya or packaged protein foods?
In buyers' own maths, protein bread worked out at about ₹0.85 per gram of protein and a 100 g paneer pack at ₹2.78, against ₹4.29 for a protein bar. Buyers judge packaged protein against whole foods, and 74% of their opinions on price premiums are negative (NBW Brain, March–September 2026).
The finding in brief
- Protein atta: ₹0.43 per gram of protein.
- A day of soya, low-fat paneer and curd: ₹1.18 per gram.
- Protein wafers on a deal: ₹2.07 per gram.
- Opinions on protein per rupee are 57% positive overall, but price premiums draw criticism.
Rupees per gram of protein, as buyers worked it out
| Product, as stated | Buyer's figures | ₹ per g protein |
|---|---|---|
| Protein atta (Mill'd) | "23g protein in 10rs" | 0.43 |
| Protein bread (Protein Chef, 4 slices) | "(~26g protein) – ₹22" | 0.85 |
| A day's soya, low-fat paneer and curd | "around 110 g of protein for about ₹130" | 1.18 |
| Protein wafers (SuperYou, 10 pieces, deal post) | "10g Protein Wafer 10pcs @ ₹207" | 2.07 |
| Paneer (100 g pack) | "100gm panneer is 50rs and give 18gm protein" | 2.78 |
| Protein bar (Phab) | "90 per piece with 21 gms protein" | 4.29 |
“120 ke chips? Bruh india me 90 ka shawarma aata hai with good amount of chicken and its fulfilling.”
₹120 for chips? In India you get a ₹90 shawarma with a good amount of chicken, and it's filling.
What it means for brands
Buyers price packaged protein against dal, eggs, paneer and soya, not against other snacks. A premium that does not beat the whole-food benchmark on protein per rupee is hard to defend.
Questions
- What is the cheapest source of protein in India?
- Among the figures buyers worked out, protein atta and protein bread came out cheapest per gram, followed by whole foods such as soya, paneer and curd. Protein bars were the most expensive.
- Is this based on sales data?
- No. NBW Brain findings come from what Indian buyers say they did and why, in their own words, coded to a fixed codebook and checked against independent market research. They are not purchase data and not a representative survey, so shares describe the evidence, not the whole market.
How to read this: shares describe the evidence, with the base (n) shown. Findings come from what Indian buyers say they did and why, in their own words. Not purchase data and not a representative survey.