Healthy Indian lunch ideas for weight loss
Lunch is the meal that keeps your evening calm. A lunch with enough protein and vegetables means no 5 pm biscuit hunt. Here are 21 everyday Indian lunches, veg and non-veg, with roti or rice, each worked out to about 500 calories.
What should a weight-loss lunch look like?
Every lunch below follows the same simple pattern:
- One measured carb: 2 rotis (about 30 g atta each), or 45 to 55 g of dry rice.
- A real protein portion: dal, rajma or chole with curd, paneer, tofu, soya, chicken or fish. This is what keeps you full until evening.
- A big sabzi and salad: half the plate, for fibre and volume at very few calories.
- One teaspoon of oil in the cooking, not more.
That gives about 435 to 540 kcal and 27 to 47 g of protein at lunch, the same as in the BodyQuest app.
All 21 lunches at a glance
| Lunch | Type | kcal | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soya chunk curry with roti and salad | Veg | 525 | 45 g |
| Rice with paneer bhurji, gobi and curd | Veg | 530 | 37 g |
| Roti with moong dal and paneer sabzi | Veg | 495 | 35 g |
| Rice, dal and tori sabzi with paneer | Veg | 535 | 33 g |
| Roti, dal, soya curry and methi sabzi | Veg | 515 | 36 g |
| Rajma with roti, curd and salad | Veg | 520 | 31 g |
| Rice with curd, roasted chana and salad | Veg | 540 | 31 g |
| Roti, dal, bhindi sabzi, curd and salad | Veg | 515 | 31 g |
| Chole with rice, curd and salad | Veg | 535 | 29 g |
| Roti with chole, curd and salad | Veg | 520 | 30 g |
| Rice with rajma, curd and salad | Veg | 530 | 30 g |
| Dal with palak, paneer, rice and salad | Veg | 530 | 29 g |
| Rice with sambar, baingan sabzi and curd | Veg | 525 | 27 g |
| Rice with dal, capsicum sabzi and curd | Veg | 535 | 27 g |
| Roti with chicken bhuna and salad | Non-veg | 485 | 47 g |
| Chicken curry with rice and salad | Non-veg | 530 | 45 g |
| Roti with chicken curry, chana and salad | Non-veg | 520 | 47 g |
| Chicken curry with rice, dal and salad | Non-veg | 525 | 45 g |
| Tandoori chicken with rice, dal and salad | Non-veg | 525 | 40 g |
| Rice with fish curry, dal and salad | Non-veg | 525 | 37 g |
| Chicken keema with roti and salad | Non-veg | 435 | 35 g |
8 lunches with exact portions
The portions are for a 1,400-kcal day. The app scales them up or down to your own numbers.
Vegetarian
Soya chunk curry with roti and salad
Whole wheat atta 2 rotis; Soya chunks 65 g dry; Beans sabzi 115 g before cooking; Salad 100 g; Cooking oil 5 g
Rice with paneer bhurji, gobi and curd
Rice 45 g dry; Low-fat paneer 95 g; Gobi sabzi 105 g before cooking; Hung curd (thick curd) 100 g; Cooking oil 5 g
Roti with moong dal and paneer sabzi
Whole wheat atta 1 roti; Moong dal 30 g dry; Low-fat paneer 100 g; Tori sabzi 115 g before cooking; Salad 80 g; Cooking oil 5 g
Rice, dal and tori sabzi with paneer
Rice 45 g dry; Toor dal 30 g dry; Low-fat paneer 100 g; Tori sabzi 105 g before cooking; Cooking oil 5 g
Roti, dal, soya curry and methi sabzi
Whole wheat atta 2 rotis; Toor dal 30 g dry; Soya chunks 30 g dry; Methi sabzi 115 g before cooking; Salad 100 g; Cooking oil 4 g
Non-vegetarian
Roti with chicken bhuna and salad
Whole wheat atta 2 rotis; Chicken 120 g cooked; Tori sabzi 115 g before cooking; Salad 100 g; Cooking oil 5 g
Chicken curry with rice and salad
Rice 65 g dry; Chicken 120 g cooked; Bhindi sabzi 105 g before cooking; Salad 100 g; Cooking oil 5 g
Roti with chicken curry, chana and salad
Whole wheat atta 2 rotis; Chicken 110 g cooked; Kala chana 20 g dry; Salad 100 g; Cooking oil 5 g
How do you make lunch keep you full?
- Eat the salad and sabzi first, then the roti or rice.
- Keep the dal thick. Watery dal has little protein per katori.
- Add curd. A katori of hung curd (thick curd) adds 10 to 15 g of protein for very few calories.
- Walk for 10 minutes after lunch. It helps digestion and adds about a thousand steps.
- Pack the evening snack with lunch, so you are not choosing food when you are tired and hungry.
Want a lighter end to the day? See the Indian dinner ideas and evening snacks under 200 calories.
Questions people ask
How many calories should lunch be for weight loss?
On a day of about 1,400 kcal, lunch is usually the biggest meal at around 500 kcal. Breakfast and dinner are lighter, with a small snack in the evening.
Can I eat rice at lunch when losing weight?
Yes. 45 to 55 g of dry rice (about one katori cooked) with dal or rajma, a sabzi and salad fits a weight-loss lunch.
What is a good lunch to take to the office?
Roti with a dry sabzi and paneer or chana, or rice with rajma or chole in one box and curd in another. Dry dishes travel better than gravies and keep the oil low.
How many rotis should I eat at lunch?
Two rotis made from about 30 g of atta each is the usual amount in these lunches, with a big portion of dal or protein and vegetables.
Sources
- ICMR-NIN: Indian Food Composition Tables (2017)
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: Healthy Eating Plate
- ICMR-NIN: Dietary Guidelines for Indians (2024)
BodyQuest is a home weight-loss programme for Indian women, made by ASANAR STUDIOS in Mohali, Punjab. The calories, protein and portions in our articles come from the same food data and method the BodyQuest app uses to build each member's daily plan, and our advice follows the public guidance listed under Sources. We are not doctors: for a health condition, check with yours.
BodyQuest gives general fitness and food guidance for healthy adults. It does not diagnose or treat any condition. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or managing a health condition such as diabetes, thyroid or PCOS, check with your doctor before changing your diet or exercise.
